This project will help you learn to do applique
rosettes on a small project. Beaded medallion necklaces have been
popular for both men and women dancers for many generations. These
instructions suggest using the new beading foundation as the material
to sew the beads onto. It is a stiffened fabric that helps you keep
the rosette flat while pulling the threads tight (Figure 1).
Materials needed for a 2 inch diameter medallion:
1 Piece of Beading Foundation 2 1/8? x 2 1/8?
2 3/4? Brass cones
1 Soft leather thong 42?
2 Hairpipe
12 Crow beads
1 Piece of leather for backing 2 1/8? x 2 1/8?
1 Bobbin of B nylon thread
1- Sharps needle, size 11
1 Piece of bee's wax
Assortment of seed beads, usually size 11
The first step is to decide your pattern using the
color beads you have. A planning graph pattern is shown here (Figure
2) which you can use if you are doing a centered circular pattern.
Use color pencils and plan the pattern. For image patterns like
the turtle in our photo, draw the image out on the beading foundation
with a pencil.
Thread your needle with a length of nylon thread.
Pull the needle to the center of the thread length and double over.
Wax the thread by pulling it through the bee's wax block several
times with your thumb over the thread.
With either style you will be using the applique
stitch shown in Figure 3. Knot the beading thread and come up with
the needle through the foundation at the starting point. Usually
this is at the center of the pattern. The basic step is to thread
on 4 beads, stitch through the foundation, and come back up with
the needle two beads back. Then pass the needle through the last
2 beads, then string on 4 more beads. Repeat the process until you
return to the start of that row.
Figure 4 shows the pattern of starting the rows
in the center of the rosette. Note that you start by sewing one
bead into the center position.
If you are planning an image design like our turtle
pattern, usually you will start sewing the beads on the outside
of the pattern and then add rows on the inside until finished. For
example in the turtle pattern the outside outline row of the turtle
back is done first, the turtle back is then filled in, and the head,
feet, and tail are added last.
Doing this kind of beading, you often have to select
the width of the bead that will fit, especially the last few beads
in a row. To finish a row, as you fit the last one or two beads
in position, thread the needle into the holes of the first two beads
sewn in that row. Pull the thread tight and then pass the needle
through the foundation to fasten that row of beads in place. You
are ready to start the next row by bringing the needle up through
the foundation in the start position for the pattern. If you need
more thread, knot your thread on the back of the foundation and
then make up a new thread and needle set up as discussed above.
When your bead work is finished, trim the foundation
to match your pattern. Cut out a circle of backing leather to match.
Attach the backing leather to the back of the foundation covering
all of your threads and knots. A little tacky glue can be used.
Sew edge beading to fasten the two layer together.
Cut the leather thong to fit the necklace over your
head. Thread the haripipe and crow beads on and sew the necklace
thong to the back of the rosette as shown in Figure 7.
Finish by slipping the ends into a metal cone and
crimp the top with a pliers (Figure 8).
Copyright 2003 by Loren Woerpel; Noc Bay Publishing, Inc.
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