Starter Bracelet

7/21/2019 Starter Bracelet

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THE MIRRIX STARTERBRACELETLEARN BASIC WEAVING AND FINISHING CONCEPTS WITH THIS EASY HEART

BRACELET.



You just got your first Mirrix Loom and you can’t wai

to get started... you’re just not sure what project to

start with! This bracelet project can be done with

any beads and in any pattern, or you can follow

along with the same beads and pattern we used.

This tutorial goes over loom set-up, warping, how to

weave beads (without a shedding device), how to

take a piece off the loom and a simple way to finish

a piece. It also includes links to other Mirrix tutorials

and lots of tips and tricks to get you started weaving

on the right foot. Take your loom out of the box andlet’s get started!

MIRRIX BEAD WEAVINGSTARTER BRACELET



LOOM SET-UPAND WARPING

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Tools:-A Mirrix Loom-Measuring tape/ruler -A pair of sharp scissors

-A beading needle-Pliers-Glue

Materials:-Beading thread (here we use C-Lon size Dthread)-Size 8/0 Beads (here we use five colors)-Finishing supplies (here we use a pewterbutton, two ribbon end-clamps and a piece

of ribbon)



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Warping your loom is easier than you think! Check out oudetailed warping .pdf for bead weaving without theshedding device for more details.

Get detailed warping instructions here:

http://www.mirrixlooms.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/beadworkwithoutsheddingdevice.pdf

rst, adjust your loom height by turning the wing nuts on either side bar. To figure out the loom height first you mecide how long your bracelet will be. Measure your wrist and decide how long you want the beaded portion our piece. Take into consideration the clasp you will use and how much length this will add. The clasp we use hely adds about 1/2 inch to the length of the piece (although there is some leeway in how much length you leavtie the ribbon, so the bracelet is somewhat adjustable). This sample piece is about 5 1/2 inches long which is

ood for a small wrist.

r a Mirrix Loom 8” and larger, you should be able to fit the full bracelet on the front of the loom. This piece,ecause it is a very thin beaded piece, does not need a warp coil/spring at the top of the loom.

ote: If you are using the 5” Mini Mirrix, you may need to “advance” your piece around the loom after you’veached a certain length. To do that, you will simply release the tension slightly and move the warping bar up th

ack of the loom. This will begin to rotate the piece around the loom so you have more space to weave on theont! Warping this loom will also be slightly different. You can learn how to warp a Mini Mirrix here: http://ww.mirrixlooms.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/minimirrix.pdf .

ake sure to leave a few inches on either end of the piece so you can easily tie off the ends when you’re done.

ext, swing your wooden clips to the back of the loom so the white plastic pieces are facing the front.The clipsould be placed near the center of the loom. Place your warping bar in the indentations in the clips, pushing the

ps slightly inward to hold the warping bar firmly. If you clips are loose, you can tighten them using the whiteastic clips.

ake your beading thread and tie one end to the warping bar. Depending on the loom size and the width of yoece (the piece I weave here is 8 warps across, so it is fairly thin) you will want to decide where on the loom yoll put your piece. If you are weaving on a 5” or 8” loom, you can place your piece in the center of the warpin

ar. For the larger looms, with such a thin piece, you will want to warp on one side. Then, you will balance thearping bar on the other side either by warping another piece on the other side or by simply tying a string orbbon to the other side of the warping bar to balance it after you’ve finished warping.

http://www.mirrixlooms.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/minimirrix.pdf













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egin warping by taking your thread down the back of the loom, under the loom from the back to the front, andack up the front of the loom.

When you get to the top of the loom, bring the thread over the top of the loom from the front to the back. Contiown the back.



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When you hit the warping bar on the back of the loom,ing your thread around the warping bar and back upthe direction you came from. Do not wrap around the

ar or continue back down the back of the loom.

ext, continue going up from the warping bar and over the top beam, this time from the back to the front.

ontinue down the front of the loom and go around the bottom beam from the front to the back.

ontinue up the back of the loom until you hit the warping bar. Bring the thread around the warping bar and goack in the direction you came from, back down the loom.

ontinue to warp in this pattern.

own the loom from the backround the bottom beam from the back to the frontp the front of the loom

Over the top beam from the front to the backown the back of the loomround the warping bar p the back of the loom

Over the top beam from the back to the frontown the front of the loomround the bottom beam from the front to the backp the back of the loomround the warping bar

own the loom from the back...



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When you have warped 8 warps across (count your warps on the top of tloom), continue to the warping bar. Ct your thread, leaving plenty to tie owith. Tie your warp thread to the warping bar. Try to keep your tension evwhen doing that.

Next, bring your warp bar an inch or two from the bottom beam. Then,tighten your tension by adjusting the wing nuts on either side of the loom.

Make sure your warp threads are firmly tightened.Cut a new piece of thread (a good rule of thumb is to make that thread aslong as your “wing span”.

Using a slip knot, tie this thread to the bottom of your side beam. If you arright handed, you’ll want to do this on the left side. If you are left handed,you’ll want to do this on the right side.



WEAVING

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Weaving beads is easy!

This project is meant to teach the basics of weaving beads on a Mirrix Loom. You may not want to make the same pattern here or use the same colors(and may have decided to warp your loom so your bracelet will be thinneror wider than the one shown here).

Depending on the length you decided you want your bracelet, you may beadding more hearts than me or may opt to do a few more solid links at thebeginning and end of your piece. It’s up to you! Each heart is a little lessthan an inch long, so take that into consideration when planning your piece.

Begin by threading a needle onto the thread you tied to the side of yourloom. Then, pick up seven beads (here, they are blue beads) . If you’remaking a slightly different piece and it is not the same width, you’ll need onefewer bead than the number of warp threads you have. So, if you have tenwarp threads, you’ll want to weave nine beads across.



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Next, place the beads behind your warp threads. Each bead should stick between two warp threads. If yourhread is tied to the side of the loom on the left, you’ll be placing your beads behind your warp threads fromhe left to the right. Then, sew through the beads in the front of the warp going back in the other direction (inhis case, from right to left).

Basically, you are sewing your beads onto the warp thread.

Make sure your needle, as you sew through, does not pierce any warp threads and stays to the front of them.



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Then, pull so your thread is taut. Your beads should be in place andwill set the width of the piece. Generally the first row is always thehardest to weave, but with a piece this thin, you shouldn’t have anytrouble at all. And it will just get easier!

Continue weaving in this manner.

For this pattern you will weave:

One row of all blue (the row you already weave)One row of three blue, one pink and three more blue.One row of two blue, three pink and two more blue.One row of one blue, give pink and one more blue.One row of all pink.One row of three pink, one blue and three more pink.One ow of one blue, two pink, one blue, two more pink and one moreblue.One row of all blue.

You will repeat that pattern with different colors.



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Continue weaving your pattern. As you weave each row, pull the thread taut, but do not pull so tight that youbegin to pull in on the warp threads.

Remember:Pick up your beadsPlace them behind the warp threads

Sew back through over the front of the warp threads

Easy, right?

Note: If you begin to run out of thread, you will need to start a new one. We explain this towards the end ofhe piece, but you can find more detailed instructions here: http://www.mirrixlooms.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/startnewthread.pdf .

http://www.mirrixlooms.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/startnewthread.pdf







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ntinue to weave.



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fter weaving five hearts (or more depending on the length you want your piece) you can begin to weave alace for the button to go. You may choose to finish your piece a different way and not include this part.imply putting a clasp on afterwards works great, too.

o weave the button hole:

nstead of weaving all the way across, weave mini rows three beads across, using the same method you usedwhen weaving the full width of the piece. When you’ve reached the top you can either end your thread, orweave back through your beads (making sure not to “unweave”) and start your needle on the other side tonish up that side.

o end the thread, weave partway into the piece and tie a knot around the warp thread (which will be hiddeny the beads).



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hen, re-weave through your beads a few rows down.



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You may want to tie another knot onto thewarp thread at some point. When you feelyour thread is secure, trim it. It shoulddisappear between the beads.



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You will start a new thread the sameway. Insert your needle with a newthread on it partway Then, tie a knot tothe warp thread in the middle of the rowContinue weaving up.

When you get back up to the top, begin weaving the second side ofyour buttonhole. You will do this “backwards” from how you wereweaving the beads before, because you will be coming from the left tothe right. Weave three beads across just like you did on the other sidewhich will leave a one-bead-wide space in the middle. When you reacthe top, weave one more row all the way across. (You can see from thpictures I did not weave up high enough on one side and had to goback and add in a row. Remember to measure to make sure your buttowill fit through!)



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When you’re finished weaving, weave (over and under your warpthreads) up just using your thread. This will be the place you put yourribbon end clamp. Tie a knot to the warp thread before you start thisand at the end to make sure everything is secure.

Make sure this piece of weaving is the right size to fit in your ribbon endclamp.



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When you are done, do the same thing on the other side. If you startedyour piece at the bottom, you’ll want to loosen your tension slightly andmove your piece up on the loom (do this by moving the warping bardown, which will rotate the piece up) so you have room to weave thepart that is just thread on the bottom.

Before you move the piece, untie the thread you had previously tied tothe side of the loom.



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Start weaving the thread you untied down your warp threads, tying aknot to the warp thread at some point to make sure everything is secure

You may need to start another piece of thread if the thread you areusing is not long enough. Again, this piece of weaving needs to be theright size to fit in your ribbon end clamp.

When you are finished weaving, loosen your tension using the wing-nutson either side of the loom, slip the warping bar out of the warp threadsand take the piece off the loom. Lay the piece plat and trim the ends soyou have several inches on both the top and bottom of the piece.



FINISHING

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There are lots of different ways to

finish a piece. This is one way. Itrequires ribbon end clamps, abutton and a piece of ribbon.



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Lay your piece down on a flat surface, smooth it out and let it rest. Sometimes the tension on the warp threadstretches them slightly and they need time to adjust to not being under tension. If you tie your knots too soonand this was the case, sometimes your piece will buckle.

After your piece has rested, tie every two warp threads in a slip knot. Do this by making a loop with two warpthreads. Then, place a needle into that loop and hold is securely at the base of the piece. Then, pull tightly

and remove the needle. After doing this to both sides, trim the ends.



A strong glue is veryhelpful to have aroun

We love E6000 glue

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nce your ends are trimmed, place some glue at the ends to hold down any ends sticking out and to helpeep the ribbon end clamp on. Clamp it down using a pair of pliers. Do this on both sides. Let the glue dry.



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Now all you have to do is thread yourribbon through both ends of the piece.

You want your ribbon ends to be facingthe inside of the piece. Then, bring eachend of the ribbon through a button hole.Place the bracelet on someone’s wrist,bring the button through the hole, pull to

make the bracelet the desired length, andtie a bow! This can be difficult to do onyour own wrist until you get the hang ofit, but it’s nicely adjustable and verysecure once it is on!

Starter Bracelet

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