Daily Blogs : Bead Crafts, Right Angle Weave

What's Your Favorite Bead-weaving Stitch?

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Fri, 06 May 2011 11:57:00 GMT

Hello Beading Daily Community!

Some of you might already know me —I'm Jennifer VanBenschoten, and I've been a contributor to Beadwork magazine for a few years now. I'm incredibly excited to introduce myself to you now as the new online editor for Beading Daily!

Bead-weaving (beadweaving) has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. Back when I was in high school, I started out with one of those little "Indian" bead looms, making bracelets and headbands and rings using seed beads. Even at the age of fifteen, I was totally entranced by those wonderful little pieces of glass with their shiny colors and the way they just seemed to magically work themselves into jewelry with just a little thread and a needle.

And speaking of bead-weaving stitches we asked what your favorites are, and you answered! Peyote stitch was the most popular reply, followed by right-angle weave and herringbone. Personally, I love all of these bead-weaving stitches for different reasons . . .

Antique Inspirations Randy Drobny		Peyote Stitch What's not to love about peyote stitch? Well, when I was just a baby beader way back when, peyote stitch was the most difficult bead-weaving stitch for me to learn. I had mastered brick stitch, right angle weave, herringbone stitch and square stitch and had even made some cool spiral ropes—but peyote stitch? Forget about it. Luckily, I found a class nearby and quickly mastered peyote stitch, which only fanned my budding beading fire! Lately, I've found myself working in all of peyote's wonderful variations—even count, odd count, two and three drop, and free form, and peyote stitch is by far my favorite stitch for making beaded bezels.

Lavender Lattice Hortense E . Thompson		Right-angle Weave I was surprised to see right-angle weave up there as a favorite stitch because of its, um, reputation. You know what I'm talking about. Right-angle weave is a really intimidating bead-weaving stitch for some beaders. (That's how I felt about peyote stitch!) But with a little practice, you can discover how much fun it really is. Right-angle weave is my go-to stitch because of the way it creates a piece of beaded fabric that feels just like regular fabric. You can drape it, stitch it together or wrap it around a form. And if you like to embellish your bead-work, right-angle weave gives you the perfect base for adding crystals, pearls or whatever bling your heart desires!

Ode on a Grecian Urn Jennifer VanBenchoten		Herringbone Stitch Also called Ndebele (EN-duh-belly) after the African tribe that developed this stitch, herringbone stitch is steeped in history, culture, and tradition. And it's just fun. It's a pretty stitch—it makes beautiful tiny beaded flowers (something that I love as a way to get through the long, cold Adirondack winters), and with a few twists, it makes flowing beaded ropes. My favorite way to use herringbone stitch is to use a range of sizes of seed beads, turning a piece of flat herringbone stitch into a graceful curve.

Want to Learn More?

The possibilities of these stitches are really only limited by your imagination! You can learn these stitches, and much more in the new special issue Favorite Beading Stitches from Beadwork magazine. Get forty-one favorite beading projects plus learn variations and techniques for your favorite beading stitches, including peyote stitch, right-angle weave and herringbone stitch.

What's your favorite bead-weaving stitch? Tell us below!

Bead Happy!

Top Beading Daily Projects from 2009

Leslie Rogalski — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:40:00 GMT

Beading Daily Readers' Favorite e-Projects from 2009 This is my first post for 2010, so Happy New Year! Before the holidays I buzzed around the forums chatting with you about what projects you like on Beading Daily. It became clear there were leaders of the pack in favorite technique and materials. I’m still fairly new as your editor, so this was a delightful introduction for me, at least to those of you on the forums. I learned that not every Beading Daily member calls themselves a beader, that we are men as well as women, teen to senior, and that we live all over the world, from the Americas to New Zealand. What we all have in common is our desire to be creative and not only learn to be better ourselves but to help others grow, too. Whether we call ourselves a beader or otherwise, we enjoy being online friends through Beading Daily. Jewelry makers of the world, unite! Better still, jewelry makers–unite the world! That's our Beading Daily call to action for 2010. Here are the three most popular designs in each of our major jewelry-making categories on Beading Daily: stringing, beadweaving, and wirework.

Mixed media leads the trend in stringing A common interest in using new materials in stringing designs was and continues to be reflected in which projects you liked best online. You made these the top downloads of all our stringing projects this past year. It’s clear that youthful, mixed-media styles and components continue to be hot. One thing is for sure: however you put your jewelry together, you all love using beads somewhere in your designs!


Brass Filigree Snowflake by Jess Italia-Lincoln	Chirp Chirp by Danielle Fox	October Shore by Cynthia Thornton

We itch to stitch! Seed beads and beadweaving hold us in their power and we love being captivated! Peyote and right angle weave were our favorite beadweaving techniques in e-Books, but individual techniques with high popularity ratings included brick stitch and caddis weave.

Crystal Radiance by Tina Koyama	Caddis Weave Bracelet by Anne Fletcher	Two-drop Peyote Beaded Beads by Dustin Wedekind

Our wire desires We loved wire spirals, coils, and anything wrapped this year. I do have to point out that no matter which project you loved best, almost every wire project incorporated beads, especially artisan-made beads or crystals. Watch for more wire and bead designs to be a strong trend in 2010.

Coiled Gem Drops by Janice Berkebile	Caramel Swirl by Cindy Wimmer	Raindrop Earrings by Jenna Kolyar-Cooper


Look to us for top trends in 2010 All our projects reflect how our magazines, books, videos, and designers are ahead of the curve when it comes to keeping up with the latest materials, styles, and trends. Be sure to browse the Interweave Store regularly so you can keep up, too. And to help Beading Daily bring jewelry-makers closer together, comment below on the trends in materials and hottest jewelry styles showing up in your corner of the world. Again, Happy New Year!

Learn 3 Stitch Increases For Your Beadwork

Jean Campbell — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:45:00 GMT

Start the New Year with creativity!

2009 is drawing to a close, and I just can’t believe it. I think I’m still waiting for summer, which may have occurred in Minnesota on June 20 between 2:16 p.m and 2:48 p.m. I must have been taking a nap or something, because I missed it . . .

It was a strange year, wasn’t it? Bad weather, wars, the cruddy economy . . . heck, there have even been a bunch of cougar sightings in my sleepy suburb! I don’t know about you, but all this craziness has left me feeling the need to focus on something positive.

We’re a bunch of artistic people, though, right? So how about we get all those creative juices flowing and focus on abundance? Abundance in love, peace, prosperity, and gentleness. I’m a big believer in the power of collective consciousness, and imaginative people like us need to lead the way.

Create abundance with your beadwork
As beaders, we grace our surroundings with lovely works, adding to the beauty of our world. So how about we kick off the new year by turning our beaderly attentions up a notch, making the world an even more beautiful place? Try learning a new stitch to add to the repertoire. Or incorporate unusual beads you’ve never used before. Maybe combine beadwork with another favorite craft such as knitting or paper arts. Take a class from a favorite instructor. Subscribe to a great magazine such as Beadwork. I truly think that by increasing our creativity, we can make a difference. Hop on the train right now by literally producing abundance within your stitches. Try these three different increase techniques:

Peyote Stitch Increase

To make a mid-row increase with peyote stitch, first add two beads where one would normally go.		In the next row, add a bead between those two beads.		For the following row, work across the beads as usual.

Here's an example of the peyote stitch increase in Sharon Bateman's Peyote Donuts. These donuts came about by playing with tubular peyote. The spiraling pattern can be worked in colors to complement a lampworked bead and then strung with accent beads to make a whole necklace.

Brick Stitch Increase

To make a mid-row increase, add an additional beaded stitch to the same loop from the previous row.		In the next row, treat that stitch as part of the regular row.

Try practicing with Carol Dean Sharpe's Heart to Heart which uses an increasing and decreasing brick stitch. For the perfect ending, brick-stitch a separate heart-shaped "button" for a button-loop closure.

Right-angle weave Increase

To make an increase in right-angle weave, add two side beads where you’d usually add one bead.		In the next row, work individual units off each of those beads.

For the right angle weave increase try Lisa Kan's Corsage Cuff. This shimmering cuff's right-angle-weave base is bead-embellished differently on each side to make it reversible. The removable lacy flower pendant cleverly hides a strong magnetic cl

How will you be a leader in the “creativity abundance movement” in 2010? We’d all love to hear about it on Beading Daily.

Free eBook of Beaded Necklace Patterns

Leslie Rogalski — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:59:00 GMT

Practice, practice, practice... with 5 free necklace patterns!

I recently chatted on the Beading Daily forums about whether we consider ourselves beginner, intermediate or advanced. Many people think being advanced means you get it perfect the first time, every time, but I beg to differ. No matter how many times I work in any technique, there are times when I can’t get it right the first time... or even the second time. Suddenly I forget a step, or I'm all thumbs. It’s usually a small thing–the way I complete a stitched row, a turn of the pliers… whatever it is, it’s enough to make me slap my forehead and say “D’oh!” I consider myself a bit of a pro in many techniques, and still have those d'oh moments!

So, like concert musicians who practice arpeggios in different keys and tempos, we jewelry makers can hone our skills by making designs in different mediums and techniques. Our Beading Daily eBook, 5 Free Beaded Necklace Patterns, has a wonderful selection and variety of techniques for you to "practice." And, though practicing our craft won't get us to Carnegie Hall, our finished jewelry sure lasts a lot longer than the sounds of a concerto!

Here's how to limber up:

Perfect your crimping and have some fun in a design with many sizes of beads in my clasp-free Big Island necklace.	Refine your use of jump rings to make chain maille, and attach a cool cord with wireworking in the Parallel Chain necklace by Barbara Hance.
Become more adept at right angle weave and string a beaded cord for your pendant in the Shining Example necklace by Marcella Austenfeld.	Work with a fast and simple design in wire, chain and beaded dangles in the Heart of Glass necklace by Terry Rhoades.

Enhance the style of a strung design by using multi-strand techniques,
seed bead fringes, and asymmetrical detail in
Dragonfly's Garden by Julia Watt.

Just click here to download your
Beading Daily eBook, 5 Free Beaded Necklace Patterns!

We love hearing from you! Be sure to chime in on the Beading Daily forums or comment below.

Daily Blogs : Bead Crafts, Right Angle Weave

What's Your Favorite Bead-weaving Stitch?

Peyote Stitch

Right-angle Weave

Herringbone Stitch

Top Beading Daily Projects from 2009

Learn 3 Stitch Increases For Your Beadwork

Free eBook of Beaded Necklace Patterns