52!!!!

Wow!!

Here it is, the last of a year's worth of Weekly Warped Squares. It took a little over a year, but we made it!

I chose the Primer (Plus) colorway for this one, because it definitely surprised me the most this year, by becoming my favorite. I have long had a semi-obsession with subtle blends (witness all those gray and silver squares!), and when confronted with these primary tones I just didn't know what I could do with them. But I think these colors, both all together and used in smaller groups, made the most striking squares of the collection. 

And Peep Show!! Clear beads definitely have a place in my stash forevermore.

The addition of Sour Puss to the Primer set is the icing on the cake.

Thank you to all the beaders who continue to visit the blog. As I type, there have been nearly 28,000 views!!  Interestingly, there's only one subscriber. An extra big thank you to YOU! And to the beaders who have commented and visited me at events to let me know they have enjoyed the blog and made the squares. It means a lot to me that you took the time to say hello.

I don't intend to abandon the blog completely. I'm sure there will be more squares, and I'll share info about upcoming events. I will be leading a WS class in Truckee, CA on August 25!

Not sure if I'll propose another WSWorkshop for the Bead&Button Show, or create a packet for 2019. Time will tell, and I'll share it here and on FB and Instagram if I do.

So anyway, here's the pattern!

Size 11 Delica beads; basic threadpath HERE.

51

Okay, first of all: That Darn Cat!

Clio for some reason was all over me while I tried to work today. I think she wanted to go outside, but the guys working on our house go in and out of her enclosure a lot and I'm concerned she will get out. Plus, we have had a lot of rain the last few days, so it's muddy. Seems fair enough to me, but she wants what she wants, and kept getting in my face while I tried to design the square, and then, I swear, she was putting her paw on the thread while I worked. Removing the thread was judged a serious offense--Mrow Mrow!

I made her pose for pictures afterward, since I figured how much more crabby could she get? I wish I had audio here, because boy did she get CRABBY!

Fortunately, it's a pretty simple, summery square this week. I was inspired by these insane lilies that get 5 feet tall. I ride my bike past a house that has them in the garden. I'm determined to plant some next year, but for now, it's just a square.

Notice there's no edging!

In the pattern I have suggested Ares, light bronze, but black might be a striking way to suggest those irresistible lily freckles!

Made with size 11 Delica beads; the basic WS threadpath can be viewed HERE.

50!!!

Wow, FIFTY squares.

While fifty-two is my goal, there's just something about that nice round number.

So I made something pretty to celebrate! I was kind of surprised to realize that I hadn't done this variation of a bacon stripe before...now that I look at the photo I kind of wish I had drawn both ends of each stripe out to the edge...I added the outside rounds of clear on impulse and my thinking didn't get that far. Oh well, I like it anyway!

Made with size 11 Delica beads; basic Warped Square threadpath can be viewed HERE.

Two more to go!

49!!

Well, this is a first --I'm  writing this post on my phone! It's been a busy day, and at the last minute I'm out on an errand. Luckily I have a bit of a wait and a good data plan.

This week's square is pretty sweet, candy - colored stripes creating a love knot on a strong graphic background. I like it and think I have an idea for a variation or two.

Oh dang! I didn't have time to take a photo before I left. Well here's hoping I will get home tonight in time to take a picture and edit it.

**10:06am, PST
Here's the photo--

Anyway, here's the square, as usual made of size 11 Delicas, edged with size 15 seed beads.

48--the final push!

Ok here we go, I am back and ready to round out a year's worth of squares. I feel sad that I wasn't able to do them all consecutively, but them's the breaks.

I bet you didn't know that while all y'all are getting your blog fix on Wednesday mornings, I am soaking up the rainbows in my favorite yoga class with the marvelous Yoga Mama Gina Quincy. I have learned so much from her in the past year and I am very grateful for her loving spirit.

Her birthday was a couple of weeks ago, and this will be a pair of earrings for her. Thank you Gina!!

The rainbow progression looks wonderful punctuated with clear Peep Show. I used white thread for this one, but I think other colors would be fun too. Like a sunny orange or yellow.

Beaded in size 11 Delicas, still working within the 'CGB palette'. Basic square threadpath can be found HERE. 

And the WS packet of patterns for 2018 is now available in a Digital Edition, with a limited quantity of paper patterns coming soon. This year's packet includes a fabulously sophisticated pair of earrings with 'exploding' instructions, and a trio of squares demonstrating different ways with strips using a progression of colors. I hope you enjoy them!

Oh, and HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

47

So Close!!

We are just five squares away from a full year, how exciting! It's nerve-wracking too, as there is a whole lot going on here just now, culminating in the Bead&Button Show in 3 weeks. 3 WEEKS?!

I'll make this quick:

Working in my beloved tweeds the last couple of weeks gave me the idea of playing around with the arrangement of the colors. I wanted facing quadrants featuring a single color to blend along the sides. So here there are facing quadrants featuring green and lilac striped with neutrals, and then all four colors are blended along the sides. It's pretty, but maybe not as striking as it could be with stronger contrast. Notice that I chose to work the 4-color sides so that the green and purple create 'horizontal' bands leading toward the stripe ends.

As always, you can find the basic Warped Square threadpath HERE. These patterns are shown worked in size 11 Delica beads. Bead kits still on SALE!

46

Yes, more sunshine and green green green:

I have never enjoyed springtime so much as I do here at Lake Tahoe; our garden is looking lovely, the birds and animals are romping around, and the air is just heavenly. 

But this square is really more about the concept than the colors of sun, sky and grass. In my bead box I ran across a stray triangle like the ones I made for my folding lotus bracelet:

I still really like the way those stripes line up when joined to create their own fields of pattern. They  blur the line between triangles and make you question what you are looking at. And I think the individual triangle look cool too, with their strong colors interrupted and kicked off balance with this bold graphic section. Looks good in a square, too! And of course the squares can be joined in various ways, including into stars and twisty ribbons!

Basic WS pattern is available HERE. 

And I still have bead kits available at half price in the shop. Right now I'm offering the 'Prism/Phoenix' and 'Primer/Temple Prime' kits. Each of these has been featured numerous times here in the blog and in CGB patterns like the Exploding Sets.