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Description
My biggest, most complicated, and most personal beadwork project yet! I'm still sorta feeling out how well I identify with the aromantic label, but it seems to fit, although there are much lesser-known labels on the aro-ace spectrum that I feel might more adequately describe my feelings. But an identifier isn't much use if no one knows what it means (and besides, I'm not satisfied with the flag colors either symbolically or aesthetically).

Inspired by a Native American-style beading pattern I found...somewhere else I can't remember. Anyway, I made the template in Excel and then sewed it freehanded (no loom and no plans to get one) with square stitches. I tried to lace up the ends with elastic, but it was doubled up so many times that the first time I pulled it on, the top thread broke before the elastic gave any. I had to pull the thread out far enough to add more with a double fisherman's knot and then go around the outsides a couple times, but the square stitches saved it from exploding. It ended up being just the right size to squeeze my hand through without stretching it too much but not fall off once it's on.

Sorry, didn't get a photo of it laid out before sewing up the ends, but that's probably for the best. I was constantly compensating for disparate bead sizes (even though they're all supposed to be same size) and the way I strung the first and last strands made them shorter than the rest so it's pretty lumpy when laid flat. But it looks great when it's on, and it's my first piece like this, so I'm happy with it.

The first row only took a few minutes, but every row after that took about 30-45 min, not counting the time I had to undo 1.5 rows after breaking a thread in the middle. Probably about 10-12 hours total, I reckon.

Description
My biggest, most complicated, and most personal beadwork project yet! I'm still sorta feeling out how well I identify with the aromantic label, but it seems to fit, although there are much lesser-known labels on the aro-ace spectrum that I feel might more adequately describe my feelings. But an identifier isn't much use if no one knows what it means (and besides, I'm not satisfied with the flag colors either symbolically or aesthetically).

Inspired by a Native American-style beading pattern I found...somewhere else I can't remember. Anyway, I made the template in Excel and then sewed it freehanded (no loom and no plans to get one) with square stitches. I tried to lace up the ends with elastic, but it was doubled up so many times that the first time I pulled it on, the top thread broke before the elastic gave any. I had to pull the thread out far enough to add more with a double fisherman's knot and then go around the outsides a couple times, but the square stitches saved it from exploding. It ended up being just the right size to squeeze my hand through without stretching it too much but not fall off once it's on.

Sorry, didn't get a photo of it laid out before sewing up the ends, but that's probably for the best. I was constantly compensating for disparate bead sizes (even though they're all supposed to be same size) and the way I strung the first and last strands made them shorter than the rest so it's pretty lumpy when laid flat. But it looks great when it's on, and it's my first piece like this, so I'm happy with it.

The first row only took a few minutes, but every row after that took about 30-45 min, not counting the time I had to undo 1.5 rows after breaking a thread in the middle. Probably about 10-12 hours total, I reckon.