Ever had an idea, but wasn’t sure how to implement it? I often draw a new project in my mind only to leave it in that imaginary form for a long long time. Why? I am not always sure what stitch I need to use for the elements of the design. This is when I feel I need to learn something new.
Learning a new stitch opens new doors to the world of creativity. While figuring out several different projects in my mind, I decided to try something new hoping to solve several design dilemmas.
Albion Stitch Explored
When I looked through the book Introducing Albion Stitch: 20 Beaded Jewelry Projects for the first time, I immediately grasped the idea of basic Albion stitch. The simplicity of it was quite attractive.
It is the details and design possibilities waiting to be explored that made me purchase the book.
I started with the Fan Dance bracelet design. It seemed to be very similar to one of my design ideas. I wanted to see if this stitch can solve structural problems I imagined I would encounter.
As I expected, it was quite easy to understand the diagrams in the book and I quickly made several motifs of the bracelet.
The Structure
The basic feature of Albion stitch I like, is usefulness and flexibility. It allows you to create half of the circle or even a quarter at any chosen point of your beadwork. It also lets you connect separated beaded “threads” with any beads you choose.
On the other hand, to create a balanced pattern, you have to measure and count your beads carefully, just like you do when using any other stitch.
Thread Path
Then I noticed, I wasn’t careful enough to follow the thread path as shown in diagrams. As a result, the structure of each motif was a little skewed and looked a little different when compared. This is when I reminded myself: how the thread moves through the beadwork is not less important than colors, design or even beads of the finished piece.
Size and Shape of Beads
Another important aspect of working with Albion stitch seem to be the same as for all beadwork projects: size and shape of beads. I chose four colors for my bracelet, but those colors were represented by three different manufacturers. Seed beads were made by Miyuki and Toho. Miyuki seed beads are slightly thinner comparing to Toho beads. White Toho seed beads in the center part of a Fan motif created slightly curved shape. I had to loosen up the thread to keep the motif flat.
Conclusively, for the Albion stitch project such as Fan Dance bracelet, I would prefer the most round shape of seed beads available. Toho seems to be a good choice. In general, if available, choose same brand of beads for all colors of your project.
My Modifications
Finishing the bracelet I noticed, it was quite delicate. Adding several beads in between motifs seemed to solve this problem. Therefore I weaved through edges of the bracelet and added three beads reinforcing the structure and adding more details to the colorful design.
When Fan Dance bracelet was completed, I decided to complement it with a pair of earrings. It was very easy to separate elements of the design and build my own motif. The earring actually consists of reconstructed Fan motif elements.
Design Solutions,
I am eager to explore Albion stitch and complete more projects from the book I mentioned. Meanwhile I can already see, that using this stitch may allow me to create round motifs using different shapes of beads side by side. It might be possible to weave long beads into the structure and connect the without worrying about the exact size. Most important, it will make possible creating a round shape and repeating only a part of it without changing the original thread path.
