I just uploaded a new pattern to my Web site: the Tila Flower Bands, $5.00, also available at Bead-patterns.com. Two bracelets made from seed beads, Tila beads and two-hole SuperDuo beads (top) or Twin beads (bottom):
And I also uploaded an easy bracelet made from seed beads, two-hole SuperDuo beads and Tila beads: Skinny SuperDuo Band (a PDF is available for download at the bottom of my Web site page):
And I also uploaded an easy bracelet made from seed beads, two-hole SuperDuo beads and Tila beads: Skinny SuperDuo Band (a PDF is available for download at the bottom of my Web site page):
Okay, so if you are wondering, "What the heck are SuperDuo beads?", here is what I have managed to figure out:
- Twin beads and SuperDuo beads are often referred to as two-hole seed beads and they look almost exactly alike with a few exceptions. Twin beads, made by Czech company Preciosa Ornela, have the same oval shape but are often somewhat irregular in size. SuperDuo beads are pressed glass beads (i.e., made in a mold) so they are a bit thicker and much more uniform in size than Twin beads.
- As of this writing, SuperDuo beads are rather hard to find and seem to come in two sizes: 2.5mm by 5mm and 2mm by 5mm. In some instances, SuperDuo beads can be used as substitute for Twin beads and vice versa, but sometimes not. It depends on the design. For this pattern, I used 2.5 by 5mm SuperDuo beads from RedPandaBeads.com.
- Chris Franchetti Michaels of Beadwork.About.com has the best list of SuperDuo suppliers at: http://beadwork.about.com/od/BuyBeadsOnline/a/Superduo-Suppliers.htm
- Preciosa Ornela is coming out with, or has already come out with, their own "pressed glass" Twin bead, although I have not been able to find them.
- There may be several Czech companies making "SuperDuo" and "Super Duo" beads, which could account for the size difference. Dee's Place has a great article that provides a bit of the inside scoop: "The Great Czech Two-Hole bead Wars" by Doris Coghill.
