https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/2-hole-beaded-components-gear-and-sun • Posted by Shop Showcase
©2015 Karen Kubby There are so many ways to utilize 2-hole beads in contemporary beadwork. The Sun and Gear are two quick and fun components that have many applications. These components don’t take too many beads, so they are a great way to get rid of those small quantities of beads you can’t stand to throw away or merge into a mix. Before beginning any project using 2-hole beads, double check that each hole on each bead is clear and ready for your beading.
©2015 Karen Kubby There are so many ways to utilize 2-hole beads in contemporary beadwork. The Sun and Gear are two quick and fun components that have many applications. These components don’t take too many beads, so they are a great way to get rid of those small quantities of beads you can’t stand to throw away or merge into a mix. Before beginning any project using 2-hole beads, double check that each hole on each bead is clear and ready for your beading.
Take one wingspan of thread. If using nymo stretch and wax your thread. Needle your thread.
Pick up an 11/0 and one lentil. Repeat 11 times. If your lentils have a special coating, be sure to pick up your beads from the same side or the coating will be part of your pattern in a haphazard manner. Pull the beads down to the tail, leaving 12” to work with later. See Figure 1.
Form a circle by putting your needle through all the beads. Do this twice and pull tight which helps create structure for this 3D component. End your second pass through with thread coming out of a lentil bead.
Move to the upper hole of your lentil. You will have thread showing on one side of your lentil. You will continue beading in the opposite direction
Add a 2mm firepolish round between each lentil. Pull tight. End with your thread coming out of a 2mm firepolish. See Figure 1.
Make a three bead picot over the lentil by picking up 3 11/0 round seed beads and placing your needle into the next 2mm firepolish. Repeat making picots around the circle. For a tighter gear, go through your picots one more time around with thread only. See Figure 1.
Repeats Steps 1-6 to make the second half of the gear. Before starting Step 8, end the 12” tail on one of the gears. You can also end the working threads on both gears to get them out of your way for Step 8.
You are going to “zip up” your 2 gears by picking up a 15/0 and putting your thread through an 11/0 on the other side. Go around the circle pulling tight each time. End your thread. You now have gear shape to use as you please. Variations: Use one half of a gear to use as a separate component. They make lovely earrings to which you could add loops or fringe. Use 3mm firepolish to make a larger gear. Embellish the gear or half-gear with more layers of picots.
SUN Take one wingspan of thread. If using nymo stretch and wax your thread. Needle your thread.
Pick up one 11/0 and one SD. If your SDs have a special coating, be sure to pick up your beads from the same side or the coating will be part of your pattern in a haphazard manner. Pull the beads down to the tail, leaving just enough length to tie off and weave in. Go around again with thread only to create structure. See Figure 1.
Move over to the other whole in the SD by putting your needle through the other hole. You will see thread on the outside of the SD.
Place an 11/0 between each hole of the SD. Go through again with thread only to create structure. Be sure your thread is coming out of a SD to set up for the next step. See Figure 1.
Pick up 3 11/0 and create a picot on top of the SD by putting your needle through the SD the same way it is currently coming out of it. Be sure your thread goes through the 11/0 and the next SD to set up for placing the next SD. Repeat this around the circle. See Figure 2.
Move over the other side of the Sun by putting your needle through the other hole of the Move over the other side of the Sun by putting your needle through the other hole of the SD. Create the picots on this other side. Set up for the next step by weaving over with thread only to the middle bead of a picot.
Create a square of beads by adding one 11/0 between the middle beads of the picot, , from each side of the Sun using the following thread path. Pick up one 11/0, , and put your needle through the picot on the other side of the Sun. Pick up one 11/0 and put your needle through the picot on the other side of the Sun. You should now have a square. Go around this square two times with thread only and pull tightly to create structure. See Figure 3.
To move over to the next picot, put your needle down the side bead of the picot, through the 11/0 between the SD, through the SD, up the side bead of the next picot, and through the middle bead of the picot. Repeat around the Sun.
Put a bead on top of each square using the following thread path. Put your needle up a side bead of a picot, through the middle bead of the picot, through the next bead of the square, (1) Pick up one 11/0, (2) , and put your needle through the bead on the opposite side of the square with your needle going in same direction as the thread of the bead your thread is currently coming out of, (3) . Weave over to the next square and repeat around the Sun. See Figure 4.
Weave in your tail and working thread. You now have a Sun component. Variations: Figure 4 4 ©2015 Karen Kubby 2-hole Beaded Components No part of these instructions can be replicated for any reason. Use a different color, size, or shape bead in Step 10, on top of the square. Make a Sun, yet skip Step 9 on the last square. Use Cubed Right Angle Weave to connect Suns to each other to make a chain of Suns for a bracelet or necklace. Instead of making the picots over the SD, make them over the 11/0 between the SDs. This will expose more of them SD in the finished piece. The piece will be tighter using this variation.