You learn something new every day..

And that certainly was the case the other day!

After flipping through endless beading magazines and books, trying to find something to bead (with my ever shrinking stash of beads) for what seemed like HOURS, I finally came across my next project.. It was the 'Haberdashery Bracelet' by Callie Mitchell as seen in the June/July 2011 issue of Beadwork magazine, page 60.

I dug through my collection of swarovski and delica beads, trying to image just how much 3 grams was in my unmarked baggies and how those swarovski colours would look against each other. In the end I finally got together the materials I needed to at least attempt the bracelet.

Now, when I am doing a project, VERY rarely is it that I actually read the instructions.. I can usually just go by the pictures. Then something caught my eye (dramatic drumroll please...) The base of the bracelet is beaded in odd count peyote stitch. I try and stay well and clear of odd count peyote just coz it is so fiddly trying to do the odd turn around.. I hate it! However, I was not about to abandon the project and go in search of another just because I don't like odd count peyote, so I went and did a little research..

I always knew that there were several ways to do the odd turn: There is the figure eight turn, the anchor turn, the 'no turn' turn..

The figure eight turn

The anchor turn

But I came across one that I hadn't seen before:

The under thread turn

This is the 'under thread' turn. On the very rare ccasion that I do use odd count peyote stitch for whatever reason, I have always used the anchor turn, but upon careful consideration, I thought that this would be the stitch for me to use.. As there is quite a bit of embellishment on this particular bracelet, I didn't want to clog up the beads with unnecessary thread..

Seemed logical at the time did it not?

After a few hours of working intermittently at this bracelet, I had finished it to my desired length and I was really, really pleased with how it turned out! I was a bit worried about the colours not matching or one throwing off the other, but I was really excited about this bracelet.

I lay the bracelet flat onto my bead mat to arrange the crystals on it for the embellishment, when I noticed something a little 'off'.. I called Trent in to have a look to see if he could pick it.

Can you see it?

Trent couldn't when I asked him if there was something about the bracelet that didn't quite look right. He was looking at things like the colours, or misplaced beads but he couldn't pick it up.

I didn't know if it was my eyesight or not, so I conducted a little experiment, just to see what would happen..

What happens, when we place something with a straight edge to the edge of the bracelet? 

Oh, you see it now don't you?

My tension had been a little TOO tight when doing my under thread turn and, as a result, slightly curved the entire band to that side.. I hadn't noticed until I had finished the entire length of it! *sigh*

Once I pointed it out to Trent - and then even after I took the page away from the edge - he said that he could notice it, and that's all he could, but only because I had pointed it out. I noticed it, because I made it and - lets face it - I'm a little anal (for want of a better phrasing...)

But what is to stop a potential customer from noticing...? Someone might pick up said bracelet and say "OMG! That is gorgeous!", only for the person next to them say "Oh, but its wonky, therefore defective..."

Oh the frustration!!! The hours of hard work that went into this bracelet, only to notice a slight oopsie that sends me straight to the verge of freak out mode! I know that it probably makes to difference to anyone else, and the majority of the people won't even notice (especially when it has the embellishments added to it) but its the little things! But I digress...

Ah, but all in a days work and hey.. I suppose that this is why I called my blog 'My Beading Journey'. Because it wouldn't be a journey without learning new things along the way..

It is now time for me to de-stress and try to force myself to go to sleep... First night of the end of daylight savings, so my body clock is all buggered up :( stoopid daylight savings... (someone remind me again, WHY we have it in the first place?!)

Emma
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