Flat Spiral Stitch Bracelet Tutorial

Flat Spiral Stitch Bracelet

Vector illustrating has always been a little intimidating to me. Usually, I'm pretty good about figuring things out and researching until I get it, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Photo editing on GIMP had been enough of a learning curve for me. Taking pictures was just easier, and now that they can be taken, edited and added through my phone, it's made drawing out bead diagrams seem that much more unattractive. 

Recently, I decided I would really give vector illustrating an honest try
...again. I came across the Interweave site and found DIY Bead Diagrams: How to Draw Bead Charts with Microsoft Word, which was an hour long webinar course taught by Kassie Shaw. 

Kassie explained everything in a way that was easy to understand. She taught how to make beads and the bead paths (that's been my biggest obstacle), and how to combine shapes to make different objects, such as clasps. She also went over how to use the different tools, which was fantastic since I had no clue how to work the curve tool.

Overall, it was definitely worth the money and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to start into vector illustrating for beading. Most of us probably have Word on our computers. I personally use that and Presentations when making patterns.

This is the first tutorial where I have actually created the beading diagrams using Word and Presentations. I figured this older pattern was simple enough to start with. It took way longer than expected, but I think once I start using it consistently, it'll quicken with time. 

I have a link to the PDF for the pattern at the end of the tutorial with both a single and double row flat spiral stitch bracelet, but for those of you who can bear with me, here is my latest (old) new pattern.

Supplies:

40-4mm Fire Polished Beads

80-3mm Fire Polished beads

3 grams size 15/o seed beads

Lobster clasp for single row or barrel clasp for double row

Beading needle, thread or fireline

**NOTE- There is a front and back after the first couple of loops have been beaded, so make sure to keep the top side up as you bead. 

1. String (2) 4mm fire polish beads.

2. String 5 gold 15/o, a 3mm fire polish and 5 gold 15/o beads.

  3. Pass up through both 4mm fire polish beads.

4. String 5 gold 15/o, a 3mm fire polish and 5 gold 15/o beads.

5. Pass up through both 4mm fire polish.

6. String  a 4mm fire polish, 5 gold 15/o, a 3mm fire polish and 5 gold 15/o beads.

7. Pass up through the top (2) 4mm fire polish only.

8. String 5 gold 15/o, a 3mm fire polish and 5 gold 15/o beads.

9. Pass up through the top (2) 4mm fire polish only.

10. Continue to repeat Steps 6 through 9 until you reach your desired length. From here you can add a clasp, or continue on to a double row (see PDF below). 

Hopefully, that was painless :) Thanks for reading!

Click to download the Flat Spiral PDF

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