Shine Online May 2018 | Page 9

Step 7. Pull tight. Take one strand and pick up 2sb. Sew through the first firepolished, going through it on the same side that the thread you’re using is coming out of. Pull thorough until you’ve got a small loose loop.

Step 8. Do exactly the same with the other strand, again leaving the beads on a loose loop. Tighten up the band of beads by pulling on both threads where they exit the end firepolished …

Step 9. …then, evenly pull on the tails so that the band rolls up into a barrel shape. To secure, weave the threads around the barrel, knot in a couple of places then sew down into the bracelet a short distance. Trim the threads.

Step 10. Thread a needle onto either end of an armspan of thread. Pick up 1fp, 4 sb and position centrally on the thread. Take the inner thread (the one exiting the seed beads) and sew through the second free seed bead nearest the firepolished bead on the central base band.

Step 11. Still with the same thread, cross through the firepolished strung in step 10. Check that you still have an equal amount of thread on either side. Now what was the inner thread is now the outer thread and vice versa.

Step 12. Onto the new outer thread string 3sb.

Step 13. With the new inner thread sew through the next free seed bead nearest the firepolished bead on the central base band.

Step 14. Still with the same thread, pick up 1sb then cross through the last seed bead strung in step 12. The threads have swapped over again.

Step 15. Onto the outer thread string 2sb, 1fp.

Step 16. With the inner thread pick up 1sb then sew through the next free seed bead nearest the firepolished bead on the central base band.

Step 17. Still with the same thread, sew through the firepolished bead added in step 15.

Step 18. Repeat steps 12 to 17. At the end repeat steps 12 & 13 as normal then weave the threads, in opposite directions, into the beadwork. Knot in a couple of places and add dabs of glue if desired.

Step 19. The second side is formed exactly like the first. You might like to turn your work over so that it’s easy to repeat the same actions.