Iris Flower Pattern

Materials Needed
2 Packages Seed beads — light blue — petals (¾ oz packages)
2 Packages Seed beads — dark blue — petals (¾ oz packages)
1 Package Bugle beads — medium green — leaves (¾ oz. packages)
1 Package Seed beads — yellow — beard
1 Spool #30 gauge bead wire
1 Bunch -#18 gauge bare stem wire
1 Roll Florist Tape — Green
1 Bunch #26 gauge bare wire
Makes 3 flowers and 6 leaves

STEP ONE — Petals

String 13" of beads on wire. Slip 19 beads to within 3" of end of wire. Make loop as shown in General Instructions.

Make second loop of 28 beads and place around first loop. Make third loop of 39 beads. Fourth loop of 50 beads and fifth loop of 60 beads, Figure 1.

Reinforce loops at top of petal as shown in General Instructions. Make 3 petals of light blue and 3 petals, dark blue.

STEP TWO — Beard

String 20 yellow beads on wire. Twist ends of wire to­gether making a narrow loop. Be sure wire is twisted tight­ly against beads. Make 3 beards. Fasten beard to dark blue petal as shown in Figure 2, by twisting wires of beard and petal together. Using a short length of wire, secure other end of beard to petal to hold it flat against petal.

STEP THREE — Assembling Flower

Tape the three dark blue petals to a #18 bare stem wire. Shape petals to fall gracefully down, Figure 3.

Since the top three petals must stand up, reinforce each petal as shown in General Instructions, through the center of the petal, Figure 4.

Fasten the 3 petals together at reinforcement points, also Figure 4. Slip the wire stems of these petals down be­tween the dark blue petals and tape to stem of flower, Fig­ure 5.

STEP FOUR — Leaves

String 40" inches of bugle beads on a #26 gauge bare wire. Bend wire in center having 20 beads on each side. Twist ends of wire together tightly against beads. This makes a long narrow loop.

Make two more loops around this, one of 44 beads and the next of 48 beads. Reinforce ends and across leaves a third of the way down. Reinforce again, two thirds down from the top. See General Instructions for reinforcing. Figure 6

Other great patterns from Bead Flowers:

Vintage patterns by Aleene.