DESIGNER of the Year SERIES BEAD STITCHING Vintage-Inspired Jewelry with KELLY WIESE
DESIGNER of the Year SERIES BEAD STITCHING Vintage-Inspired Jewelry with KELLY WIESE Medallion Component Use peyote, netting, herringbone, and square stitches to make a circular medallion component. MATERIALS AND TOOLS Size 11 Japanese seed beads (0.5 g per component) Size 15 Japanese seed beads (1.5 g per component) 3mm glass pearls (8 per component) 3mm bicone crystals (8 per component) 6mm pressed-glass round bead (1 per component) Size D Nymo thread Size 12 beading needle Scissors Photo 1 Row 1: Use 5' of thread to string one 6mm round bead and 8 size 11 beads leaving a 4" tail. Pass through the 6mm bead. String 8 more size 11 beads and pass through the 6mm bead. Then pass through all 16 beads again to pull them together around the 6mm bead. Also go through a few more beads to close any gaps. (Photo 1) Row 2: String 1 size 11 bead and pass through the last size 11 exited in the previous row to form a square stitch, and also go forward through the next bead of Row 1. Keep repeating until you have gone all the way around the circle, adding 16 new beads. End with the working thread coming out of a bead from this row. (Photo 2) Then pass through all the beads of this row and pull snug. This will make the new row stack on top of Row 1. (Photo 3) Row 3: String 3 size 15 beads, skip over the next size 11 bead, and go through the next one. Repeat 7 more times for a total of 8 points (nets). After adding the last point, also pass through the first 2 beads of the first point. This is the step up that lines you up for the next row. (Photo 4) Photo 2 Photo 3 Photo 4 page 1
Row 4: String 1 size 15 bead, one 3mm pearl, and 1 more size 15 bead, then pass through the middle bead of the next point. Repeat 7 more times. This is the last row for the top layer of the Medallion Component so there is no step up. (Photo 5) Weave in and get rid of the tail thread at this time. Row 5: Weave down to the bottom row of size 11 beads on the other side of the beadwork. (You ll now work with the back of the beadwork faceup.) String 1 size 11 bead, skip over the next size 11 bead, and go through the next one to form a peyote stitch. Repeat 7 more times. This row has a total of 8 beads. Pass through the first bead of this row for the step up. (Photo 6) Row 6: String 2 size 11 beads and go through the next size 11 bead of Row 5. Repeat 7 more times. It should take 8 sets of 2 beads for this row. After adding the last set of beads, also go through the first bead of the first set of 2 beads added in this row for the step up. (Photo 7) Row 7: String 2 size 11 beads and go down through the next size 11 bead. Also go up through the first size 11 bead of the next set from Row 6 (this forms the first herringbone stitch). Repeat until you have added 16 beads in sets of 2. The beads added in this row are creating herringbone stacks. After adding the last 2 beads of the last stack, also pass through the first bead of the first stack from this row for the step up. (Photo 8) Row 8: String 2 size 11 beads and go down through the next size 11 bead. Then string one 3mm crystal and pass up through the first size 11 bead of the next stack. Repeat on all 8 stacks. After adding the last 2 beads of the last stack, also pass through the first bead of the first stack from this row for the step up. (Photo 9) Row 9: String 2 size 11 beads and go through the next size 11 bead of the next stack. Then string 5 size 15 beads and pass up through the next size 11 bead of the next stack. Repeat on all 8 stacks. After adding the last 2 size 11 beads of the last stack, also pass through the first bead of the first stack from this row for the step up. (Photo 10) Photo 5 Photo 6 Photo 7 Photo 8 Photo 9 Photo 10 page 2
Row 10: String 1 size 11 and pass through the next size 11 bead. String 2 size 15 beads and pass through the third bead of the set of 5 size 15 beads from Row 9. String 2 size 15 beads and go through the first size 11 bead of the next stack. Repeat all the way around. This completes the Medallion Component. Leave the working thread attached to use for connecting to other components. (Photo 11) Photo 11 Crystal Bezel Component Use peyote, picot, and netting stitches to make a sparkly component with a bezeled crystal rivoli. MATERIALS AND TOOLS Size 15 Japanese seed beads (0.5 g per component) Size 11 Japanese seed beads (1 g per component) 3mm bicone crystals (6 per component) 12mm crystal rivoli (1 per component) Size D Nymo thread Size 12 beading needle Scissors Row 1: Use 3' of thread to string 12 size 15 beads then pass through them again to form a circle leaving a 4" tail. Also go forward through the first bead again to pull the circle closer together. Photo 12 Row 2: String 1 size 15 bead, skip over the next bead of the original circle and pass through the next one to form a peyote stitch. Repeat until you have added 6 beads in this row. Go through the first bead added in this row for the step up. (Photo 12) Row 3: String 3 size 15 beads and pass through the next up bead from Row 2. Repeat for a total of 6 points (nets). Also pass through the first 2 beads of the first point. This is the step up to line up for the next row. (Photo 13) Row 4: String 3 size 15 beads and then pass through the bead the thread is exiting on the opposite side to create a picot. Then weave over to the middle bead of the next point and repeat. Repeat for a total of 6 picots. After adding the last picot, weave up to the middle bead. (Photo 14) Photo 13 Photo 14 page 3
Row 5: String 3 size 15 beads and then pass through the bead the thread is exiting from on the opposite side to create a picot on top of the existing picot from the last row. Then string 5 size 15 beads and pass through the middle bead of the next picot. Repeat on all 6 picots. Then pass through the first 2 beads of the first picot to line up for the next row. (Photo 15) Row 6: String 4 size 15 beads and pass through the middle bead of the next picot. Repeat 5 more times. Pull snug and insert the 12mm rivoli with the right side facing up. Weave through beads to repeat the thread path and reinforce this row. (Photo 16) Row 7: Weave down to the third (side) bead of a picot from Row 5. String 1 size 11, one 3mm bicone crystal, and 1 size 11 bead. Go up the next side bead of the next picot and then go down the other (third) side bead to line up for the next sequence. Repeat 5 more times. This completes the Crystal Bezel Component. Tie off the tail thread. (Photo 17) Photo 15 Photo 16 Connections Photo 17 Use one of the following methods to finish your jewelry. MATERIALS AND TOOLS Size 11 Japanese seed beads (0.5 g) Size 15 Japanese seed beads (0.5 g) 4mm pressed-glass round bead (1 for optional bracelet or necklace clasp) 3mm glass pearls (8 per component for optional ring variation) 3mm bicone crystals (16 per component for optional ring variation) Size D Nymo thread Size 12 beading needle Scissors Bracelets: To make a bracelet using both component styles, weave a working thread on a Medallion Component so that it is coming out of a size 11 bead from the last row that is over a herringbone stack. Pass through one 3mm crystal and the next size 11 bead on a Crystal Bezel Component. String 1 size 11 bead page 4
(it can be an accent color) and pass through the next size 11 bead and the next 3mm crystal. Then pass through the next size 11 bead on the last row of the next stack of herringbone on the Medallion Component. Weave through beads to repeat the thread path and reinforce the connection. (Photo 18) This bracelet style is made by connecting 5 Crystal Bezels with 4 Medallion Components. Start and end with a Crystal Bezel. To add a clasp bead, weave a working thread on a Crystal Bezel Component at the end of the bracelet so that it is coming out of the middle bead of a picot on the second row of picots across from the Medallion and Crystal Bezel connection. String 3 size 15 beads, 1 size 11 bead, one 4mm round bead, and 3 more size 15 beads. Skip the last 3 size 15 beads and pass back through the 4mm bead and the size 11 bead. String 3 size 15 beads and pass through the size 15 bead of the picot that the thread originally exited on the opposite side. (Photo 19) Make a loop of 14 size 15 beads (or the number of beads needed to form a loop that fits snug over the 4mm round) on the corresponding picot on the other end of the bracelet. (Photo 20) Another bracelet option is to omit the Crystal Bezel Components and just use the Medallion Components. For the connection, weave a working thread on a Medallion Component so that it is coming out of a size 11 bead from the last row that is over a herring bone stack. Then pass through the size 11 corresponding bead on another Medallion Component. Then pass through the size 11 bead on the first Medallion again to form a square stitch and weave down to the middle bead of the 5 size 15 beads between the stacks. String one 3mm crystal and pass through the corresponding size 15 bead on the other Medallion. Then pass back through the crystal and pass through the size 15 of the first Medallion. Weave down to the next size 11 bead over the next herringbone stack and repeat the first square-stitch connection. Weave through beads to repeat the thread path and reinforce the connection. (Photo 21) Photo 18 Photo 19 Photo 20 Photo 21 Earrings: Connect a Medallion Component and a Crystal Bezel in the same way you connected them for the bracelet. Then add a drop bead to the middle picot bead on the second row of picots across from page 5
the components connection on the Crystal Bezel. On the Medallion Component, add an ear wire to the middle bead of the set of 5 size 15 beads across from the components connection with a loop of 12 size 15 beads. (Photo 22) Necklace: The components in the necklace are connected the same way as the bracelet just in a V pattern instead of in a straight line. The drops are added from the center and 2 side Medallion Components. For the strap, weave a working thread on the end Crystal Bezel Component so that it is coming out of the middle picot bead on the second row of picots across from the Component connection. String 5 size 11 beads, a size 11 accent color bead, and 5 more size 11 beads. Then pass through the picot bead the thread originally exited from on the opposite side, and also pass through the first 5 size 11 beads and the accent size 11 bead. (Photo 23) Keep adding circles this way until the strap is the desired length. Repeat on the other side of the necklace. Then add a clasp bead on one end and a loop on the other for the closure. Ring: The ring is simply a Medallion Component with an extra row added to give it a more flowerlike look. Weave a working thread on a Medallion Component so that it is coming out of a size 11 bead on the last row of a herringbone stack. String 1 size 15, one 3mm crystal, 1 size 15, one 3mm pearl, 1 size 15, one 3mm crystal, and 1 size 15 bead. Then go through the next size 11 bead on the next stack. Repeat all the way around the Medallion adding 8 sets of beads. (Photo 24) For the ring band, weave a working thread so that it is coming out of a size 11 bead from the peyote row (Row 5) on the back side of the Medallion Component. Then create circles using the same method as for the necklace strap until you have the desired length/size. Attach at the peyote bead directly across from the bead the strap was started in. Photo 22 Photo 23 Photo 24 KELLY WIESE is the author of two books, A Beaded Romance (David & Charles, 2013) and Beaded Allure (North Light Books, 2010), and was a Beadwork Designer of the Year in 2011. Kelly loves to use size 15 seed beads and crystals in her beadwork, which is often described as romantic and delicate. She resides in Colorado with her husband, three dogs, and three cats and spends as much time as possible playing with beads. Visit her website at www.beadparlor.com. page 6