necklace
M I R I A M S H I M O NBEADWORK june/july 2013 39
(Fig. 1, blue thread). Use the same tech- nique to stitch the ribbons to the right side of the cabochon. Stitch all 4 ribbons together where they meet at the top of the cabochon (Fig. 1, red thread). Pass down, then up through the foundation next to the last stitch.
Round 3: Place the chain around Round 2. Neatly stitch the chain to the founda- tion, passing the thread between the chain links and stitching down and up through the foundation to secure it, as in Round 2. Secure the thread and trim.
Round 4: Layer the dark gold ribbon and 6" of rose ribbon. Melt the ends as before. Wrap the ribbons around Round 3, as with Round 2, gold ribbon on the inside. Start 3' of new thread that exits from the beading foundation at the bottom of Round 3. As in Round 2, stitch the left, then the right side of the ribbons to the beading foundation. Stitch the 8 ribbons (from Rounds 2 and 4) together where they meet at the top of the round as before. Exit from the lower-left side of the meeting point (Fig. 2, green thread).
Trim: Carefully trim the excess foundation along the outside edge of Round 4, tak- ing care you don’t cut any stitches. Also trim the foundation under the ribbons’ meeting point.
1) PENDANT. Use soutache and backstitch bead embroidery to form the necklace pendant:
Cabochon: Use the adhesive to adhere the cabochon to the center of the beading foundation. Take care that no glue oozes from the sides. Let dry completely.
Round 1: Tie a knot at the end of 3' of thread; pass up through the beading foundation to exit right next to the bot- tom of the cabochon. *String 2G; lay the beads along the edge of the cabochon. Pass down through the beading founda- tion in front of the second G and up through the beading foundation between the 2G just added. Pass through the last G added. Repeat from * to backstitch around the cabochon.
Prepare ribbon: Align the green ribbon and 6" of rose ribbon. Use the lighter to melt the ends of the ribbons to seal. Wrap the 2 ribbons around Round 1, rose ribbon on the inside, centering the ribbons at the bottom of Round 1. There should be 2" of ribbon sticking up from the top of the cabochon on each side.
Round 2: **Sew through the center of both ribbons. Pass down through the founda- tion directly on the other side of the rib- bon and up through the foundation about 1⁄8" from the last stitch. Repeat
from ** around the left side of the cabo- chon. Weave through Round 1 to exit from the bottom of the cabochon
Fig. 1: Stitching down Round 2 Fig. 2: Forming the upper-left swirl
MATERIALS
5 g bronze size 15° seed beads (A) 2 g light rose gold size 15° seed beads (B) 1 g olive luster size 11° cylinder beads (C) 1 g light mint size 11° cylinder beads (D) 5 g bronze size 11° seed beads (E) 8 g bronze size 11° triangle beads (F) 1 g bronze size 8° seed beads (G)
24 light mint 4mm fire-polished rounds (H) 108 fuchsia 4mm fire-polished rounds (I) 19 metallic bronze 4×3mm fire-polished
rondelles (J)
1 rose 3mm crystal bicone 4 fuchsia 6mm crystal bicones
1 fuchsia 11×15mm crystal baroque pendant
4" of rose 2.5mm crystal rhinestone chain 4 matte antiqued gold 4mm crystal pearl rounds 1 matte antiqued gold 6mm crystal pearl round 1 iridescent gold/rose crackled foil 17×25mm
glass cabochon
2 gold 5×1mm daisy spacers
1 gold-plated 6×5mm filigree bead cap
1 gold-plated 10×2.5mm filigree flower
18" of rose 1⁄8" soutache ribbon
6" of dark gold 1⁄8" soutache ribbon
6" of light green 1⁄8" soutache ribbon
8" of light gold 1⁄8" soutache ribbon
Smoke 6 lb braided beading thread 2" square of white beading foundation 3" square of fuchsia Ultrasuede Clear jeweler’s craft adhesive TOOLS
Size 10 beading needle Scissors
Lighter Ballpoint pen
FINISHED SIZE: 19½" (necklace); 2¼ × 3" (pendant)
Artist’s Tips
• Always align your soutache ribbons in advance before stitching to ensure that they remain straight while you’re working.
• Use pearls or crystals in place of the fire-polished beads for a different look.
• Always melt the edges of the ribbons to avoid fraying.
40 beadworkmagazine.com
Neatly tuck and sew these ends of the ribbons under the upper-left swirl. Pass back through the H just added, into Round 4, and then exit out through Round 4, 1 bead’s width away from the last stitch. *String 1H; pass through the ribbons just added, pass back through the H just added, into Round 4, and exit out through Round 4, 1 bead’s width away from the last stitch. Repeat from * ten times for a total of 12H. Pass through the last H added and the rib- bons (Fig. 3, blue thread).
Lower-left swirl: Repeat the upper-left swirl, this time stitching through just 2 ribbons. Exit from Round 5, ⅛" above the lower-left swirl. Don’t trim the thread (Fig. 3, red thread).
Round 5, right side, and lower-right swirl: Repeat Round 5, left side, and the lower-left swirl, this time on the right side of Round 4.
Ultrasuede: Place the beadwork onto the Ultrasuede and trace the shape. Care- fully trim out the shape; set aside.
Round 6: *Use the left thread to string 1J and 3A; pass back through the J and into the ribbons of Round 5. Pass out through the ribbon, 1 bead’s width away from the last stitch. Repeat from * eight times for a total of 9 fringes (Fig. 4, blue thread). Repeat on the right side of the beadwork, adding 9 more fringes (Fig. 4, red thread). Secure the thread and trim.
Back: Use the adhesive to adhere the Ultrasuede to the back of the beadwork; let dry.
Upper-right swirl: Repeat the upper-left swirl. Exit from the center of the 8-rib- bon meeting point at the top of the cabochon.
Flower: String the flower filigree back to front and the 3mm bicone; pass back through the filigree and pass down through the ribbon to cover the gap just below the 8-ribbon meeting point. Repeat the thread path to reinforce. Stitch along the back of the foundation to exit out through the ribbons at the bottom center of Round 4.
Drop fringe: String 1 spacer, one 6mm pearl round, 1 spacer, the bead cap (from outside to inside), and the pendant; pass back through the bead cap, spacer, pearl, spacer, and back into the ribbon (Fig. 3, green thread). Repeat the thread path to reinforce. Secure the thread and trim.
Round 5, left side: Start 3' of new thread that exits from Round 4, just below the intersection of the Round 4 ribbons and the upper-left swirl. Layer the light gold ribbon and 6" of rose ribbon. Melt the ends as before. String 1H; pass through the ribbons just layered, rose ribbon on the outside, about ¼" from the end.
Upper-left swirl: String one 6mm bicone; wrap the left 4 ribbons around the top side of the bicone and stitch through the 4 ribbons where the thread exits the bicone. Pass back through the 4 ribbons, the bicone, and in and out of the Round 4 ribbons. Pass through the bicone again (Fig. 2, blue thread). Pass through the ribbons at an angle to exit ¼" down from the last connection point. String one 4mm pearl round; wrap the left 4 rib- bons around the bottom side of the pearl and stitch through the ribbons where the thread exits the pearl. Pass back through the ribbons and the pearl, wrap the ribbons up around the pearl, and stitch through the ribbons where the thread exits the top of the pearl. Pass back through the ribbons and the pearl again, then stitch the ribbons wrapped around the pearl to the upper- left side of Round 4 (Fig. 2, red thread). Tuck the 4 left ribbon ends so they sit on the back of the pendant; neatly stitch the ends onto the back of the foundation. Exit from the right side of the 8-ribbon meeting point at the top of the cabochon.
Fig. 3: Adding the flower, drop fringe, left
side of Round 5, and lower-left swirl Fig. 4:Round 6 Stitching
BEADWORK june/july 2013 41
3) CLASP RING. Use tubular peyote stitch to form the clasp ring:
Rounds 1 and 2: Use 3' of thread to string 32A; pass through the first 16A to form a tight circle, leaving a 4" tail.
Round 3: String 1A, skip 1A of the previ- ous round, and pass through the next A; repeat fifteen times for a total of 16A. Step up for the next and subsequent rounds by passing through the first bead added in this round.
Rounds 4 and 5: Work 16 stitches with 1D in each stitch for 2 rounds.
Round 6: Work 16 stitches with 1E in each stitch. Weave through beads to exit from Round 1.
Rounds 7 and 8: Work 16 stitches with 1D in each stitch for 2 rounds.
Zip: Press Rounds 6 and 8 together so the beads interlock like a zipper. Weave these beads together to form a seamless ring. Exit from 1E.
Round 9: String 3B and pass through the next E of Round 6; repeat fourteen times. Weave through beads to exit from the next E (Fig. 6, green thread).
Connect: String 4E and 1J; pass down through the 2I at the end of the left rope. Weave through beads to exit back through the J just added (Fig. 6, blue thread). String 4E; pass through the E across the gap formed on the clasp ring (Fig. 6, red thread). Repeat the thread path to reinforce. Secure the thread and trim.
4) CLASP BAR. Form the bar half of the toggle clasp:
Rows 1 and 2: Use 2' of thread to string 2E, 2C, 6E, 2C, and 2E, leaving a 4" tail.
Row 3: String 1E, skip 1E of the previous row, and pass through the next E. String 1C, skip 1C, and pass through the next C. Continue working peyote stitch across the row, skipping 1 bead and add- ing that same type of bead, for a total of 7 beads.
Rows 4–10: Work 7 stitches, adding the same bead type as the bead below, in each of a total of 7 rows.
2) ROPES. Use spiral rope to stitch the necklace straps:
Stitch 1: Use 6' of thread to string 2I, 3E, 1F, and 3E; pass through the first 2I added to form a circle, with the 2I on the right (Fig. 5, orange thread).
Stitch 2: String 3E, 1F, and 3E; pass up through the 2I of Stitch 1, pushing this loop to the right (Fig. 5, green thread).
Stitch 3: String 1I, 3E, 1F, and 3E; pass up through the I at the top of the rope and the I just added. Push the E and F to the left (Fig. 5, blue thread).
Stitch 4: String 3E, 1F, and 3E; pass up through the 2I at the top of the rope. Push the E and F to the right (Fig. 5, red thread).
Repeat Stitches 3 and 4 for a total of 54I.
Connect: Sew the end of the rope to the ribbon of the pendant’s upper-left swirl, between the bicone and pearl.
Repeat this entire step, attaching the rope to the upper-right swirl of the pendant.
Zip: Fold the strip so the beads of Rows 1 and 10 interlock like a zipper. Weave these beads together to form a seamless tube. Exit out through one end of the tube.
Ends: String 1G and 1A, then pass back through the G and through the center of the tube; repeat to embellish the other end of the tube. Repeat the thread path to reinforce, then weave through beads to exit from 1E at the center of the tube (Fig. 7, green thread).
Connect: String 6E and 1G; pass down through the 2I at the end of the right rope. Weave through beads to exit back through the last G just added (Fig. 7, blue thread). String 2E; skip 2E of the 6E previously added and pass back through the next 2E. String 2E; pass through 1E at the center of the tube, next to the last E exited on the tube (Fig. 7, red thread). Repeat the thread path to reinforce. Secure the thread and trim. ✦
MIRIAM SHIMON is a designer who teaches beadwork and soutache in Israel and internationally. She has won several awards and regularly exhibits her jewelry around the world.
RESOURCES Check your local bead shop or contact: Seed beads, Delica cylinder beads,
Ultrasuede, Lacy’s Stiff Stuff beading foundation, FireLine braided beading thread, and soutache ribbon: Amee Runs with Scissors, www.amee runswithscissors.com. Rhinestone chain: Artstudio88, www.artstudio88.etsy.com.
Fig. 6: Adding Round 9 of the clasp ring and connecting it to the chain
Fig. 7: Finishing and connecting the clasp bar
TECHNIQUES
odd-count flat peyote stitch wireworking
See p. 92 for helpful technique information.
PROJECT LEVEL
See p. 4 for project-level information.