cuff bracelet | Mirrix Tapestry & Bead Looms

Mirrix Tapestry Elegant or Wedding Tapestry/Bead Cuff

Let’s Weave!

We are ready to weave! So get out your specs, your warped loom, silk, gold thread, sumptuous gold beads (how we love the gold!), needle and your imagination and maybe a wee bit of patience and let’s weave.

We will be weaving two tapestry/bead cuffs at the same time to provide you with different styles. Here are some example photos: In this first one we have the simplest design represented by the Wedding Cuff (which simply means it’s white, not black, so don’t let the color confuse you). For this simple, yet elegant, piece we’ve woven one inch sections of a combination of three gold threads (in your kit the gold thread is actually three gold threads) and one silk thread. We then wove a line of size 10/0 24 karat gold plated Delica beads followed by an inch of weaving, followed by a row of beads until there are seven sections of woven area and six rows of Delica beads.

The second and third examples (one is done in black silk and the other in white silk), incorporate the same basic design as the first but throw in a couple of other techniques such as “pick and pick” and pure gold lines of thread.

Simple Cuff

Cuff with more techniques

Another Cuff with more techniques

So choose whether you are going for simple or slightly more complex. But even if you start with one concept, you can easily pick up the other since both styles incorporate seven one inch woven sections divided by six rows of beads. This formula guarantees your piece will be the correct length plus the kit includes enough beads to weave six rows. Now you could stagger the rows differently if you’d like, but remember that you are only going to get six rows of beads out of the kit.

We will begin with the simple version:

Starting that first weft thread:

Prepare your weft by combining a yard length of the three strand gold thread (you will always use the gold thread in three strands so it is thick enough) and one strand of silk.

End the header thread by inserting it through two center warps. Begin a strand of silk where you’ve ended the header thread as if you were continuing with the same thread. You will begin and end all thread in this manner making sure that no thread is ever pushing through to the front of your weaving. Remember, you do not care what the back looks like!

Weave a little shy of one inch of the gold and silk combined threads. Do not pull in too tightly at the edges so that your piece remains a consistent width. Don’t weave so loosely that you have large loops at the edges.

The next step is to add a row of beads. Thread beading thread onto a needle and tie an overhand knot.

Loop the silk and gold thread through the loop of thread on your needle.

Pick up eleven needles with your needle. Slide the beads onto the gold and silk thread.

Loop the silk and god around the side warp once (this will serve to anchor the beads, which although you cannot see are on the thread).

Weave the beads into the piece. There will be two beads between the raised warp threads except for the last one.

Push the beads into place with your fingers and pull tightly enough n the thread so that it is completely buried in the beads. Neatness counts!

Make two loops around the end warp thread both to anchor the beads but also to fill up the space on the side of the beads.

Continue weaving the gold and silk thread until you reach close to an inch.

Continue in this manner until you’ve reached seven white almost one inch long sections divided by six rows of beads.

Now let’s move onto the more complicated Cuff. This one is woven in black silk but can also be woven in white silk.

Cut a length of silk about a yard long.

Stick the end of the header thread between two warps in the center of the weaving and begin the silk where the header thread ends. Not a great picture, but I can’t go back and take another one now.

Weave the silk thread for about six passes. This is not set in stone.

Now you get to add the gold! End the silk thread in the middle of the weaving and start the three stranded gold where the silk thread ended.

Weave some of that gorgeous gold.

Add the black thread back in but this time at the edge because you are not ending the gold thread. I know this is not a clear picture. It looked fine on the camera! What I’ve done is wrap the black thread around the side warp so that it doesn’t stick out the side. Take the end under the side warp and then wrap it to the right over the warp sticking it in between the two side warps. Then weave it to meet the end of the gold.

Wrap the gold around the end warp twice. Then weave it back to the right.

Weave the black thread to the right. You are doing pick and pick, which is essentially a way to make vertical stripes. It’s a blast once you get the hang of it.

Weave the gold back. It will naturally go around the black thread making a neat edge.

Weave the black thread. See the design emerge!

Do the same trick with the gold thread, wrapping around the edge thread twice before you weave it.

Weave just gold for a bit and then end it and add the silk thread.

Weave just the silk thread for a bit.

End the gold thread and start the silk thread.

Weave a few rows of the silk thread.

Add the gold thread while NOT ending the black thread. See the way you wrap the thread around the end warp backwards so that the end sticks out behind the weaving.

Weave the gold thread for two passes. This will not be pick and pick. Rather it is called wavy lines. You will weave two passes of each color instead of one.