Bead&Button Online Project 1© 2012 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.

Colorful and elegant, these earrings are a great way to use

up leftover beads in your stash. The earrings pictured here

are made with various sizes of beads in greens and blues.

designed by Amee McNamara

This tulip shape is a staple in soutache bead embroidery

Soutache tulip earrings

SOUTACHE BEAD EMBROIDERY

a b

materialspair of earrings 21⁄4 in. (5.7 cm)

• 2 ft. (61 cm) soutache braid in each of

3 colors (ice blue, chartreuse, Dijon)

• 2 10 mm drop beads

• 6 mm round beads

2 color A

4 color B

• 4 mm round beads

8 color C

4 color D

6 color E

• 4 3 mm round beads

• 60 seed beads

4 color F

6 color G

• 8 80 seed beads

• 4 100 seed beads

• 110 seed beads

12 color H

1 g color J

• 2 11⁄2-in. (3.8 cm) head pins

• 4 6 mm soldered jump rings

• pair of earring findings

• nylon beading thread, size B

• beading needles, #11

• glue, such as E6000 adhesive

• Ultrasuede

• chainnose pliers

• roundnose pliers

• wire cutters

Amee McNamara is a textile-jewelry artist. She teaches private and group classes on soutache bead embroidery. To reach Amee and to see more of her work, visit ameerunswithscissors.com.

For basic instructions pertaining to soutache bead embroidery, please refer to “Technique Workshop” on p. 22 of the June 2012 issue of Bead&Button. Go to BeadAndButton.com/Basics to learn about any of the Online Beading Basics referenced in this story.

stepbystepEarring front[1] Tie a double overhand knot (Online Beading Basics) at one end of 1 yd. (.9 m) of thread, leaving a 12-in. (30 cm) tail. [2] Cut a 12-in. (30 cm) piece of soutache braid in each of three colors. Stack the braids one on top of the other so the V in the center of each braid is pointing the same direction.[3] Locate the center of the stack, and sew from bottom to top through all three layers, making sure you sew through the middle groove to keep the layers aligned. In the following steps, you will always sew through the middle groove unless otherwise noted.[4] Make a few long and short shaping stitches: Working from right to left, sew down through the stack 1⁄4 in. (6 mm) to the left. Sew up 1⁄16 in. (2 mm) to the left of the previous stitch, and then

sew down 1⁄4 in. (6 mm) to the left of that stitch. [5] Pick up a color A 6 mm round bead, and sew up through the center of the stack near the knot. [6] Make a few long and short shaping stitches: Working from left to right, sew down through the stack 1⁄4 in. (6 mm) to the right of the knot (photo a). Sew up 1⁄16 in. (2 mm) to the right of the previous stitch (photo b), and then sew down 1⁄4 in. (6 mm) to the right of that stitch. [7] Wrap the stack around the A on the right-hand side, and sew back up through the A and the stack. Sew back down through the stack and the A close to where your thread just exited. [8] To join the stacks beneath the A: Carefully separate the braids into two stacks of three braids, grasp both ends of the innermost braid, and pinch the ends together close to the A. With the needle exiting the A, sew through the inner braid on one side of the A, sew back through the same braid, and sew through the braid on the other side of the A. Sew back through both layers and the other two braids on the first side. Sew back through all six layers twice.

Once you master the basic shape of these earrings, the sky’s the limit for your exploration of the fascinating art of soutache bead embroidery.

Bead&Button Online Project 2

Soutache braid can be purchased

in a variety of beautiful colors at

ameerunswithscissors.com.

www To brush up on the Online

Beading Basics referenced in this

story (plus lots of other techniques!),

go to BeadAndButton.com/Basics.

Bead&Button Online Project 3

[9] With your thread exiting the outer braid of a three-braid stack, pick up a color B 6 mm round bead, wrap the three-braid stack around one side of the B, and sew through the stack where it meets the other end of the bead (photo c). Working as in step 6, make a few long and short shaping stitches, and wrap the stack around the B.[10] Working from left to right, sew back down through the stack 1⁄4 in. (6 mm) to the right of the previous stitch, pick up a color C 4 mm round bead, and sew down through the stack between the B and the A so your thread is exiting next to the A. Sew back up through the stack, the C, and the fol-lowing stack so your thread is exiting the outer braid (photo d). [11] Repeat step 10 four times, but substitute a color D 4 mm round bead in the first repeat, a color F 60 seed bead in the second repeat, a 3 mm round bead in the third repeat, and a color E 4 mm round bead in the final repeat (photo e). The E should be centered opposite the A.[12] With the thread exiting the outer braid above the E, sew down through the stack, the E, and the next stack. Determine which side of the piece you would like to be the front and which side you would like to be the back.

Working on the back side, skip over the A, and sew through the unembellished stack on the opposite side (photo f). [13] Turn the piece so you are again working on the front side. Repeat steps 9–11, but in step 11, work the repeat only three times. Then sew through the existing E and the center stack so the needle is exiting next to the A. Sew back down through the stack and the E (photo g). [14] Working as in step 8, join the three-braid stacks below the E, and then separate them again into two stacks of three braids each. [15] Work as in step 9, but substitute a C for the B. [16] Work as in step 10, but substitute a color G 60 seed bead for the C. Continue working as in step 10 to add an 80 seed bead, a 100 seed bead, and a color H 110 seed bead. Sew down through all six braids, and sew back up so your thread is exiting the outer braid. Repeat this last stitch to secure your work. [17] Pick up an E, wrap the stack around it, and sew through to the outer braid of the new wrap (photo h). Make a few long and short shaping stitches to complete the curve, exiting the inner braid of the stack on the back of the piece.

e

gf h

c d

Bead&Button Online Project 4

[18] Push the loose ends of the stack to the back of the piece so that the stack crosses itself, creating a front and back layer. Sewing through the braids at some point other than the center groove, sew from back to front through both layers (photo i), and then sew from front to back through both layers, as close as possible to the point where the thread exited (photo j). Repeat this stitch several times to secure the end of the stack to the back of the piece, and trim the braids 1⁄4 in. (6 mm) from the last stitch, being careful not to trim too closely as the braid will fray. [19] Bring the thread across the back of the piece to exit the remaining stack on the opposite side of the join made in step 14. [20] Repeat steps 15–18 to create a mirror image on the other side of the earring front. Do not end the thread.

Bridge beads and jump rings [1] Sew from the back of the earring to the front, exiting the inner braid near the join made in step 8 of “Earring front” (photo k). Pick up an H, an 80, and an H, and sew from front to back through the inner braid on the other side of the join (photo l). Sew back up through the first braid your thread exit-ed at the start of this step, sew through

the 80 again, and sew down through the other braid. This helps the bridge curve around the A and keeps the bridge rest-ing on the braid. [2] Working on the back of the earring, bring the thread to the top of the A, and sew through the edge of the middle braid at the top of the earring. Pick up a 6 mm soldered jump ring, and sew back through the braid on the back of the earring. Make sure the jump ring extends slightly past the edge of the earring. Secure the jump ring to this braid with several small stitches, and then secure it to the middle braid on the opposite side of the join in the same manner.[3] Bring the thread across the back of the earring to exit a stack at the base of the E. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to add a bridge and a jump ring at this join. End the thread by tying a knot on the back of your work.

Assembly [1] Glue the earring to a piece of Ultrasuede, and let it dry. Trim the Ultrasuede, leaving a slight border around the edges.

[2] Tie an overhand knot (Online Basics) at the end of 11⁄2 yd. (1.4 m) of thread. Beginning at an inside curve, sew through a stack to exit the center groove on an outside edge of the earring (photo m). The knot should be buried in one of the small crevices on the front of the work. [3] Make a beaded edging: Pick up two color J 110 seed beads, sew down through the outer braid and the Ultrasuede (photo n), and sew back up through the Ultrasuede, the braid, and the last J just picked up. For subsequent stitches, pick up a J, sew down through the outer braid and Ultrasuede, and sew back up through the Ultrasuede, the braid, and the J just picked up. Repeat this stitch around the earring, and end the thread in the beadwork (Online Basics). [4] On a head pin, string a 10 mm drop and a G, and make a simple loop (Online Basics). Open the loop (Online Basics), and attach the bottom jump ring. [5] Open the loop of an earring finding,

and attach it to the top jump ring. [6] Make a second earring. w

k

l m n

i j

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