Copper Chain Maille Bracelet

Last week our South Shore Beaders group met as usual. But not as usual, actually. We had decided at our December, dinner meeting, to try some different gatherings. The suggestions went from going bowling to taking jewelry classes.

It was finally decided that every other month we would do "something" different and in January the different thing was to join the group at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA for their Wed "Bring something and Craft together" meeting. We have been before but not as a group. Well, other than the first time we found this meeting.

Sometimes it is hard to work on the project you bring because we have such fun exchanging ideas and doing "Show and Tell". One brought a very new project of paper beads. (The kit arrived just that afternoon). One brought Viking Knit, one Kumihimo with beads and I brought a Chain Maille project.

Trying to keep one of my resolutions to "use what I have on hand" I brought some copper rings and some focal hearts. I started the bracelet at home, made about an inch there and finished it at home. (Talking takes up time...)

The pattern is the Barrel weave variation. (The "barrels" alternate in their position) I have made a similar bracelet in Argentium Silver before and it is very popular. I have an older post about it. The green and copper really go well together.

Anyhow, it was a fun evening and resulted in a fun bracelet.

What do you think about the copper variation?

B

www.bevsjewelry.com and www.bevsjewelry.1000markets.com

Chain Maille Class

Last Saturday, I taught a Chain Maille class in the Barrel weave. For various reasons it seemed to be forever in the planning. But finally we all got together at The Beadcache in Mansfield, MA and away we went.

One person had not made any Chain Maille before, the other two had experience. It never hurts to hear the basic instructions of how to open and close jump rings and what gauge and ID mean.

I always bring my "stash" of finished Chain Maille to show my students what can be accomplished. (Somehow this always results in "Oh, can you teach us how to make ...?")
;-)

The best part of teaching is seeing the smiles on the faces as they look at what they have made. "I can't believe I made this" is heard more than once or "I just love this!" It makes it all worth while.

I also get to make a bracelet too. How else do you show people how to make the Barrel weave? I've been told more than once that "I have to be shown how to do -this or that - to be able to make something"

I finished my bracelet when I got home. I had a nice pink lampwork bead just sitting around waiting for its place in my new bracelet. My students made a plain Barrel weave bracelet but were also shown how to add a bead as I did. They were also shown how to make the Barrel weave variation you can see in a previous post. A favorite Math teacher I had in high school, Mr. Conroy, always gave what he called "the enriched" class. Mr. Conroy, I try to do that too.

B

www.bevsjewelry.com and www.bevsjewelry.1000markets.com

New Chain Maille Bracelet

I usually have trouble coming up with names for my pieces but for this one I had a name before I made the bracelet. I found a nice strand of green hearts at the Innovative Bead Show I went to last Saturday. Usually hearts have the hole drilled vertically. These had the hole at the top and side to side. I have found a lot of beads that are similar and the holes are drilled in a sloppy manner. At least they seem so to me. These holes were drilled such that the hole came in from the back and out the front making the string have the hearts overlapping. That, I don't think is the way it was intended. The holes should go straight across the top of the heart. However, in this case the results was very intriguing. The nestled one on top of the other.

The name "Kindred Hearts" came to mind when I saw the string. So, I began thinking of a possible design. Three in a row, then what? Chain Maille, then what? I had enough rings to make the Barrel chain I recently learned and voila a new Chain Maille Bracelet.

And the name? "Kindred Hearts" Not bad if I do say so myself.

You can see it listed on my 1000Markets web site http://www.1000markets.com/products/58240


B

Barrel Chain Maille variation

The Urban Maille instructions for the Barrel Chain Maille weave came with a variation. Got to try that, of course. I'm always wondering how pieces get their names. I noticed the Barrel weave does look like Barrel's when held vertically.





The variation, mixes the "Barrels", alternates them is a better word. At first I had some trouble remembering to alternate, after I got the way to make the pattern "backwards" Well, isn't that the fun of learning a new pattern?




Here is a picture of the regular Barrel and the variation (on top).





I'm glad I have both since I can not decide which pattern I prefer. What do you think?


B

Barrel Chain Maille Bracelet

OK, can you tell that I've been playing with my camera again?

This is my latest Chain Maille creation. It is called the Barrel Weave. I learned the weave from instructions I purchased from www.urbanmaille.com

I really love the instructions that Aislyn from Urban Maille provides. Clear pictures, clear instructions and lots of tips. I ordered the kit thinking it was just another name for a pattern I've made before called "Orbital". Many weaves have several different names for the same pattern. Byzantine comes to mind. It is also called Bird Cage, Fool's Dilemma, Idiot's delight or Idiot's Box.

It turned out to be a different pattern. Not drastically different but different none the less. Instead of having two rings on the sides, it only has one. This allows you to use a smaller ring than the Orbital which uses double rings. Actually, it is a good lesson in aspect ratio. Aspect ratio is the ratio that compares the inside diameter (ID) and the thickness of the wire in the ring.

Getting back to playing with my camera. I was in a hurry (what else is new) to post the pictures. So, I quickly took pictures of the new Barrel bracelet. First on a black background and then on a white background. None of them came out very well. However, with Picasa my picture "fixer", I was able to make some adjustments. The one on the left is taken on a white background with a flash and obviously adjusted. Looks really fake, doesn't it? Yet you can see the detail of the bracelet. The second one is taken on a white background with out a flash. The picture looks more realistic but harder to see the details.

Next time, I'll spend more time with the set up and see if I can get a picture that is both realistic and easy to see the details.

Tomorrow, I'll show you the Orbital bracelet so you can see the difference.

If anyone is interested in a discussion or explanation of Aspect Ratio, let me know. Just remember, it will prove that you do need high school Arithmetic after you graduate.

B