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

Wriggly Warm Coat 2

A Wriggly Warm Coat for this little decorative figure made with bright red thread, glitter thread, sequins, and a fluffy bobble.

This is a reworking of my previous ‘Warm Coat’ pattern from a few years ago.  This version uses some Idrija techniques and a little bit of added sparkle.

11.5cm  6 pairs. Idrija Red Cotton 30 (30wpc). 2 x sequins 5-8mm.  Gold glitter thread. Optional fluffy glitter yarn. 

The inside wriggles are made first using 4 passives and 1 worker. Start at any point.  The pins are suggestions and you may wish to place yours differently.  The picot diamonds for the hands and feet can be made with a double tally, or tally and plait using the worker and a trail pair.

The outside of the coat is made using 6 pairs for a 'pin under four' or two pair edge. This changes for the hat where one red passive pair is dropped and the edge is made using winkie pins.  

Start at the arrow to the right of the hat brim, finish just above the right hand hat brim.  I like to use Magic Threads,  cotton tied into a loop and slipped around the thread hung on the starting pins. These threads replace the need for a crochet hook for bulky sewings. 

Magic Thread video here  https://youtu.be/jt91tRL4FnI?si=7fi6-t-VnIRLgnda

The inside curves of the centre wriggles use a turning stitch, notice that there are no pinholes on the inside curve.  To make the turning stitch, put a twist on the last passive on the inside.  Ctc through with the worker pair.  Put a twist on the worker pair and leave to one side.  Use the last passive as the new worker.  Repeat. 

Turning Stitch in a Curve video here https://youtu.be/70PDKoBazF0?si=TcMuS7bsuWWWe1oU

The corner technique uses a sewing and two turning (or fixing) stitches. You can use your own corner technique if you wish. If you do use a contrast center pair, place it second from the inside rather than on the outer side so it doesn't get used in the corner workings. 

Fixing stitch corner video here  https://youtu.be/t4G3q9GQ26o?si=LMIGME2KcGeiVXQE

Easy option corner video here https://youtu.be/nWDbrCIX-cY?si=WVdY4wT0_SmPCnWN

The sequins are sewn on with the bars as the trail progresses.  The sequin is secured in place by a pin to stop it wandering about and altering the tension of the worker while it waits for the next bar to be reached.  For the longest bars, I used three twists, then sewed the worker pair through the sequin. On the return,  a twist on the worker pair, a sewing made around the first half of the bar (making a 'false plait'), another twist and back into the edge.   You can make a 5 bar join and leave the sequin out if you choose.  

Crossover at the neck.  The first trail is worked as normal.  The two short bars on each side of the neck should hold the head on.  I chose to pop in a Magic thread on a middle passive so I could use this to add an extra stitch by sewing the worker into the underneath trail as I crossed the centre.  You could make sewings on the corners where the trail crosses if you wish. 

Bobble with sparkly yarn.  I had some silly yarn with long glitter fibers.  I laid the yarn over the worker as it went around the pin.  A little brush with a soft paintbrush to straighten the fibres and a little trim and the bobble is now fluffy.  The yarn was only laid next to the pin, secured in with the worker so didn't need to be wound onto a bobbin. It was cut off, not knotted.  

Have fun and don't forget to post your finished figure on my Lesley's Lace facebook page. 

Pins and worker.  Note the turning stitch on the inside of the curves. 

More information on my Lesley’s Lace Yourtube channel and on my Facebook page. 

An earlier post on this blog has the pattern for the original Warm Coat pattern which did not use the Idrija techniques but has a different wriggle pattern and hat.