What Are Little Girls Made Of....

Happy Friday!

One of my favorite, most versatile beading stitches is the SPIRAL ROPE STITCH.  This stitch is super easy and builds up quickly!   So if you're like me....(almost) instant gratification ALWAYS works for me. *smiles*

As you know, I've committed myself to "get in the craft" every evening; whether it's cleaning up, rearranging, reorganizing or creating, spending some time with my beads and my imagination has become very important to me.  Not only is it developing me as a jewelry designer but it's SO relaxing!

So, this (well, yesterday) evening - I wanted to do something that looked a little more intricate.  My evening creations (as you see) have been mostly earrings.  They're quick and pretty easy, even if it takes a couple of attempts before I'm happy.  I wanted to do something different so I decided on a bracelet, with the spiral stitch.

"Bubble Gum Custard"

The GREAT thing about the spiral stitch is that you can pick ANY bead, any color combo, any size and get ALL different looks!  This was my first time using multiple shapes and colored beads.  Typically, it's a two color deal and I'll have at it.  However, this bracelet was a combination of bubblegum pink (size 6o) seed beads for the core and the outer spiral consists of burgundy (size 6o), iridescent clear (size 6o), silver spacer balls (they are around 4mm), iridescent clear 6mm (maybe it was 8mm) bicone and another iridescent, translucent, peachy silver-lined size 6o seed bead!  *phew!*

I know that there are a couple of different tutorials available online that you can find (I've attached the link to one below that I thought was really easy to follow for a beginner....great pictures to help you out!) but for myself and this bracelet, I did the following steps:

1. Cut a length of Fireline (in the color: Crystal) that is comfortable for you to work with.  I used about 3 feet. I'm not a fan of tying off and on more beading thread so unless it's impossible to complete a project on one length....I try to estimate the length needed.  
2. Leaving about 6-8 inches for the tail, string on 5 core beads. Those would be the pink beads you see. *OPTIONAL* Before stringing on the 5 core beads, tie on a stop bead of a color COMPLETELY separate and easy to recognize as the one that "doesn't belong".
3. String on a random combo of 4 beads. Because I have the bicone and it's a little larger than the other beads, I did keep it consistently the second bead. 
4.  Now that you have 9 beads on your string, take the needle up through the 5 core beads, pull through the full length of string.  The random 4 will line up next to the core.
5. Pick up 1 core bead and 4 random combos and repeat the path of the stitch.  HOWEVER this time, enter into the 2nd core bead.  This is called "stepping up" - this will leave you to sew through the last 4 beads from the first unit)
6. Drop down the beads you just strung and well - look at that! A core bead!  Sew through the 1 core bead, that gives you the 5 core beads that you need to sew through to complete the unit.  ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS ---  *SEW THROUGH 5, 4 ON THE SIDE*. Pull through the length of FireLine, snug fit, 4 beads fall to the side.  
7. Pick up 1 core bead and random 4 combo, step up to the next unit, sew through 5 core beads, pull through the length of FireLine, snug fit, 4 beads fall to the side.

You'll start to quickly see the spiral happening at this point!  Easy peazy! 

I used the antique silver heart toggle clasp to finish it off and Voila!  

Very happy with the way it turned out!

Beading friends, what's your favorite stitch??

I didn't learn this stitch from the web site below but I thought it would be helpful to a beginner to take a looksie! 

Courtesy of Ruby's Bead Work - Spiral Rope Tutorial - Click Here!