Description
About the Mushroom Bead Pattern
This mushroom bead pattern came about when I was sent a pack of mushroom beads as part of my work for the Beadsmith Inspiration Squad. The finish and shape of these beads reminded me of pearls. But they are characterised by the elongated bottom through which the hole is drilled.
I have previously made a Cellini spiral bangle using pearls. Now, I loved the way in which they combined with the seed beads in the design to create interest in shape and texture. However, I had found that the pearls did not sit quite as well into the spiral as I might have liked. Unless you pull your thread really tight, the pearls pop out and some thread shows. As soon as I saw the structure of the Mushroom beads, I thought they would be perfect for a Cellini spiral. They give the interest in contrasting texture. But they also sit much better in amongst the seed beads.
Techniques
As you will have gathered, the mushroom bead pattern uses Cellini spiral. For anyone who hasn’t tried this technique before, it is basically tubular peyote. But the order in which you add a combination of different sized beads creates the spiral design and textured finish. You should be comfortable with a basic Peyote tube before you attempt a Cellini spiral. (You can find a free tubular Peyote tutorial here).
Although the thread path is identical, the different sizes and shapes of beads can make the structure look a little confusing when you start. So you will really benefit from understanding the basic technique first.
I finished this mushroom bead pattern with a section of plain beading. This means you can easily adjust the bracelet size. It also restricted the pattern to a couple of strings of mushroom beads. So this makes the materials less expensive.
I finished the clasp with a simple snap fastener from my sewing box and made a seed bead cover for this. But you could add your favourite clasp if you prefer.
