SRAW Puffy Heart & LOVE Letters by Gwen Fisher

This tutorial was inspired by Chris Prussing’s Puffy Heart and Marcia De Coster’s Love Letters, stitched with right angle weave (RAW) and cubic RAW. I wrote this tutorial expressly to be given freely on this Bead Love blog, a blog of inspirations on love and beads. I have been so inspired by so many other wonderful designers in the bead weaving community, and this is a little way for me to say "thank you" to all of you who have inspired me. Here you can learn to bead hearts and the letters in LOVE with just one size of seed beads in two colors. Since you only need one bead size, you can use any size you want. The hearts above use 15° or 11°.  The heart below uses 8° on the back (shown) and 3 mm bicone crystals on the front.

This tutorial starts with step-by-step instructions for weaving hearts using a stitch that I call super right angle weave (SRAW) because of its relationship to RAW. Both SRAW and RAW are made with loops of four beads, but SRAW also has loops of eight. You can learn more about SRAW on my blog, gwenbeads. This tutorial ends with charts for the letters in LOVE to get you started using SRAW to weave an alphabet.  What better place to start, anything really, than with love?

Materials
One size of seed beads in two colors
Beading Thread
Beading Needle

SRAW Puffy Hearts in 3 Sizes
The smallest heart uses size 15° seed beads. The medium heart uses size 11° plus other beads  for the arrow and hanger. The largest heart I made uses metal size 8° seed beads on both sides and 3 mm Swarovski bicone beads on the front. This large heart has 2 mm holes, making them large enough for a thin cord or chain. Of course, you could use plastic pony beads or even larger bead to make beaded hearts as large as you want.

Seed Bead Size     Heart Size
                            Height x Width x Thickness
15°                       16 mm x 19 mm x 4 mm
11°                       22 mm x 25 mm x 6 mm
8° with 3mm         33 mm x 40 mm x 7 mm

1. Use moderately tight tension all the way through this project.  Don’t apply a death grip, but snug is good.   Figure 1 shows the chart for the heart up through loop 61.  This chart is explained in detail in steps 2 through 12. After you complete the 61 loops in Figures 1 and 12, you can skip to step 13.

2. Thread your needle. Loop 1: Pick up 4R.  Pass through the first two beads again in the same direction to make a loop. Slide the beads down the thread leaving a tail that is long enough to rethread and weave into the beadwork.
Loops 2-3: * Pick up
     • 5 beads: G, 4 R.
Pass through the first R you just picked up. Repeat from *.
Loop 4: Pick up
     • 3 beads: G R G.
Close the loop by passing through the 2nd R bead in the first loop.  Then pass through 3 beads: G RR to position yourself to start the next stitch.  You just stitched an irregular starting unit of SRAW.

3. Loops 5-6: * Pick up
     • G, 4 R.
Pass through the first R you just picked up. Repeat from *.
Loop 7: Pick up
     • G.
Pass through RG RG RR. You just stitched a regular unit of SRAW.

4. Repeat step 3, 6 more times.

5. End First Row of SRAW:
Loop 26: Pick up
     • G, 4 R.
Pass through the first R you just picked up. 
Loop 27: Pick up
     • G R G.
Pass though RG RR.

6. Start Second Row of SRAW:
Loop 28: Pick up
     • G, 4 R.
Pass through the first R you just picked up. 
Loop 29: Pick up
     • G R G.
Pass through RG RR GR.

 

7. New Repeat:
Loop 30: Pick up
     • G, 4 R.
Pass through the first R you just picked up.
Loop 31: Pick up
     • G.
Pass through RG RG RR GR.

 8. Repeat step 7, 6 times.
 
9. End Second Row of SRAW:
Loop 44: Pick up
     • G R G.
Pass through RG RG RG RG R.

10. Start Third Row of SRAW:
Loop 45-46: *Pick up
     • G, 4 R.
Pass through the first R you just picked up.  Repeat from *.
Loop 47: Pick up
     • G.
Pass through RG RR GR.

11. Repeat step 7, 4 times, ending loop 55 as shown in Figure 11.

12. Loop 56: Pick up
     • G, 4 R.
Pass through the first R you just picked up.
Loop 57: Pick up
     • G R G.
Pass through RG RR GR.
Loop 58: Pick up
     • G R G.
Pass through RG RG RRG RRG R.
Loop 59: Repeat Loop 60.
Loop 60: Repeat Loop 61.
Loop 61: Pick up
     • G R G.
Pass through RG RG RG RG
RRG RG RG RG.

13. The Zip!
Now fold the beadwork in half to make a heart.  You will now zip up the seam between the two layers. Starting on right: Pick up
     • R.
Pass through R on left.  Pick up
     • R.
Pass through GR on right.
Pick up
     • G.
Pass through RG on left.

14. Continue zipping...
Starting on bottom layer: Pick up
     • R.
Pass through R on top.  Pick up
     • R.
Pass through GR on bottom. Pick up
     • G.
Pass through RG R GR on top. Pick up
     • G.
Pass through R G on bottom.  Pick up
     • R.
Pass through R on top. Pick up
     • R.
Pass through GR on bottom.

15. Continue zipping...
Starting on right layer: Pick up
     • G.
Pass through RG on left.  Pick up
     • R.
Pass through R on right. Pick up
     • R.
Pass through GR on left.

16. You just added the first 3 beads in the figure below.  Continue zipping:
*Pick up
     • G.
Pass through R G R on other size.  Repeat from * 3 more times. 
All the beads are now added.  Follow the green line below to balance the weave and make it symmetric.

17. Stitch around the top of the heart, using the thread path shown in figure 14,  but do not add any beads this time. The extra thread will balance the weave and help the beads sit straight.

18. Weave the last little bit by stitching the thread path shown in figure 13, but going in the opposite direction, and do not add any beads. 
Note. Start from the red bead near the arrow.

19. Tie off by weaving both ends of thread through the loops of beadwork. You don’t generally need to tie knots in SRAW if you secure your ends by weaving through 5 or 6 loops.  

Variations and Inspirations...
Now bead yourself some love letters.

Below are the charts to get you started, but I'm not going to tell you how to do the zips. You will have to figure out how to do that part yourself. Think of them as little puzzles. One of the things I have always enjoyed about bead weaving different designs is that they are each their own little puzzle, and when you solve it, you win that thing.   

If you would like to download a printable PDF of this tutorial, click here.

See more of Gwen Fisher's work on her website Bead Infinitum, and in her Etsy shop gwenbeads.

You can also follow Gwen's beadwork on Facebook.

Amor - by Anne Hesse

This week Anne Hesse is taking on us on a journey with her bead embroidered heart, AMOR. First off we see some beautiful examples with button or cab focals. Each focal is enhanced by the color choices and type of beads used. You can see in her samples that the template can have a left of right orientation. I suspect this will be a very fun project for many of you to try. Anne has given us a template and step by step instructions, so even if you've never tried your hand at bead embroidery this would be a very doable project. Have fun and if you're so inclined post your finished photos on Facebook so we can see your beautiful results. Marcia DeCoster

psssst.....We're making a change, I've decided to turn comments back on. It occurred to me that I would love you to have a way to interact with us here at lovebeadlove. My concern is of course being overwhelmed by the need to moderate and manage comments. So for the time being they are on and we welcome your feedback. As long as all stays positive we'll leave them on.

AMOR© By Anne Hesse

Welcome to love!  Who doesn’t love to love?  And what better symbol of love than the heart?  This pendant project will emphasis the essentials of bead embroidery, from gluing the button or cabochon, to bezeling, to back stitch and couching, to brick stitch, to design work, to finishing the project and to adding a bail and chain.   At any time during this project, please feel free to change up the design to something you may think might suit you more. I really encourage this and please know that the steps in this tutorial are just a suggestion of what you can do with this bead embroidered heart.   

Below are some examples of my bead embroidered hearts.

I recommend tracing your pattern piece onto a file folder or heavier paper to keep as your master copy.  It is so much easier to trace around a sturdier material.  You can re-use this many times and you may wish to make many more of these necklaces.

TO BEGIN:  

Trace your pattern onto your substrate material (Lacey’s, Friendly Felt, Ez Felt, or a moderately heavy pellon).  Leave about ½” all the way around the heart and then cut it out.  If you round the edges of the excess material, you will have less chance of catching your thread when you begin to stitch.

If your button has a metal shank you may cut it off.  If not, cut a small starlike shape where you will be placing it to glue down.  Do not cut out any pieces of substrate material.  Simply cut a small line vertically, then cut a horizontal line in the center of the vertical line.  It will look like a plus sign, +.  Then cut a short line diagonally from the 2:00 position to the 8:00 position and also one from the 10:00 position to the 4:00 position so you will have something that looks like this: *  The shank will push up through that area.  Using E-6000 glue, carefully spread it on the parts of the button that will touch the substrate material, being careful not to glop it on so thickly that it will smoosh through to the front of the substrate.  Be a little more heavy handed with gluing the shank so that all the little triangles of cut substrate material will adhere to the shank.  Press and hold in position for a few minutes, then set aside to dry for about 5-10 minutes.

Once the button is set, you have several choices on how to proceed.  You can outline the entire heart using short stacks.  Stacking is stitching up through the substrate, picking up a large bead and then a smaller bead, skipping the small bead and stitching back down through the larger bead and through the substrate.  This way, you have your boundary set all along the edge of the heart.

In this tutorial I show how I continued to work around the focal button first, before outlining the heart.  You can do it either way.  

You also have the choice of bezeling the button or stitching around the  button without bezeling.  If you are worried your glue may not hold, I recommend bezeling, although I have never had any trouble stitching short stacks around the button or simply backstitching beads around the button.  If you do this and your button feels loose later on, you can add more glue with a toothpick.

I chose to bezel around the button.  You can use either delicas or 11's to bezel.  Coming from back to front, pick up 4 beads, slide down to work surface and needle through to the back.  Needle back through to the front re-entering beads 3 and 4 and then pick up 4 more beads.  Slide these down to the work surface, needle through to the back,  come back to the front and re-enter through the last 5 beads.  Continue around in this manner, backstitching until you finish the row.  

It is imperative you pick up an even count of beads, so picked up 4 beads or 2 beads at a time will work.

As you get close to finishing this row, and it looks like you can’t manage an even number, just spread your beads a little more apart as you finish the row.

                                 

Even count peyote for the next row.  Exit a bead in row 1, pick up a bead, skip the next bead, go into the next bead. Repeat this mantra all the way around and when you get to the end of the row, step up through the last bead of the base row and into the first bead of this new row.If your button is high, you may need to even count peyote another row.  If so, do not forget to step up at the end.  Peyote your last row.  I changed color here to add a bit more dimension.  If your work is not tight enough around the button, add another row using size 15 seed beads.  

Weave your way back down through the beads and the substrate material and make a small knot on the backside.  Do NOT cut off your working thread.

Add your cup chain at this point.  Carefully lay your chain down surrounding your bezeled button, spacing the cups as evenly as you can.  If you need to, place needles or pins to hold in place.  

Bring your threaded needle from back to front and take two small stitches over the bar between each cup.  Once you have 2 or 3 cups sewn down, you can manage to space your chain a little easier.  Finish stitching down all the cups.  There will be some gaps which we will fill in later.

Add short stacks of O beads, stoppered by size 11 seed beads, all the way around the cup chain.

                        

                        

At this point, using the same size 11 beads used on the final row of bezeling,  pick up 2 beads and fill the spaces between each crystal cup all the way around the cup chain.   Do not worry if every teensy weensy space of substrate does not get covered.  In fact, if using black substrate, the bits that show add depth to the overall piece.

        Notice the two olive beads sewn between each cup

                           

So far, everything is circular and I feel it is time to change the texture and direction of this pendant.  I am going to create flat diagonal lines created by using seed beads and bugle beads.  Coming from back to front pick up a size 11, a bugle, a different color 11, a bugle and an 11(same color as the first one picked up). Needle through to the back side.  Needle up to the front and weave through that line of beads again.  Needle down to the back and needle up right next to the first bead of that row.  Repeat the pattern as many times as you like.  Be careful not to bead beyond the outline.

      

Ok – now it is time for a little more height.  While this wasn’t my best use of the orange fire polish beads, I used them with a variegated green seed bead on top to make short stacks.  I used these to edge the bugle pattern and to create a kind of ending or stop point to this design extension.  At the same time, I was getting really close to the outline of the heart so as I finished the short stacks, I began to outline the entire heart edge.  I used short stacks of 8s and 11s for this outline.

                          

Now, following the curve created by the bugles and the fire polish beads, add a row or two of tri beads, stoppered by size 11 seed beads.  You may need to turn the tri beads a little at the beginning of the row to fill the space.  Don’t worry about other little spaces being open at this point.  When you finish the project you will be able to go back in to fill these areas.

                               

Now you have another choice.  Continue to create curved rows to your liking to fill the remaining space or begin to create diagonal or perpendicular rows of beads to fill the space.  Create a pattern – use different beads for each row and repeat the sequence for unity.  Don’t forget to back stitch.  Make your repeat sequences as wide or narrow as you like.

                           This sequence has 6 different rows.

                                      

                             Here is the second sequence added:

                                     

Maybe you want to change it up now – repeat an element you used earlier in the stitching?  Or – finish with the repeated sequence…or – make up something new all together?  Trust your instincts!

                                  

If any gaps are left, fill them now, but be careful not to over fill, as your piece could ripple with too many beads added.

Fill in beads in new design                    All filled in and trimmed     

   

When completely done, trim off the excess substrate material.  Trim closely but be very careful not to cut any threads on the backside.  It helps if you angle your scissors when cutting.

While I used E6000 glue to attach the cab, at this point I use Ultimate glue to spread thinly over the back of the pendant.  It gives a much smoother look on the back than using E6000.

If you were unable to remove the button shank and it is poking through the substrate material, add a second layer of substrate to cover the entire back side of your pendant.  Let dry and then trim evenly with the first layer. Glue directly to the ultrasuede and let dry.  Trim the ultra suede.  If your shank is not poking through too badly you can just glue the pendant directly to the ultra suede without adding a second layer of backing.  In either case of glueing, try to stay away from the edges as you will be sewing through them.

Brick stitch around the entire piece connecting the suede backing to the beadwork.

                                            

Decide how you want your pendant to hang and create a bail.  You can use size 11s or 8s to do this.  Use as many beads as necessary to allow your chain to glide through smoothly.

To make your bail, attach a new thread and come up through one of your edge brick stitches.  Add your beads and re-enter the brick stitch bead from which you exited.  Needle through all the beads once or twice more anchoring into the beadwork and then move over 2 brick stitch beads  from the first one – in other words, name your first brick stitch bead #1 and when finished with your loop, move to bead #3.  Repeat the process to add a second loop.  Needle through all those beads another time or two and then position your needle to come through bead #5 or the second bead past bead #3.  Repeat process to create a third loop.  Reinforce this loop several times.   NOTE: after you make the first loop, slide your chain through to be sure it fits.  Remove the chain and go on to make your next 2 loops.  When finished slide your chain through all 3 loops.

Using the large jump ring in your kit or a large colorful one if using your own, connect the two ends of your chain. If you prefer, you can add a clasp instead of using the jump ring.

Add however many fringes you like at the tip end of your heart.  An uneven number works best.  I chose 5 fringes.  Exiting the second edge bead from the tip on one side, randomly string beads that you used in making the pendant.  Skip the last bead added and needle back up through all the beads you added.  Move to the same bead on the opposite side of the heart and create a new fringe.  You should be able to weave through this area,  just under the embroidery to the other side, instead of weaving up and down through the edge beads.  However, be careful not to stitch through the ultra suede.  Generally, these two fringes look better if they are shorter than the next lower fringes.  Needle out of the next bead (the one adjacent to the lowest tip bead) and create another fringe.  Repeat on the opposite side.  Finally make your longest fringe at the base or lowest edge bead.  Be sure to vary the placement of the beads and the lengths of the fringes for a random look.

                                   

Find pretty buttons and make lots of these pendants – it is addicting!    I hope you have enjoyed this project and will experiment more with bead embroidery, a most forgiving technique.

And finally, in keeping with good ethics and supporting those of us who create original and hopefully inspiring designs, please honor copyright laws.  Feel free to make as many of these pendants as you like but PLEASE credit me as the designer and if friends ask you for the pattern, please direct them to lovebeadlove.blogspot.com

                   

SUPPLY LIST

Czech glass button, fancy button, or cabochon of your      choice..no larger than 27mm

Size 8 and 11 seed beads, small amount of 15s

Delicas (small amount for bezeling)

Cup chain (no larger than 4mm cups)

A variety of bead types – your choice: 3mm pearls or druks, 3 and or 4mm fire polish, bricks, tri beads, two hole triangle beads, spacers, lentils, cubes, drops, …whatever you would like to include.

Substrate material – Lacey’s Stiff Stuff, EZ Felt, Friendly Felt or heavy pellon

Ultra suede for backing

E-6000 for glueing cab to substrate material

The Ultimate glue for glueing ultra suede

Chain

Beading Needles - size 10

Fireline – 6# or thread of choice

File folder or heavy paper to draw template of heart

Pencil or light colored color pencil for tracing

Optional: pinback if you want to make this a brooch

This weeks content by Anne Hesse