All about jewellery making

:: Square stitch tutorial - beadweaving technique ::

Square stitch is a very versatile and simple yet effective beadweaving stitch. It creates a nice sturdy fabric of beads that can be used for various purposes.

Instructions

Step 1

To begin beadweaving we start with what is known as a ’stop bead’ (fig. 1.) This prevents your beads from slipping off the thread. Place one bead on your thread, take the needle around the bead and back through the centre again.

fig. 1

Step 2

You are now ready to thread your first square stitch row. For this example we will make the row 8 beads wide (1 stop bead plus 7 newly threaded beads).

fig. 2

Step 3

Once all 8 beads are threaded the second row needs to be woven onto them. Start this next row by adding another bead to your thread and take the needle back through the last bead on the first row. Align the first bead of the second row on top of the last bead on the first row and take the needle back through the first bead of the second row. If this seems confusing see figs. 3 - 5:

fig. 3 fig. 4

fig. 5

Step 4

Thread on another bead and take the needle down through the second to last bead on the first row and back up through the last bead threaded.

  fig. 6

Step 5

Continue in this way until you have completed the row and start the third row in the same way.  This is how your piece of beadweaving should look after you have completed the second row:

  fig. 7

For some simple square stitch patterns go to my square stitch patterns page

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