Description
This Scottish Thistle uses two French beading techniques. I have assumed that you are already familiar with French beading. However, if you do need any additional help with techniques, you can find free tutorials here.
The finished thistle flower measures about 2″ high and just under 1″ wide. The stem length is up to you!
Techniques for the Scottish Thistle
The Scottish Thistle is made using the single strands technique and the donut basic.
If these terms sound confusing or you are completely new to French beading, you might also find my ebooks helpful. These include video demonstrations of all the techniques. So, this is a great way to learn.
I also have a quick overview of French beading in this blog.
Materials
This project needs size 11 seed beads. You will also need wire in 28ga (0.315mm) and 24ga (0.5mm). As with many French beaded flowers, you should cover the stems using floral stem tape and embroidery silk.
I sell all of these supplies right here. So, purchase the pattern, check your supplies, then come back to buy what you need.
About the pattern
The pattern includes full written instructions and photos. So, you can follow the assembly and construction of the flower.
This project is suitable for anyone who enjoys French beading. If you are a complete beginner, you might want to try building up to this. So, I have some beginner level projects that will help you get used to the techniques first. But don’t be disconcerted – with perseverance, anything is possible!
The story behind the design
I like to give you all a taste of how my designs have come about. So, in the case of the Scottish Thistle, this was a customer request.
A lady had sent me an enquiry about a wedding bouquet with a Scottish theme. In particular, the bride-to-be wanted to include thistles.
Now, I thought I must have made most flowers by now, but it turns out this didn’t include a thistle. So, this Scottish thistle pattern is the result of that request. I hope you enjoy it!
