31 30 S O U T A C H E

Sti tch
Band
1 Cut eight pieces of soutache, two in
each color, each 10 inches (25.4 cm)
long. With the ends all lined up and the
braids facing the same way, sew a short
section together with a few stitches,
about 1 inch (2.5 cm) fromone end.
Split the soutache into two even groups,
bring your thread out between them,
and string on an 8 seed bead (photo a).
ZENITH
BRACELET
For this wristlet, I chose bright,
happy colorsshades that remind
me of a radiant summer day in the
south of France.
Gather
118 yards (1 m) of soutache in
pink, yellow, orange, and red
1 Czech glass button with a
shank,* 138 inches (3.5 cm)
18 black glass pearls, 3 mm
18 pale violet Czech fire-polished
beads, 3 mm
18 size 8 black seed beads
4 black glass pearls, 4 mm
2 crimson crystal teardrop beads,
9 x 6 mm
1 silver-colored magnetic clasp
2 silver-colored jump rings, 5 mm
2 x 2 inches (5.1 x 5.1 cm) of
red leather
Tape measure
Beading thread
Industrial-strength glue
Tracing paper
Scissors
Beading needles
2 pairs of flat-nose pliers
Pencil
*A shank is essential.

Dimensions
x 7inches (1.9 x 19.7 cm), not
including focal element
4 Sew the other rows of soutache
around the diamond-shaped section of
beadweaving, being sure to keep your
stitches tiny and in the groove so they
wont be visible in the finished piece
(photo d).
a
e
f
d
b
c
2 Secure the seed bead between the
two innermost rows of soutache. Bring
the thread out a stitch past the bead and
string on two seed beads. Secure the
seed beads between the two innermost
rows of soutache (photo b).
3 To make a diamond-shaped area of
beadweaving, continue by adding three
seed beads, then two, then one. Finish
by sewing the two innermost rows of
soutache to each other (photo c).
5 Make a number of stitches at the base
of the diamond shape to secure all the
rows of soutache together (photo e).
6 Make a second diamond-shaped sec-
tion of beadweaving beyond the first,
but use fire-polished beads instead of
seed beads. Photo f shows this step in
progress; be sure to stitch the exterior
rows of soutache to the innermost ones
to complete this step.
33 32 S O U T A C H E
7 Make a third diamond-shaped section
of beadweaving beyond the second
one, using 3-mmglass pearls this time
(photo g).
Clasp
10 Cut three pieces of soutacheone
pink, one yellow, and one orangeeach
4 inches (12 cm) long. Open a jump
ring with two pairs of pliers. Catch one
half of the clasp in it, as well as the yel-
low and orange pieces of soutache.
Close the jump ring, then secure all
three pieces of soutache together at one
point near the jump ring, using just a
few stitches (photo j).
g
h
j
l
m
q
p
n
o
k
i
8 Nowyoull work on the area to which
youll eventually attach the focal ele-
ment. Split the soutache into two
even groups. Seweach group of braid
together for a length equal to the diam-
eter of the button; do not stitch the two
groups to one another except at the end
of that distance (photo h).
9 Continue making the band, taking
steps 2 through 7 in reverse to create
three diamond-shaped sections, first
using 3-mmglass pearls, then fire-
polished beads, and then finishing with
seed beads. Sew the button in the des-
ignated space created in step 8 (photo i).
11 String on a crystal teardrop, wide
end first, wrap the innermost layer of
soutache around it, and stitch the trim
together at the tip of the bead (photo k).
12 Sew the other rows of soutache com-
pletely around the bead, using the tini-
est stitches possible so they wont show
(photo l).
13 String on a 4-mmglass pearl on one
side of the teardrop. Surround the glass
pearl with the three rows of soutache.
Tuck the ends of the soutache to the
back of the work (photo m).
14 Attach a 4-mmglass pearl on the
other side of the teardrop. Loop all three
rows of soutache around it, then tuck the
ends of the braid to the back (photo n).
15 Apply glue to all the ends of the
soutache, then trimthem. Sew down the
ends behind the teardrop (photo o).
16 Repeat steps 10 through 15 to make
the other half of the clasp mechanism
(photo p).
Assemble
17 Place each half of the clasp atop one
end of the band as shown and stitch it in
place, pricking your needle between the
layers of soutache (photo q).
18 Trace and make a pattern for back-
ing each side of the clasp. Cut themout
of the leather, and stitch themto the
wrong side of the beadwork.