Petals and Pearls Bracelet

Donna's inspiration:  My inspiration for this piece came while I was beading a bezel for a crystal chaton. The image of one component popped into my head and I quickly jotted it down then got the beads out and stitched it up. The connecting pieces required a little more thought but within a couple of hours I had the basis for a whole set of jewellery.

Step 1: Thread your needle with a comfortable length of thread and pick up 6A. See figure 1.

Step 2: Go through all 6A again to form a circle and tie the ends of the thread together with a knot. Finish off the tail end of the thread now as it will be difficult to do it later on. See figure 2.

Step 3: Pass through to exit from one of the unused holes in an A bead. See figure 3.

Step 4: Pick up 1B and go through the unused hole in the next A bead. See figure 4.

Step 5: Repeat Step 4 to add a total of 6 B beads. Step up at the end of the row by going through the first B bead again. See figure 5.

Step 6: Pick up 3C and go through the next B bead around to create a picot between the B beads. See figure 6.

Step 7: Repeat Step 6 to add a total of 6 picots. Step up at the end of the row by passing through the first 2C again. See figure 7

Step 8: Now you will form the connecting pieces. Pick up 1C, 1A and 3C. Go through the unused hole in the A bead to wrap the 3C across the top of it. Pick up 1C and go through the middle bead of the first picot again. See figure 8.

Step 9: Work through to exit the middle bead of the next picot and repeat Step 8 to add another connecting piece. Finish off the thread. See figure 9.

Step 10: Repeat Steps 1 - 6 to make another component. When you get to Step 7, instead of adding six picots you just need to add four. See figure 10.

Step 11: Pick up 1C, go through the middle C bead of the connecting piece in the previous component, pick up 1C and go through the next B bead. See figure 11.

Step 12: Repeat Step 11 to join the second connection point and work through to exit from the middle bead of the next but one picot around. See figure 12.

Step 13: Repeat Steps 8 & 9 to add the connection points to the new component. See figure 13.

Step 14: Repeat Steps 10-13 to make a strip long enough to fit almost around your wrist allowing room for your chosen clasp. See figure 14.

Step 15: To add the clasp, pick up 1D, 1C, 2D and go through one loop of the clasp. See figure 15.

Step 16: Pick up 2D, go back through the 1C added in Step 15, pick up 3D and go through the centre bead in the picot again. Retrace the thread path through all the beads added in Steps 15 and 16 to strengthen it. Work through to exit from the centre bead of the next picot. See figure 16.

Step 17: Pick up 3D, 1C, 2D and go through the second loop of the clasp. See figure 17.

Step 18: Pick up 2D, go back through the 1C added in Step 17, pick up 1D and go through the centre bead in the picot again. Retrace the thread path through all the beads added in Steps 17 and 18 to strengthen it. Finish off the thread. See figure 18.

Step 19: Repeat Steps 15-18 to attach the other half of the clasp.

Chain Variation

Step 1: Pick up 3C, 1A, 3C. Go through the unused hole in the A bead, the 3C, the first hole in the A bead and the next 2C again. See figure 19.

Step 2: Pick up 1C, 1B, 3C. Go back through the B bead to bring the 3C to sit in a picot on the top. See figure 20.

Step 3: Pick up 1C and go through the centre bead of the 3C across the top of the A bead and the following 1C. See figure 21.

Step 4: Pick up 4C and go through all 3C on top of the B bead. See figure 22

Step 5: Pick up 4C and go through the 3C on the bottom of the B bead. Work through to exit the centre bead of the picot. See figure 23.

Step 6: Pick up 1C, 1A, 3C and go through the unused hole in the A bead. Pick up 1C and go through the centre bead of the picot again. Work through to exit the centre bead on top of the A bead. See figure 24.

Repeat Steps 2-6 until the chain is as long as you need it.

Pendant Variation

Step 1: Follow Steps 1-5 of the bracelet tutorial to create one component.

Step 2: Step up through all 3C of one picot. Pick up 1C, 1A, 1C and go through the 3C of the next picot. See figure 25.

Step 3: Repeat Step 2 to add 1C, 1A, 1C between all 6 six picots.

Step 4: Pick up 1C, 1B, 3C. Go back through the B bead to pull the 3C into a picot on top. See figure 26.

Step 5: Pick up 1C and go through the centre bead of the picot at the bottom of the B bead and the following 1C. See figure 27.

Step 6: Pick up 4C and go through the 3C picot on top of the B bead. Pick up 4C and go through the first 2C at the bottom of the B bead. Work through to exit the centre bead of the next picot. See figure 28.

Step 7: Repeat Steps 4-6 to add a pearl petal to each picot. Work through to exit a point bead at the top of one of the new petals then go through the next 4C.

Step 8: Pick up 1C, go through the unused hole in the A bead, pick up 1C. Go up through the 4C before the point bead of the next petal, the point bead, and the following 4C. Repeat five more times and finish off the thread. See figure 29. You can now use the point beads of the petals to add the chain variation or link it to other components.