Embellished Ombre Herringbone Cuff Tutorial

There’s nothing quite like a beaded cuff to show off the marvel of tiny seed beads. With the right combination of colors and stitches, you can have a bold and beautiful bracelet that fits like fabric. The only thing that can make a beadwork cuff even better is the addition of some choice accent beads.

This project combines the visual appeal of an ombre palette with the added texture and delight of disc bead accents. We’ll also explore an easy way to attach clasps to beadwork that can be applied to a variety of stitches.

Materials:

11/o seed beads in 6 colors
4 or more 6-8 mm disc beads
4 or more flat heishi beads or 8/o seed beads
Beading thread
A button or toggle (beaded or purchased)

To make an ombre herringbone cuff:

Start by arranging your seed bead colors from dark to light, or warm to cool. You can use 6 different shades of one color, or blend from one color to another. Try placing your bead packages in different positions until you get a pattern that is has a pleasing ombre look.

I like to start herringbone weave with a two-bead ladder, but you can also start with a single-bead ladder, or use the Ndebele technique. Check out the Twisted Tubular Herringbone Tutorial for full instructions on making a two-bead ladder.

Begin with 3 columns of each color in your chosen pattern, so that you have 18 columns in all. Step up to begin the first row of herringbone weave: stitch up through the bead next to where your thread is exiting, and up through the last bead in the top of the ladder.

Pick up two seed beads - making sure that they match the first and second columns below - and stitch down into the first bead next to where you thread is exiting. Pull snug so that the beads lock into place side-by-side. Stitch up through the next bead in the row below and pull tight.

Continue adding two beads at a time, matching them to the pattern, until you reach the end of the row. Remember to step up through the following base bead at the end of each stitch. You can work in whichever direction is most comfortable for you.

After adding the final bead pair, pull the thread snug, and then step up to start the next row: Stitch up through the bead next to the one that your thread is exiting, then up through the last bead added in the previous row. Pull tight, and flip the beadwork over.

Continue adding rows of herringbone weave until the beadwork reaches the desired length, adding new thread as needed. You’ll need to allow a bit of length for the clasp - about half an inch or 1.5 cm. The clasp will overlap, so the final length is adjustable.

Once the final row is added, you can cinch up the beadwork so that both ends match: stitch a dummy row by following the herringbone thread path, but without picking up any beads. Step up through the second column from the end, and stitch up and down the top two rows to connect the remaining columns together. There should now be threads between each of the beads along the edge. Weave in your threads and trim.

Add the bracelet clasp:

Secure a new length of thread in the beadwork, near one end. (If desired, add straight fringes to the edge of the beadwork using two or more beads of matching colors.) Exit from the 8th column, and pick up enough seed beads to form a loop that will fit your clasp. Stitch down into the beadwork through the 11th column and pull snug.

Retrace the thread path through the seed bead loop at least once more to strengthen. Continue adding fringes to the edge is desired, then weave in your thread and trim.

Secure a new length of thread at the opposite end. Test the length of the bracelet, and determine where you would like the second half of your clasp to rest. Count back 3 beads, and exit from one of the center 2 columns at this point.

Pick up 3 matching seed beads, your clasp, and 3 beads to match the corresponding column in the cuff. Stitch into the beadwork, then retrace the thread path at least once more to secure the clasp. Add fringes to this side of the cuff, then weave in your thread and trim.

Embellish the cuff:

Arrange your disc beads on the cuff in a pattern you like. Take a picture or make a quick sketch if necessary. You can also add embellishments freeform for an organic look.

Secure a new length of thread near the point where you would like to add the first disc. Make sure that you are working from the same side as your button or toggle, so that the accents will face out! Weave through the beadwork and exit from your start point. Pick up one disc bead, one heishi or 8/o bead, and one seed bead to match the closest row in the cuff.

Skipping the seed bead, pass through the larger two beads, and through the cuff below. Pull snug, making sure that there is no slack thread in the stack of accent beads. Pass through 2 seed beads from the underside of the beadwork, then two beads in an adjoining row - follow the herringbone thread path.

Pass the needle between the beads, being careful not to snag any threads, and pass up through your accents. Stitch through the top seed bead, then back through the accents and into the beadwork again. Continue reinforcing the stitch until the accent beads are secure, then weave through the cuff until you’ve reached the next area where you would like to place a disc

Continue adding your accents, adding thread as needed. Weave in your threads, and you’re done!

There are so many fun color and pattern possibilities for this project. If you make a variation, share it on Facebook - I’d love to see what you come up with!

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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How to Cap and Finish Herringbone Ropes

When it comes to creating beadwork jewelry, it’s the little details that can make or break a piece. Finishing designs - adding fringe, clasps, and other components - is just as important as the main beadwork stitches, color choices, and focal elements that make up a whole piece.

Recently a reader asked about my finishing technique for herringbone ropes. I use tubular herringbone for necklace and bracelets quite often, and with a metal-free approach, adding clasps requires a little extra stitching. This is the most common technique that I use to finish a rope with a smooth transition to a button or toggle clasp.

How to Cap a Herringbone Rope with a Round Bead

Druks are my favorite beads to use at the ends of a rope, but you can use other beads that match the rest of your design, so long as they can handle multiple thread passes. Freshwater pearls and crystals aren’t recommended, but just about anything else goes. You could also skip the picot embellishment and use disks or other bead shapes that cover the ends of the rope.

Start by weaving a dummy round at the end of your herringbone rope to connect the final stitches together - weave through the top row as usual, without picking up any beads. Exit from the top of the rope, and pick up 3 seed beads in the same size as your main beadwork. They can be matching, or use contrasting colors for extra interest.

Stitch down through the next bead in the rope end, and pull snug to form a picot. Repeat all the way around the tube until each pair of herringbone columns is covered with a picot.

Stitch down about a centimeter into the rope and exit through a bead. Pull your thread snug, then needle into the rope, under the beadwork threads, and exit from the center of the tube. Do not pass through any beads, and be sure not to snag any threads with your needle.

Pick up your cap bead, and slide it down to the beadwork, testing the fit. It should not be small enough to slip inside the rope, and not so large that it doesn’t fit neatly into the picots.

Add your clasp beads as desired, and pass back through the cap bead, and into the center of the rope. Exit between two herringbone beads, a few rows down. Pull snug, then check the fit and length of your clasp to make sure you’re happy with the work before you continue.

Stitch down through a few beads in one herringbone column to secure the thread. Stitch up through the following column, leaving a little space between your stitch and the end of the rope, then pull snug. Pass through the center of the rope and stitch around your clasp again to strengthen. Stitch down into the rope, and secure the thread within the herringbone rope again.

Stitch up through the beadwork, and exit from the picot ring at the end of the rope. Weave through the picots again with a dummy herringbone stitch to tighten them around your cap bead. Add a single seed bead between each picot if desired - this gives a pretty crown shape to the embellishment.

When you’re happy with the cap, weave in your thread and trim, then embellish the other end of the rope.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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Book Spotlight: Rubber Stamped Jewelry

Most handmade jewelry is unique and even one of a kind, because there are so many ways to combine materials and techniques with each designer’s personal style. Even when we try to recreate something that we’ve been inspired by in a magazine or chain store, the finished piece has qualities that simply can’t be mass produced. It's one of the things that makes creating your own jewelry so rewarding - each piece has a little bit of you in it!

Of all the different styles of beading and jewelry designs that have become popular in the last century, nothing is quite as unique and remarkable as mixed media jewelry. By combining fluid and organic elements like fibers, clays, and ink, designers can create pieces that are completely one of a kind. Even when you reproduce the same steps more than once, the nature of the techniques makes them slightly different every time.

In Rubber Stamped Jewelry,jewelry artist Sharilyn Miller provides a wealth of information to beaders who are just getting started with mixed media, plus a new and exciting avenue for designers who are already adept at combining materials for eclectic jewelry.

The first half of the book is an encyclopedia of mixed media and rubber stamping techniques. The number of techniques covered is almost too many to list. Sharilyn begins with some jewelry making basics like choosing materials and tools, and wrapping headpins. She has even included several tutorials for making your own components like jump rings, headpins and clasps. Readers will also learn how to use stamps, create molds, heat embossing powder, make and decorate polymer clay components, braid and knot jewelry fibers and cord, create unique beads and focals with shrink plastic, and many more fabulous ideas for mixed media jewelry.

There are 20 jewelry project examples to try, each using a variety of the techniques covered in the basics. Though there are no diagrams to guide you through the list of steps, each project includes an index so you can easily find the correct basics section to study before you begin. The designs themselves are so intriguing, it’s hard to believe that they were inspired by rubber stamps!

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
Sharilyn Miller and North Light Books
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A Bracelet a Week: Pink Fire Polish

One of my favorite things about extended beading challenges is the opportunity to try out new things, and rotate some of the materials in my bead stash. What better time is there to finally get around to using beads that have just been hanging around?

This week I decided to tackle a packet of pink fire polish beads that I had purchased earlier this year. I picked them up because they so closely resembled the 2011 It color, Honeysuckle. Then I put them away and basically forgot all about them.

To make sure that I could use as many of the beads as possible - hopefully all of them at once - I wanted a bracelet design that could hold a lot of accent beads. I started by choosing a base color, and the first thing that caught my eye was colonial gray lined crystal. They have a shimmer that matches the finish on the fire polish perfectly. Plus gray and pink always look fabulous together.

Next I had to decide on a technique that would allow both beads lots of room to play. I finally decided on openwork right angle weave, with the fire polish stitched in at the end. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to get the width that I wanted, and be able to cover the entire cuff with pink accents, but I went ahead anyway, hoping that the right pattern would come to mind as I worked.

When it came time to add the fire polish, I had no idea what I was going to do. I thought about doing a random network of columns, but I didn’t like the uncertainty. Instead, I decided to make some pyramids.

The pattern turned out great, and there were only a few fire polish left over. I love the look of the raised pink triangles, and recessed gray ones. I wonder what other inspirations are now lurking in the bead cupboard?

Copyright 2011 Inspirational Beading
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Beading Tutorials: Leaf Fringe

Fringe is a beader’s best friend. Whether you specialize in embroidery, loom work, or beadweaving, chances are, you’ll want to add a bit of trim to your designs from time to time. There are many different techniques and styles of fringe to choose from. One of the easiest and most interesting, is leafy fringe.

Making a simple beaded leaf requires only two quick stitches, and can be done with nearly any type of bead that can be used for weaving. Round seed beads provide the best leaves, and you can create different sizes simply by increasing the number of beads used.

To make a basic fringe leaf:

String 5 seed beads, and slide them down to your beadwork. Skipping the last bead added, stitch down through the next bead in the stack, and pull snug. The final bead should now be locked in place at the top of the stack.

If you notice some slack thread in the stitch, try pushing the top bead down while you gently tug the needle end to snug up the loose thread.

Pick up 2 seed beads, and stitch through the first seed bead added to the stack, and continue back into your beadwork. When you pull the thread snug, a little leaf will form.

You can create any size leaf using a basic formula. The number of beads picked up in the second stitch is equal to the original stack, minus three. So if you start with seven beads, you will pick up four beads in the second stitch. If you start with six, you will add three beads.

Smaller leaves look the most realistic. As you increase the number of beads, the leaves become loopier, with a wider gap in the center. You can also increase the number of beads passed through in the first stitch for a different shaped leaf, or increase the number of beads at the base for a longer stem.

Leaf fringe can fit in just about anywhere. You can add it to rows of backstitch to add texture to bead embroidery, or combine it with branched fringe or corralling for a leafy vine fringe. You can even use beaded leaves to finish the edges of flat beadwork like peyote or herringbone weave.

More fringed project ideas:

Fringe Bracelet by Whimbeads.com
Beadwork.About.com Leaf Fringe Tutorial
Christmas Lights Bracelet
Seascape Necklace Project

Want to try out some new techniques, or add some new must-haves to your bead stash? Until the end of February, you can use this exclusive coupon code for 15% off any sized order from Artbeads.com: ZZ-DESIGNER-0211

Just copy and paste the coupon code and apply it during checkout for your discount. Happy beading!

Copyright 2011 Inspirational Beading
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Favorite Techniques: Netted Fringe

No matter how many beading techniques we learn, there will always be one or two that we return to again and again. Perhaps they have a look or feel that we really enjoy, or work well with our favorite beads. Sometimes the best stitches are the ones that we can just sit back and weave with ease, and they are the ones that make beading a relaxing pastime.

Today, my guest is Virginia of Goblins’ Market, who shares the origins of her favorite beading technique.

Inspirational Beading: What is your all time favorite beading or jewelry technique?

Virginia: It is so hard to choose a favorite. I love to make netted beaded fringes on scarves and I love to work in circular right angle weave.

Inspirational Beading: How do you first learn to use this technique?

Virginia: I worked out netted fringe on my own but learned the stitch I use to create a foundation row from a Bead & Button magazine in the early 1990's. I learned circular right angle weave from a Marcia DeCoster article in Bead & Button several years ago.

Inspirational Beading: Of all the creations you’ve made with this technique, which one is your favorite?

Virginia: I think my favorite creation so far is a scarf I made for a friend's daughter last spring. It was made with an orchid purple silk/rayon velvet that I dyed and overdyed myself, and edged with a gorgeous netted fringe. I used some yummy green table cuts for the fringe finials.

I really enjoyed working with such rich colors on that sumptuous velvet surface. I also really enjoy knowing that the recipient will value this scarf for a long time - both as a gift from her dad and something hand made by me. I hope her daughters will enjoy it as much as she does! I love to work on custom orders - especially when they involve both fiber and beads!

Inspirational Beading: Can you share any tips for getting started with this method?

Virginia: When working with a beaded fringe, it is very important to have a sturdy, well spaced foundation row. I'm working on creating a tutorial to offer in my shop on creating a foundation row - I may get it done by January 2011. (And that may be a very optimistic estimate!)

The foundation row secures the fringe to the fabric and is the basis for the spacing of your fringe. Getting that on neatly is the first important step. The next challenge with beaded fringe is to work with a fairly long thread and to remember to tie off often. The length of thread I work with is often prone to tangling, especially since I work with a doubled thread for strength.

Be patient. Never tug on a knot. Use your needle to loosen knots. Go slowly and work in a position and place that allows you to see your work clearly. Eventually you will find a way to hold the thread apart from itself with your fingers as you stitch. This will help you minimize knots and go faster.

I always tie off after every third section of netting or after every 4 or 5 single strands. This minimizes bead loss and re-working time if the unthinkable happens to your scarf and the fringe gets broken. I also always include a small vial of repair beads for these velvet scarves. They may travel a very long time in their lifetimes and I want their owners to be able to easily find the necessary beads for a repair, should that ever be needed.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite material to use it with?

Virginia: Silk Velvet! I also put simpler beaded fringes on some of my other hand painted and dyed scarves but velvet and silk dupion are the only fabrics I've worked with so far that really can carry the weight and luxury of a full netted fringe really convincingly.

Inspirational Beading: If someone had to choose to learn only one technique, would you recommend this one?

Virginia: I would recommend that they learn the foundation stitch. Once one has learned to put the foundation row on neatly and without significant trouble with tangles, they will have worked with the beads and the fabric enough to begin making intuitive guesses about how they can add onto and embellish that basic foundation. The foundation row lends itself very nicely to peyote stitch - I have added solid peyote strips to the bottoms of scarves instead of dangling fringes in the past to very good effect! - and to many variations of fringes.

Inspirational Beading: In your opinion, what is the best place for beginners to learn this technique?

Virginia: I am a "manipulative" and visual learner, so learning from illustrations in a magazine works well for me. (That's a good thing because we live very far from any large city with an active beading guild!) Anyone who is an auditory learner should look for a teacher, a class or a guild to learn from.

I occasionally teach a "Beading on the Fringe" class on applying fringe to a scarf or ribbon; some of my students pick up the techniques just by looking at my illustrations. Others need to see me walk through the steps several times and still others need me to talk them through it step by step. It all depends on how your brain processes information best.

Recommend sites for fiber arts and more:

Stitchin Fingers
Pin Tangle
ArtCloth Studios

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading and Goblins' Market

Beading Tutorial: Bridged Herringbone

Ring # 16 - Rubies and Cream

As a beaders, learning and growing as artists is a never-ending process. There will always be something new to practice or develop, and our designs evolve as our skills do. On the many beading boards and forums, newcomers will often ask their peers, “How do you come up with your unique designs?”. The answer is simple: 2 parts practice to 1 part experimentation.

Not coincidentally, the same answer can be given if someone asks “Why you would buy a PDF tutorial or project magazine, if you can’t sell the designs you make from them?”. When an artist shares their expertise, it is meant to offer new ways to perfect our knowledge of techniques and materials.

One of the easiest ways to explore the possibilities of bead weaving techniques is to add simple embellishments. A little fringe here, a change of bead style there, and suddenly you know a little bit more about what your beads and hands can do.

Adding bridges to flat Ndebele weave is one of my favorite basic embellishments. It’s easy to do, and incredibly versatile, because you can use it with all kinds of beads. Even beads that aren’t always suitable for bead weaving, like bugles and crystals, are perfect for adding to a herringbone bridge.

To embellish flat herringbone with a bridge:

First begin by making a base with simple herringbone weave. I prefer to start with a double bead ladder. This creates a much neater first row by reducing the number of thread passes at the bottom of the beadwork.

On a comfortable length of beading thread, pick up 4 seed beads. Slide them down the thread, leaving at least a 6 inch tail. Stitch up through the first 2 beads again, and pull tight to create a pair of 2 bead stacks, side by side. Stitch down through the 3rd and 4th beads again, so that both threads are exiting from the bottom of the beads.

To help snug up the beads and create even tension for the rest of the ladder, try this trick: Hold both the tail and working thread securely with your thumb and forefinger. Place your thumbnail up against the bottom of the bead stacks. With your other hand, hold the working thread, and pull down as you press the bead stacks against your opposite thumb. Tug the thread gently until the beads are straight, and there is no slack thread within the beadwork.

Pick up 2 seed beads, and stitch down into the 3rd and 4th bead from the previous step again. As you add new beads to the ladder, your needle will always chase the working thread. Pull tight, and stitch up through the two beads just added.

Continue adding pairs of beads to the ladder until it is the desired width for your design. You will need an even number of bead stacks to begin the herringbone weave.

To start the first row, you will need to Step Up. Stitch up through the lower bead on the previous stack, and up through the top bead on the last stack, so that your thread is exiting from the end bead at the top of the ladder.

Pick up 2 seed beads, and stitch down through the top ladder bead from the previous stack. Pull tight, making sure that the two new beads each sit flat on top of the bead ladder. Stitch up through the top ladder bead in the next stack. You can work from left to right, or right to left - whichever you are most comfortable with. As you add new rows, you can flip the beadwork to position the working thread on whichever side you prefer.

Pick up 2 seed beads, and repeat the process along the entire length of the bead ladder. After adding the final 2 beads, Step Up to begin the next row.

When you reach the point in the beadwork where you would like to add a bridge, add one pair of seed beads. Before stitching up to add the next pair, pick up one seed bead. Continue stitching normally for the rest of the row.

When you reach the increase again, pick up 2 seed beads, placing them between the rows as before. Add 3 beads at the increase in the next row. Continue adding 1 bead at a time to the bridge until it reaches the desired width.

To decrease and return to regular herringbone, reduce the bridge by 1 bead in each new row. After adding the final, single bead, you can continue with flat herringbone and finish the piece as desired.

Bridged herringbone makes a great base for beadwork bracelets or rings, and is one of my favorite techniques. You can add your favorite beads easily by exchanging them for an equal length of seed beads when the bridge reaches the appropriate width. For today’s Ring a Day project, I used the basic technique, and replaced some of the seed beads with CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski rubies.

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading and The Sage's Cupboard