Sequin Circles Bauble

One, two or three ring bauble with up to two rows of sequins and a tiered sequin centre.  

I have placed the worker paths on this pattern as well as the dots for the pins. This can help to keep track as you move from one trail to another, working them at the same time.  To work the two circles of sequins, the inner and outer passives of the middle trail work to fix the sequins on either side.   The easy way to explain this is that you can only make the next stitch if you have the pair available.  If it is waiting on another section to be worked, then go and do that.  Sometimes it may look like you have got a bit ahead with one section, don't worry, when you get to the stitch that can't proceed, you go and find the stitch that will proceed and work a bit more of that area.  Follow the zig zags.  

The sparkle thread can be left out.  Lay the passive threads side by side between the lines of one of the trails, you should be able to see the lines on each side, if there are too many, remove a pair or two.  Any thick thread needs to be in the middle.  If you use standard thread, add more pairs if needed.  

This circular bauble gives lots of opportunity to customise and fill the centre if you wish.  I chose to make a beaded Christmas tree and add this on top of the bauble.  Maybe I would make a smaller tree and have it fit just inside the circle another time. 

Link for the video tutorials will be added here when available.

The bauble makes use of the crossing at the top loop to hide the join.  Start and work in one direction, making the join behind the top loop.  This top loop is optional, you can make the bauble as a circle, and add ribbon etc. afterwards to make the hanging loop.  

The centre design can either be made on the pillow first and then use sewings as you work the outer sequin edge, or work both together.  I chose to use three thicker sparkle threads in the outer edge trail, pairing one with a standard thread.  The sparkle thread doesn't need tying off, the rough texture of it is enough to hold itself in the trail and just cut off at the start and end. 

I originally placed the sequins with a gap at the top and bottom to allow for this particular tree to fit, but chose to alter the pattern to make them equidistant, and to have the tree smaller so it fits inside the inner circle.  

Handy hints using sparkly threads. It is very obvious that these are not cotton and don't behave like cotton!  These threads often stretch, being made of a variety of different materials.  When tensioning, be cautious not to pull too hard, it may not show while the piece is still pinned to the pillow, but over tight sparkle thread will distort the lace.  At a corner, place a temporary pin to support the sparkle threads, they will want to make a curve and pull the corner out of shape as you tension for a few pins after the corner if they are not supported. 

If you are replacing cotton passives with a thicker sparkle thread, you may not need as many cotton passives.  I do like to have at least one pair of cotton on each side of sparkle thread, this helps to hold the tension in place.  Plan ahead, if you are making the Idrija pointed corner technique, you may need two passives on the outside of the sparkle to make the point, so place the sparkle towards the inside.

Making the three ring bauble is worked as one piece.  The workers do not cross the sequins.  The sequins use the inner and outer passives from the trails.  In the outer ring, there are extra winkie pins between the crossings.  In the second ring, there are no extra winkie pins.   The centre tiered sequins are put on in reverse, remember, you are working on the wrong side and when the piece is turned over, the big sequin needs to be at the back.  If you are really good at joins, why not tier them on both sides?

I used white thread which shows up as a cross on each sequin.  To avoid this, I dotted the centre of each sequin, on the threads, with a permanent, waterproof marker pen.  Don't go as far as the edge of the thread, it may spread a little way along the crossing and you don't want the colour to reach into the trails.  Practice first and only dot the colour where you need it. 

Optional Tree

The tree used Idrija right angled corner technique to make a pointy point.  The tree is worked by adding three extra passives for the half stitch, working up one side, and down the other, taking the three added pairs into the trail at the horizontal base of the triangle. Sew the second side of the tree trunk to the first. The beads were using the method shown in my youtube video here...

Video link   Add beads to bars in tape lace