Bib-Style Necklace with Glass Beads and Soutache Braid

Courtesy of Fashion Magazine
D163

Design by Juliya Logvinova

August Necklace

: : : Materials : : :

  • Bead, Czech glass, matte light green, 3mm round
  • Bead, Czech glass, matte light green, 4mm round
  • Bead, Czech glass, dark green, 5mm round
  • Bead, Czech glass, light green, 5mm round
  • Bead, Czech glass, olive, 5mm round
  • Bead, Czech glass, dark red, 5mm round
  • Bead, Czech glass, matte dark green with iridescent coating, 5mm round
  • Bead, Czech glass, light green, 7mm round
  • Bead, Czech glass, olive, 7mm round
  • Bead, Czech glass, dark green, 10mm round
  • Bead, Czech glass, dark green, 5x8mm square
  • Bead, Czech glass, dark green, 7x10mm square
  • Bead, bronze
  • Seed bead, brown, #10

Tip: While doing soutache embroidery, be careful to run through the soutache braid just in the groove.

Making the Side Elements of the Necklace

STEP 1
Picture 1
Cut off frayed soutache ends and melt them with a cigarette lighter. Take two lengths of soutache braid, match their edges together and sew some stitches in the middle, running through the groove.

Take one dark red cut bead 7x10mm and frame it with soutache braid as shown in Picture 1. Take care that the soutache ends are of the same length.
Picture 2
Using Picture 2 as a guide, embroider the pattern. Work with one soutache end first and then repeat the same with the other end, working in the mirror image.

When both sides of the pattern are finished, cut off, melt the soutache ends with a cigarette lighter and hide them under the nearest bead. Cut a piece of leather in the shape of the finished element and glue it to the back side. Sew the leather to the element, running along its edges. Work one more element in the same way.

Making the Central Element

STEP 2
Picture 3
Take three rather long lengths of soutache and one dark red cut bead 7x10mm. Sew them together in the same way as you have done in [1]. Work a pattern as shown in Picture 3. Sew two more red beads on both sides of the element and separate the soutache ends. Now finish embroidering the element, working with each end separately. Cut off, melt the soutache ends with a cigarette lighter and hide them under the nearest bead.

Decorating the Top of the Central Element

STEP 3
Picture 4
Take two small lengths of soutache and stitch them together. Sew one 10mm dark green bead and two 5mm dark red beads to the top of the central element, separating the beads with the soutache (see Picture 4). Fix together both soutache ends and hide them under the central element.
Picture 5
Take four lengths of soutache, match the edges and stitch them together with a few stitches. Fix them to the top of the central element and work a pattern (Picture 5). Work with two soutache ends on one side of the element. Now repeat the same, symmetrical with the two other ends on the other side.

At last, take two more lengths of soutache and sew them together. Finish decorating the top of the central element (see Picture 5).

Cut a piece of leather in the shape of the finished central element and glue it to its back. Sew the leather to the element, running along the edges.

Making the Bottom Element

STEP 4
Picture 6
The ways of making the bottom element and the side elements are alike (Picture 6).

Assembling

STEP 5
Attach the bottom element to the central one running through the bronze brads. Fix some bronze pendants at the bottom. Decorate the middle of each pendant with a string of light green beads with one small bead in the middle.

String some beads, small beads and side elements adding them one by one in a random design. Attach the strings to the central element of the necklace. Attach a toggle clasp.

Have a question regarding this project? Email Customer Service.

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