This is my third year creating a 1.5-inch beaded square for the Bead-It-Forward project. Beaders create a square based on a theme and then the pieces are stitched together in quilts which are auctioned off. The money raised goes for breast cancer research.
The Turtle Theme
I admit that I found this year's theme—turtles—quite a bit more challenging than last year's heart theme. The turning point came when I realized that I could use a heart as the turtle's shell. I graphed the square stitch design on paper. If I did more patterned beadwork, then I might invest in a computer program to help with the design phase, but I'm not at that point.
One Stitch at a Time
I used size 11 Delica beads in ivory, metallic copper, and 3 shades of green—560 beads to be exact! Nonbeaders always want to know how long a piece like this takes. That's always a difficult question. People who use seed beads know that beadweaving's about process, not about speed. I spent three evenings on it from the drawing phase all the way through stitching the finished square to the white pellon which makes it possible for project organizer Jeannette Shanigan to stitch the square to the others in the quilt.
The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2010. Full details, plus an advanced peek at the squares received to date, are available at Bead-It-Forward.