Stitch of the Month Club

With all of our "free ongoing beading events" I've been able to make seed bead stitching accessible to so many people.  There are a lot of happy new beaders coming in every day with beautiful beaded works that they learned at our Happy Hours and Book Club. It is truly rewarding for all of us at Poppyfield to see your smiles and your crafts - we love Show 'n Tell.  Yet, many of you remark that you feel you really don't know a lot of stitches and because of that, you lack confidence with the wide range of beadwork patterns that are out there.  I must agree that if you can't throw down some herringbone, peyote stitch, brick stitch and right angle weave on demand, then you are missing the foundation of off-loom beading stitching.  

Stitch of the Month Club @ Poppyfield Bead Company

If you want to strengthen your foundation in off-loom bead weaving you will love our new Stitch of the Month Club.  Beginning in August and extending through November, I will be offering classes in basic and intermediate stitching based on the 4 bead stitches mentioned above.  Each month we will focus on one stitch.  My goal for you is that by the end of the month you will be comfortable with the stitch and understand its range and versatility.  Of course, you will have made some beautiful beaded jewelry - that goes without saying.  

Hip to Be Square Bracelet by Julia Hecht

We will kick off the concept in August with herringbone stitch. On Saturday, August 8th, I will teach a basic level herringbone bracelet in the "Hip to Be Square Bracelet" class.  Registration is already open for that.  I will follow up on August 22nd with a more complex herringbone necklace class (still in the making).  Throughout the month there will be more offerings and ideas using the stitch, including a Happy Hour or two based on herringbone.  In September, I will focus on brick stitch / Comanche stitch.  October will follow with peyote stitch.  Finally, in November we will focus on on right angle weave, including the modified RAW that Kate McKinnon illustrated in her Contemporary Geometric Beadwork books.  

How It Works

You're a member of the club if you say you are.  There are no additional dues or fees. You will receive emails about our classes and events and other special "Stitch of the Month" offerings.  Come to as many events as you'd like.  So, join us and  get grounded in the basic stitches.  With these skills, the sky's the limit and your beadwork (and confidence) will take off!   Stay tuned…

August Happenings

We've got other classes and events planned including an Intro to Kumihimo on 8/1, 1:00-3:00 for anyone who is brand new to Kumihimo.  Follow up with Wendy's new beaded kumi rope pattern, Triple Triangles on 8/8 1:30-4:30, and her Moon Glow Pendant that shines from within on 8/29 1:00-4:00.  All these classes are open for registration.  Samples are out in the shop and pictures are coming soon.  Our ongoing Free Events continue - with Monday Night Book Club, Tuesday Wire Meetup, and Friday Happy Hour.  Find out details on our store website poppybeads.com.

Bead and Be Happy

Greetings Beady Friends!   There is so much fun to be had in the beady world.  Nowadays at the shop, we have 3 free events most weeks.  We started our Monday Night Book Club with Lisa Kan's Bead Metamorphosis.  We have met and worked on the Trefoil Earrings and the Catherine Bracelet.  It has been a lot of fun, and great way to bring your beading up to the next level with support.  We are carrying the 2-holed Swarovski sliders that are needed for the bracelet.  They are a very cool product that we had custom set for us in Europe and shipped here.  We did run out of the  books, but we have 10 more arriving in the next week.  May 4th, we will meet to start the Encanto Necklace.  I expect we will also be working on assembling the Catherine Bracelet components - as it is rather involved.  Feel free to start a Catherine bracelet and join us 5/4.  

Lisa Kan's Catherine Bracelet in Gold and Emerald
Beaded by Wendy Speare

 For the next 2 Monday's,  book club is on hold, as everyone is working on their bracelets at home.  During this time, we have 2 classes that aren't free.  Ellajoy's Rings and Things (4/20 - a great all levels peyote stitch class) and my (Julia's) debut of Homage to Victor (4/27), an optical illusion loom bracelet with off loom embellishment. All levels are welcome.    Both classes still have some places available.  

Tuesdays we have our FREE wire meet up with Sylvia Abeyta 1-3 PM.  Everyone is welcome and all levels are appreciated, from never-ever to super star.  If you are considering branching out into wire work, this is a great opportunity for support and laughs!  It is low-key and friendly and a great way to see if you will enjoy combining beads with wire.  

Fridays is our popular Happy Hour event 4:30-6:00. We provide a free pattern and support in choosing beads and doing the project.  All levels of beaders come to sit and schmooze and bead away their cares of the week.  Often we have every seat taken.  We've had a lot of people wanting patterns who can't stay for the class.  We are sorry if the time doesn't work for you.  We still would like to inspire you to bead.    So, if you can't make it to the Happy Hour,  we can work out a way to provide you with a pattern after the Happy Hour meets.  Talk with us during the week about it.  We ask that you purchase the supplies with us.  We hope you understand - free for you, isn't actually free for us.  But we love to give you what we can.   This weeks project is Deborah Roberti's Garden Necklace.  Click here for the supply list.  

Deb Roberti's Garden Bracelet

Saturday 4/18 is the last chance to take the Seeds of Change, embellished Kumi rope necklace with me.  There is some homework that you must do prior to the class, so if you are thinking of taking this class, please don't delay in registering. 

Julia's Seeds of Change Necklace

Other Poppy News

We are still filling in the gaps in our Delica inventory.  More 11/0's in new colors that we have never carried are arriving in the next few days.  By next week will have all the colors still in production through the 1200's.  We have many of the later numbers - but not all.  Over the next several months we hope to complete our inventory. Our goal is to have every delica bead in production available for sale.  We do carry 10/0's, 8/0's, 15/0's and hex cuts as well.  

11/0 Slider Tube for Loom Work

I am experimenting with 11/0 Slider tubes for finishing loom work.  I am going to put this on my next Homage to Victor Bracelet.  These affordable findings are made  by Miyuki to fit over a row of 11/0 Delicas to neatly and securely finish off your loom work without breaking beads or using glue.  So cool - these findings are already available for purchase.

One of us has a project on the COVER of the upcoming Bead and Button Magazine. (Yay Wendy!)  We will be selling kits on our web store for the 2 color ways the magazine listed for this design  - we are sooo excited.  

There's always more to show and tell, some come in and ask us!  

Peace and Beads, y'all! 

I LOVE My Job

Anna Lindell's Zipper bracelet was not a snap.  I shared this free pattern with our Friday Happy Hour group tonight.  We had an overflow class with 18 participants.  It is a lovely looking bracelet…but a little misleading at first sight.  Hidden underneath these zipped up triangles is a base of 1.5 mm cubes of right angle weave (RAW).  They are tiny and RAW is,… well, you understand.  Most of the group had no experience with this stitch and I have to say….they impressed me!  Every one of them got it. Our event is an hour and a half…a stop between work and dinner. So, only the speedy ones got those triangles on, and not one person completed the bracelet.  Next week we are continuing the class to pick up where we left off.   There will be more copies of the pattern and  you are welcome to stop in and check for empty seats to get some assistance.

Meanwhile, in the midst of all the calls for "help" I couldn't help smiling at the situation. Our parking lot was full, every seat in the studio was taken, the cookies were being gobbled up, and slowly and painstakingly these lovely ladies were circling those cubes together.  Laughing and helping each other.  What a job!  What a life!  

Our Happy Hour Free Bead and Wire events are every Friday 4:30-6 PM in Studio Poppy.  There are cookies and gluten free snacks.  It is a friendly, low-key atmosphere.  You can find out the week's class and supply list at the Friday Happy Hour page on this blog. 
Come join us!

The Quiet Calm

New Pip Beads are here!

Greetings Beady Friends!  I am excited about the beginning of another year as the Poppyfield Bead Company celebrates its 4th birthday.  All is well, and we hope you are able to join us for all the color, fun, and inspiration we have to share with you.

For me, the store is always exciting.  And yet, I have felt myself settle into a quiet calm.  I'll always be a New Yorker, and so when I say quiet and calm….it is relative.  It is noticeable, though.  Less rattles me these days. At work. At home. Everywhere.

I have figured some things out:

• There are very few emergencies in life.  
• I have choices.
• I can't be diminished.
• Love matters most. 

On the beady end of things…. It was a joy to teach my first loom classes and to see all the Magical Mosaic Bracelets come into existence.  I am working on two new patterns to develop into classes - a geometric loom pattern with off-loom edging and an embellished kumihimo rope that uses the new Pip beads.  

Our Happy Hour Fridays are back, and our Wire Meet-Up Tuesdays have never stopped.  We've got new Miyuki thread, 2 lb Fireline, and lots of new beads.  Next week we've got Wire Work classes with Melody MacDuffee and an African Bead Trunk Show, both on 2/11 and 2/12.  Check out our website at poppybeads.com for ongoing events.  Don't miss out on Margo Field's newest class this month, and the beautiful new 12 mm twisted bugles we have for it.  Again, the website poppybeads.com is now your best place for our news and events.  You can browse and shop for many of our products at our online store webstore.poppybeads.com

Here's a preview of the loom-bracelet (in progress), Homage to Victor.  For more about this bracelet click here and you will be linked to the Mirrix Loom site where I am a guest blogger.  

Homage to Victor, Work in Progress

Peace and Beads, y'all!