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June 24, 2014

Brick Stitch Inside a Wire Frame

Trying Something New

peacock color beads stitched inside a wire wrap frame from Lisa Yang's Jewelry Blog

I'm still playing with brick stitch, but tried something new this weekend.

I made a teardrop shaped wire frame following the same technique I used on the silver and gemstone mosaic earrings from a couple of weeks ago.

Then, I added brick stitch rows inside the frame.  

I've done plenty of brick stitching around the outside of objects.  

For example:


brick stitch: Miguel Ases style


brick stitch rounds through a spacer bead

And brick stitch through spacer beads, where the spacers are turned sideways.

brick stitch sround the outside of a hoop


Brick stitch around the inside of a wire frame

And what I found out - is that it is much more tedious and time consuming to brick stitch around the inside of an object.  

Maybe making the second earring will be quicker, but it took a lot more thought to make sure the beads were spaced evenly and to pull the string through the hoop every stitch and avoid tangles.  

brick stitch inside wire component: Peacock feather?

The frame I made is 1.5 inches long from the top of the hanging loop to the base.  They are about 3/4 inch wide.  I used 8/0 beads for the first round, 11/0 round for the second, and 11/0 cylinder beads for the inside.

I think they came out OK.  I wish my color selection was a little better - but I think these should look good on.  They remind me a little of the eye of a peacock feather, which makes me want to try to make a pair that looks like a peacock feather.  

I'll take step by step pictures when I make the next earring - or maybe make the peacock feather. 

P.S. One thing I really like about this post is that I feel like my brick stitch technique - spacing and tension - has improved considerably.  Look at the difference between the wonky pink rounds and the blue ones above them!  Patting myself on the back for that today...

6 comments:

  1. Beautiful hand made jewelry. Stunning creativity. Thanks Lisa :-)

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  2. The earrings are beautiful and I love the color choice.

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  3. Destiny HuntApril 21, 2015

    Hi Lisa, somehow I managed to miss this! Beautiful work -- and I just subscribed to your blog so I don't miss out on any more goodies like this.

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    1. Oh good! So glad you subscribed. Actually - I have some different shape frames now, so I'll have to try this again soon - with some different shape beads.

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  4. Good grief! I've just tried to have a go at this, Lisa... And OMG (as they say).
    First, I should have waited till I got hold of thicker wire to make the frame.
    Then I should have used rounder 6/0 beads for the first line, not rather cylindrical Matsuno beads (err... were those first beads of yours 6/0?)

    The beads wouldn't keep in line (maybe 6lb fireline would have been better?) So I decided to start small, with a couple of 11/0 lines, then go to 4mm fire polished beads...

    But I gave up completely when I cut the stupid working thread, not the tail!!!!

    Argghhhh!

    Anyway, beading inside a frame is a real pain, as you implied. But as I'm a stubbon toad, I shall persevere. I WILL make it work! :-)

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  5. Hi Lisa, I love these! I know what you mean about working toward the inside of a frame with brick stitch. But then I had the thought that once you power through one earring to get the bead count figured out just right, wouldn't it be possible to work the shape from the inside out until you get to the last row (the one that attaches just inside the frame" and then just attach that row to the frame? Just thinking that might make it easier.....

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