SRAW Puffy Heart & LOVE Letters by Gwen Fisher

This tutorial was inspired by Chris Prussing’s Puffy Heart and Marcia De Coster’s Love Letters, stitched with right angle weave (RAW) and cubic RAW. I wrote this tutorial expressly to be given freely on this Bead Love blog, a blog of inspirations on love and beads. I have been so inspired by so many other wonderful designers in the bead weaving community, and this is a little way for me to say "thank you" to all of you who have inspired me. Here you can learn to bead hearts and the letters in LOVE with just one size of seed beads in two colors. Since you only need one bead size, you can use any size you want. The hearts above use 15° or 11°.  The heart below uses 8° on the back (shown) and 3 mm bicone crystals on the front.

This tutorial starts with step-by-step instructions for weaving hearts using a stitch that I call super right angle weave (SRAW) because of its relationship to RAW. Both SRAW and RAW are made with loops of four beads, but SRAW also has loops of eight. You can learn more about SRAW on my blog, gwenbeads. This tutorial ends with charts for the letters in LOVE to get you started using SRAW to weave an alphabet.  What better place to start, anything really, than with love?

Materials
One size of seed beads in two colors
Beading Thread
Beading Needle

SRAW Puffy Hearts in 3 Sizes
The smallest heart uses size 15° seed beads. The medium heart uses size 11° plus other beads  for the arrow and hanger. The largest heart I made uses metal size 8° seed beads on both sides and 3 mm Swarovski bicone beads on the front. This large heart has 2 mm holes, making them large enough for a thin cord or chain. Of course, you could use plastic pony beads or even larger bead to make beaded hearts as large as you want.

Seed Bead Size     Heart Size
                            Height x Width x Thickness
15°                       16 mm x 19 mm x 4 mm
11°                       22 mm x 25 mm x 6 mm
8° with 3mm         33 mm x 40 mm x 7 mm

1. Use moderately tight tension all the way through this project.  Don’t apply a death grip, but snug is good.   Figure 1 shows the chart for the heart up through loop 61.  This chart is explained in detail in steps 2 through 12. After you complete the 61 loops in Figures 1 and 12, you can skip to step 13.

2. Thread your needle. Loop 1: Pick up 4R.  Pass through the first two beads again in the same direction to make a loop. Slide the beads down the thread leaving a tail that is long enough to rethread and weave into the beadwork.
Loops 2-3: * Pick up
     • 5 beads: G, 4 R.
Pass through the first R you just picked up. Repeat from *.
Loop 4: Pick up
     • 3 beads: G R G.
Close the loop by passing through the 2nd R bead in the first loop.  Then pass through 3 beads: G RR to position yourself to start the next stitch.  You just stitched an irregular starting unit of SRAW.

3. Loops 5-6: * Pick up
     • G, 4 R.
Pass through the first R you just picked up. Repeat from *.
Loop 7: Pick up
     • G.
Pass through RG RG RR. You just stitched a regular unit of SRAW.

4. Repeat step 3, 6 more times.

5. End First Row of SRAW:
Loop 26: Pick up
     • G, 4 R.
Pass through the first R you just picked up. 
Loop 27: Pick up
     • G R G.
Pass though RG RR.

6. Start Second Row of SRAW:
Loop 28: Pick up
     • G, 4 R.
Pass through the first R you just picked up. 
Loop 29: Pick up
     • G R G.
Pass through RG RR GR.

 

7. New Repeat:
Loop 30: Pick up
     • G, 4 R.
Pass through the first R you just picked up.
Loop 31: Pick up
     • G.
Pass through RG RG RR GR.

 8. Repeat step 7, 6 times.
 
9. End Second Row of SRAW:
Loop 44: Pick up
     • G R G.
Pass through RG RG RG RG R.

10. Start Third Row of SRAW:
Loop 45-46: *Pick up
     • G, 4 R.
Pass through the first R you just picked up.  Repeat from *.
Loop 47: Pick up
     • G.
Pass through RG RR GR.

11. Repeat step 7, 4 times, ending loop 55 as shown in Figure 11.

12. Loop 56: Pick up
     • G, 4 R.
Pass through the first R you just picked up.
Loop 57: Pick up
     • G R G.
Pass through RG RR GR.
Loop 58: Pick up
     • G R G.
Pass through RG RG RRG RRG R.
Loop 59: Repeat Loop 60.
Loop 60: Repeat Loop 61.
Loop 61: Pick up
     • G R G.
Pass through RG RG RG RG
RRG RG RG RG.

13. The Zip!
Now fold the beadwork in half to make a heart.  You will now zip up the seam between the two layers. Starting on right: Pick up
     • R.
Pass through R on left.  Pick up
     • R.
Pass through GR on right.
Pick up
     • G.
Pass through RG on left.

14. Continue zipping...
Starting on bottom layer: Pick up
     • R.
Pass through R on top.  Pick up
     • R.
Pass through GR on bottom. Pick up
     • G.
Pass through RG R GR on top. Pick up
     • G.
Pass through R G on bottom.  Pick up
     • R.
Pass through R on top. Pick up
     • R.
Pass through GR on bottom.

15. Continue zipping...
Starting on right layer: Pick up
     • G.
Pass through RG on left.  Pick up
     • R.
Pass through R on right. Pick up
     • R.
Pass through GR on left.

16. You just added the first 3 beads in the figure below.  Continue zipping:
*Pick up
     • G.
Pass through R G R on other size.  Repeat from * 3 more times. 
All the beads are now added.  Follow the green line below to balance the weave and make it symmetric.

17. Stitch around the top of the heart, using the thread path shown in figure 14,  but do not add any beads this time. The extra thread will balance the weave and help the beads sit straight.

18. Weave the last little bit by stitching the thread path shown in figure 13, but going in the opposite direction, and do not add any beads. 
Note. Start from the red bead near the arrow.

19. Tie off by weaving both ends of thread through the loops of beadwork. You don’t generally need to tie knots in SRAW if you secure your ends by weaving through 5 or 6 loops.  

Variations and Inspirations...
Now bead yourself some love letters.

Below are the charts to get you started, but I'm not going to tell you how to do the zips. You will have to figure out how to do that part yourself. Think of them as little puzzles. One of the things I have always enjoyed about bead weaving different designs is that they are each their own little puzzle, and when you solve it, you win that thing.   

If you would like to download a printable PDF of this tutorial, click here.

See more of Gwen Fisher's work on her website Bead Infinitum, and in her Etsy shop gwenbeads.

You can also follow Gwen's beadwork on Facebook.

Love the Beads you Have! By Heather Collin

Who doesn't love to have a repertoire of beaded ropes?   Heather has given us one of cubic right angle weave that waxes and wanes through thick and thin.  The trick is in the count of ceiling and side beads, which takes us from small cubes to larger ones and back again.  

Given my short attention span, this is the perfect rope to change up the rhythm of the beading. Heather also shows us how to use the bigger squares to add a jump ring so we can add the baubles of our choice.  Perhaps you'll add a LOVE letter?  Have fun with this very fluid rope from Heather!  

Marcia



Love the beads you have 

Heather Collin

It is almost impossible to find any quality beads in South Africa and when you do, you need a bank loan to pay the horrible prices and we only have a few beading stores left that actually carry Miyuki or Toho beads. I am fortunate to still have a large stash of Miyuki’s, due to huge online purchase I made back in 2010. Included in that purchase was a collection of Matsuno and Czech beads, which to date, I have ignored. But, to bead love, you need to be able to love the beads you have so, I have pulled them out and decided to start using them….so that I can hang on to my precious Miyuki's a while longer.

Flat CRAW Chain 

Inspired by Marcia’s love letters

You will need 30g size 11o beads for a 100cm long rope

Short Links

String 6 beads onto a span of stretched and conditioned thread; leave a decent tail to work away later, sew through all the beads again and exit the 1st bead strung. These are the floor beads.  Fig 1

Row 1

1^st Wall (side)

String 3 beads (1 side/1 ceiling/1 side), sew through the floor bead  just exited and the next  2 beads along Fig 2

2^nd  Wall(front)

String 3 beads, sew back down the side bead of the previous wall, the 2 floor beads just exited and the next  bead along Fig 3

3^rd  Wall(side)

String 2 beads,  sew back down the side bead of the previous wall, through the floor bead just exited, the next 2 floor beads along and up the side bead of the first wall added. Fig 4

4^th Wall(back)

String 2 beads, sew back down the side bead, through 2 floor beads, up the side bead and exit the ceiling bead of side 1 Fig 5

Sew through all the ceiling beads and exit the one to the right as shown - these beads will now be the floor beads for the next row Fig 6

Rows 2 - 7

Repeat the 1^st row  6 more times Fig 7

Long Links

Row 8

1^st Wall (side)

String 5 beads (2 side/1 ceiling/2 side), sew through the floor bead just exited and the next  2 beads along Fig 8

2^nd  Wall(front)

String 4 beads, sew back down the 2 side beads of the previous wall, the 2 floor beads just exited and the next  bead along Fig 9

3^rd  Wall(side)

String 3 beads, sew back down the 2 side beads of the previous wall, through the floor bead just exited, the next 2 floor beads along and up the 2 side beads of the first wall added. Fig 10

4^th Wall(back)

String 2 beads, sew back down 2 side beads, through 2 floor beads, up 2 side beads and exit the ceiling bead of side 1 Fig11

Sew through all the ceiling beads exiting the one to the right. Fig 12

Rows 9 & 10

Repeat twice more  Fig 13

Repeat these 10 rows for as long as you desire. Attach a clasp to either end or, make it a continuous rope. The choice is yours.

Design Note

The centre link of the 3 large links, is perfect for adding a jump ring, to which you can attach charms or beaded letters. 

Project by Heather Collin

To print this project click here.

The E in Love - by Marcia DeCoster

Once again so many beautiful letters I just had to share them all with you!  Each one is so unique and the coloration and embellishments are wonderful.   We have garden themes, and little mice and owls, grapes, and stripes, so much imagination present.  I thank you all for participating.  It's been so fun.  I hope you continue to enjoy the love letters.

Once again, if we missed your E we apologize, we did our best to find them all!

Last weeks post gave a few ideas for using them but I've seen some really creative applications on Facebook posts.  Perhaps we'll post a few favorites in the weeks to come, so keep posting your finished love letters.  We'll also be putting together a video collage with the photos of all four of the love letters together, so stay tuned for that, it's a lot of LOVE!

Our first E belongs to Wendy Heitzman who volunteered to collect all your V's and then all your E''s and photo edited them to be a consistent size making it easy to collage them.  Thanks for all the help Wendy!  Wendy's colors were all beautiful, but I absolutely love this one with the grapes!

It's also worth a note that Becs Dean-Skinner has completed a bunch of letters.  In the collage below you can see the difference between in E done in Toho beads on the left and Miyuki on the right.  Thanks for that experiment Becs!

We have lot's of love planned for Tuesday so please come back and join us!

Content by Marcia DeCoster