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Iris - A Beaded Flower Design |
Dimensional Beaded Flower
This
Dimensional Beaded Flower, like the Daffodil,
a reader asked for an Iris dimensinal flower deisgn. This pattern is
of a Bearded Iris, only one of many different varieties of irises.
What You Will Need
Size B Nymo in a color that blends well with your beads
Size 12 needle
2 or 3 colors of size 11 seed beads. Irises are named for the Goddess Iris, the Goddess of the Rainbow because the flower blooms in every color of the rainbow.
You will need
to know how to do brick stitch and square stitch to complete this
project. Brick stitch instructions can be found here,
and here.
The Indian
Corn project contains a brief set of instructions for square
stitch.
Begin with the lower petals. Using brick stitch,
construct 3 petals by following the graph below. Finish off each
petal by making a circuit with your thread through the beads around
the edges of the petal. Pull your thread tight to cause the petal to
cup up. Weave the end of your thread in to the work to secure it and
snip off the excess.
Use
the graph shown below to work the 3 lower petals. First turn the
graph sideways and work the area between the two arrows in square
stitch, then add the remaining rows in brick. You may want to use a
different color for the upper petals.
When
all 6 petals are completed, it's time to assemble them into an iris.
First weave a new thread into one of your bottom petals until the
thread is coming out the bead at the bottom of the point. Then go up
through the bottom of the corresponding bead in the 2nd petal. Go
down through the bead you originally left to complete the loop that
connects the two beads. Now go up through the bottom bead in the 3rd
petal. Go back down through the bead in the 1st petal again, up
through the bead in the 3rd petal then down through the bead in the
2nd petal and up through the bead in the 3rd petal once again. At
this point, the 3 petals should be securely attached to one another
by their bottom-most beads. Thread your needle through one of the
edge beads above the bead your thread is coming out of to put it in
position to add the upper petals.
What
we want to do with the upper petals is attach each one between a pair
of lower petals by attaching the beads at the edges of the 1st and
2nd rows of the upper petal to the 2nd and 3rd rows of the lower
petals on each side. Your thread should be coming out of an edge bead
in the second row of one of the lower petals. Thread your needle down
through the single bead in the 1st row of an upper petal then go up
through the bead you left in the lower petal and on up through the
edge bead above it. Then go down through the edge bead in the second
row of the upper petal, and up through the bead in the lower petal
you left once again. Weave your way to the other side of the upper
petal and repeat the process again to attach it to the next lower
petal. Add the next two upper petals in the same manner.
This
diagram will give you an idea of where the petals should be in
relation to each other.
Now
bend the upper petals up so that their tips touch at the top. Connect
top points of the upper petals the same way you connected the bottom
points of the lower petals to complete the flower. You may have to
encourage the lower petals to fold down nicely. Good luck, and have
fun!
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