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Showing posts from June, 2014

How to Choose the Perfect Counterweight Size for an 8-Strand Round Braid

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If you've ever spent hours working on a basic 8-strand Kumihimo round braid only to realize your stitches look lumpy, uneven, or full of mystery gaps, you are not alone. Getting your tension right is the hardest part of fiber arts, and the secret weapon to flawless tension lies completely in your counterweight . But if you search the internet for the exact size weight you need, you usually get vague answers like "it depends on your project." Today, let's skip the guesswork. This guide delivers the exact formulas, visual symptoms, and simple DIY hacks you need to choose the perfect counterweight every single time. The Quick Answer for Google / Featured Snippet: For a standard, unbeaded 8-strand round braid using embroidery floss or satin cord (rattail), your counterweight should weigh roughly 40% to 50% of the total weight of your loaded bobbins . For most starter projects on a standard foam disk, a counterweight between 1 to...

Pretty Beaded Leather Bracelet

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Photo via cs.jewelrymakingmagazines.com Beaded Leather Bracelet bracelet 8 in. (20 cm) Materials list 18-20  4-6 mm rondelle gemstone beads 4  6 mm fire-polished beads 4  6 x 4 mm glass rondelles 12  4 mm fire-polished beads 40  4 mm bicone crystals 4  3 mm fire-polished beads 11/0 seed beads    3 g color A    1 g color B    1 g color C Fireline, 6 lb. test and 14 lb. test Beading needles, # 11 Four-strand leather bracelet Talk about to figure 1 for placement of the additions on the leather bracelet. Photo via cs.jewelrymakingmagazines.com Tubular netted tube This tube will be stitched around an outside strand of the bracelet. [1] On 1½ yd. (1.4 m) of 6 lb. Fireline, pick up nine color A 11/0 seed beads, wrap the beads around an outside strand of the bracelet, and tie the beads into a ring with a square knot, leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. Sew through all the beads again. [2] ...

Kumihimo Friendship Bracelets

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Kumihimo Series - A fashionable version of the friendship bracelets you dress in as a kid. Necklace and bracelets are made of a braided cord using the Japanese method of Kumihimo.* Beads are then hand-stitched on the braid. They are complete with a hook and a charm on the end to give them an adult feel. Wear bracelets set on your wrist just like you did when you were young! All pieces are one of a kind owed to the nature of their design. * Kumihimo : The best projecting historical use of the cords by samurai as both a useful and attractive way to lace their lamellar armor and their horses’ armor (barding). Kumihimo cords are now used as ties on haori coats and obijimes, which are used for tying on an obi (kimono sash).