Beaded Stars

Last year I was shown these stars by Rae, one of my students, so I rushed home and wrote down the directions. I made up a few small kits of instructions, a photo and beads, and passed them around. They have now been posted on another blog, so I thought I may as well put them up here as well.

They can then be sewn down to crazypatch - and look wonderful on Christmas pieces.

Instructions:

Beaded Snowflake (Gold and Light Blue)

Thread a fine needle #10 with both ends of a long (1.2m) thread of white machine cotton, so that there is a loop at the end.

Row 1

Pick up one gold bead, take it almost to the loop and then put the needle through the loop and tighten, so the bead is held securely (note: if the threads slip apart the bead will come straight off)

Pick up 11 more gold beads, then go back through the first bead and the next bead so that it forms a tiny ring.

After this your needle should always go the same direction – usually you will be working from right to left.

Row 2

Pick up three light blue beads, miss one gold bead and go through the next gold bead. This forms a loop, with one gold bead in the middle. Continue this way, picking up three and missing one gold bead to go through the next gold bead, until you have six loops of three light blue beads.

Finish this row by going through the gold bead where the first loop starts, and through the first two light blue beads of the first loop

Row 3

Pick up 1 light blue bead, 3 gold beads, 1 light blue bead and go through the middle bead of the next loop of light blue beads.

Continue with the 1 light blue, 3 gold, 1 light blue until you have six loops and are back to the start. Go through the first light blue and first gold of the first loop.

Row 4

***

Pick up 3 light blue beads and go through the third gold bead of the same loop in the previous row. Pick up 3 gold beads, 1 light blue bead and 3 gold beads. Go back through the light blue bead and the next gold bead (ie 3^rd bead in the first lot of 3 gold beads).

Pick up 2 gold beads and go through the first gold bead of the next loop in the previous row. You have just formed a picot.

Continue from *** until you have formed 6 picots.

Go into the appropriate gold bead to finish (first one under the first light blue loop in this row). Blanket stitch your thread once between beads. Go through two more gold beads and repeat blanket stitch. Go through two more gold beads and repeat blanket stitch. Go through light blue bead and cut thread close to beads

The beads used were OLAF No.9 seed beads from my local craft shop at $6.95 for a 25 gm packet. It is very important to use good, even beads.

I haven't made any for a while - must go and make a few.