Color Study Part 4: Wheat
by Janice Parsons
In Wheat, Part Four, Janice builds the last section of this 5 wrap bracelet project using just a few beads and 2 feet of chain.
The chain laddering is built on the same technique used in earlier sections of this project, but instead of doing it with beads, we are weaving through chain. The most notable change is the addition of flexible eye beading needles to help string the Tuff Cord through the chain links. Please refer to Parts One,Two and Three for techniques and materials used to complete the entire bracelet and watch the video by Brittany Ketcham, Stackable Ladder Bracelets for laddering and macramé techniques.
Time to Complete: 2 hours
Level: Intermediate
Ingredients for Part Four:
8/0 Picasso Canary Seed Beads*
3 yards Tuff Cord #1 in Teal or Green
8/0 Picasso Brown Seed Beads*
2 Feet of Wheat Chain in Old Brass cut in
two lengths of 12 inches each
2 One Shot Picasso Beads
Studio Essentials:
Thread Zapper
GS Hypo Cement
Thread Snips
Wire Cutters
2 Beadalon Flexible Eye Needles
Before you begin, secure your project back to your design board.
Slide the pony bead away from the macramé. Cut a length of
Tuff Cord 3 yards long. Find the mid-way point and position it under
the the leather. Tie a square knot around the leather to secure it in
place. Feed the tails through the pony bead.
Slide the pony bead back up into position and macramé about four complete square knots below it.
Using your new length of Tuff Cord to ladder, begin with one 8/0 seed bead in your first row. Your second row will have two beads.
Cut your chain into two equal lengths of 12 inches. Refer to our guide on How to Cut Chain, if you are new at getting lengths even. If one chain ends up longer, you can cut the extra link or two off before you finish.
Thread each tail of Tuff Cord onto a Beadalon Flexible Eye needle, leaving about 3 inches of tail. The pointed loop of the needle’s eye will keep the Tuff Cord tail in place.
Thread one needle+Tuff Cord through the last link on each chain. Repeat with other needle+ Tuff Cord going through chain in opposite direction. This is just like laddering a bead; you come through it from both sides.
The first couple of passes are the most difficult. “Drawing” your chains into position between the two pieces of leather and getting the correct next links to ladder through can be challenging but it's doable!
Remember with each new ladder you have to go under and over the leather tails just as you would with beads.
Holding the chain up so you can see the next links can be helpful. Very important to remember: Do NOT over tighten your Tuff Cords. Keep it loose but steady. If you ladder chain too tightly, when you go to wrap it around to wear, the chain will kink or not bend.
As you come to the chain ends, if one piece of chain has extra links, use wire cutters to cuff off excess links.
Add the two rows of seed beads (as you did at the beginning in Step 4) or go directly to ending with chain. Before making this decision, take your project off the board and test that it will wrap around your wrist five times. If not, you may need to add several rows of seed beads to achieve the length you need. Always check tension of your thread and chain to tighten or loosen so the chain will curve around your wrist.
In measuring, remember the button loop will add approximately 1 inch to the final length.
Once you have the chain resting with enough room to curve, tie a square knot with your Tuff Cord tails as you did in Step 2. Add a bit of glue directly to your leather.
Continue to macramé Tuff Cord over the leather for several knots until you have about 8 knots.
Carefully singe off the excess Tuff Cord using your Thread Zapper or cut with wire cutters. Be careful, you don’t want to damage your leather or your macramé knots.
When you take your wrap bracelet off the board to measure the length and number of wraps, you will probably find there is a “front” and “back” to your chain section. Each side has its own personality and you can wear it either way.
Secure your project back on your design board.
Bring your button up through the leather to see how wide the loop needs to be. You can leave the button there while you macramé below it.
Cut a new length of Tuff Cord 1 yard long. Tie it in a square knot just below where the button ends. Repeat in Step 9 adding a bit of glue to the leather and macramé about 8 knots to make a button loop. Use your Thread Zapper or wire cutters to cut off the excess Tuff Cord.
Unsecure your project from the design board.
To add the artisan signature of beaded tails, cut your leather tails to about 3 inches in length each.
Add a pony bead to each tail and tie an overhand knot below it. The finished length of the tails should be about 1 inch. If you make them too long, they will get caught in things and get wet from water in the sink.
Tie an overhand knot below each bead. Before you tighten the knot, add just a drop of glue into the knot to keep it secure.
Use your wire cutters to cut off any excess leather.
You are done! You did it!
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