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August 15, 2015

Making Ladder Stitch Bracelets

Finishing Ladder Stitch


Sheesh - I can't even believe I was worried about how to finish the ladder stitched bracelet I made the other day. Sometimes, it's the easiest things that can elude me.  Luckily I slept on it and...


Ta-da.  My nice little group of ladder stitched projects are all done! Finishing ladder stitch was so easy!



On the end I had the row of beads three high.  All I did was taper the end by adding two beads using ladder stitch, stitched through a closed jump ring as many times as practical (I think I made it around four times) to secure it and  wove the thread end back in to the beading.

It looks good and worked well on both sides of the clasp.  I almost ran out of thread on the tails (it was sooooo close), but I didn't!  Here's the tutorial to make the ladder stitch bracelet.


Here's the finished bracelet with a charm that I'm thinking of adding to it. The charm is made with circular brick stitch around (really through) a center bead.

I wrote an article about finding a good bead to stitch around for this technique since it's one of the questions I get asked a lot.

I'll also be making a tutorial for making the charm since I don't think I've done that style yet.  It's very similar to how to surround a bead with circular brick stitch but instead of going under the base threads you go through the center of the bead.


I have been debating where to add the charm - on the beadwork in the center or at the clasp.  It feels like I always hang them at the clasp and, of course, that makes sense because it looks pretty, helps you fasten the bracelet and also helps keep the clasp weighted and at the bottom of your wrist.  On the negative side - it feels boring to the do the same thing all the time.


I also finished the free tutorial to make ladder stitch links like the ones I used in this bracelet. I like to make projects like this that use components because it's not hard for me to find 10 or 15 minutes to make a link throughout the day. Before I know it, there's enough links to make a bracelet. That type of beading really works for me.


While I was bit by the ladder stitch bug, I decided to search out some other tutorials using ladder stitch and found this Easy Tila Bead Bracelet at this great site beadwork.about.com :)

It's a popular tutorial at the site so I decided to give it a whirl.  I didn't like my first attempt on the left because the beads are wonky and the tilas don't sit close enough together, so I tried again eliminating the extra bead.  I still wasn't happy and decided I shouldn't be using delicas for the outside beading.

By the way, the instructions specifically call for round beads - I was just doing my own thing because, well - that's how I roll.  Don't they look like centipedes or caterpillars in the picture??  Anyway, I'll try again this weekend because I'm on a ladder stitch kick and the bracelet is really pretty.

So, what else?

I mentioned that I'm working on my Fall/Winter Jewelry line and it's still slow going.  I've decided at least on some colors and types of beads.


I'm definitely going for a neutral palette, which I'm also experimenting with in my seed beads.  I'm loving moonstone - all of the colors and also translucent glass beads.


I have a bunch of these white faceted translucent glass beads. Yum!  There's a tutorial to make this simple loop bracelet.


I also bought similar glass beads in light colors - not quite neutral, but will add a little color amongst all of the neutrals. I wish I could find these beads in every color possible (yes, I'm hooked), but for now I have lots of pastels plus some others - and that will (have to) work.


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