Soutache

SOUTACHE BEAD EMBROIDERY

tulip earrings
This tulip shape is
a staple in soutache
bead embroidery
designed by Amee McNamara

Colorful and elegant, these earrings are a great way to use

up leftover beads in your stash. The earrings pictured here
are made with various sizes of beads in greens and blues.

2012 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher.

Bead&Button Online Project 1

materials

Once you master the basic shape of these earrings, the skys
the limit for your exploration of the fascinating art of
soutache bead embroidery.
For basic instructions pertaining to
soutache bead embroidery, please refer
to Technique Workshop on p. 22
of the June 2012 issue of Bead&Button.
Go to BeadAndButton.com/Basics to
learn about any of the Online Beading
Basics referenced in this story.

stepbystep
Earring front
[1] Tie a double overhand knot (Online
Beading Basics) at one end of 1 yd. (.9 m)
of thread, leaving a 12-in. (30 cm) tail.
[2] Cut a 12-in. (30 cm) piece of
soutache braid in each of three colors.
Stack the braids one on top of the other
so the V in the center of each braid is
pointing the same direction.
[3] Locate the center of the stack,
and sew from bottom to top through
all three layers, making sure you sew
through the middle groove to keep the
layers aligned. In the following steps,
you will always sew through the middle
groove unless otherwise noted.
[4] Make a few long and short shaping
stitches: Working from right to left, sew
down through the stack 14 in. (6 mm)
to the left. Sew up 116 in. (2 mm) to
the left of the previous stitch, and then

sew down 14 in. (6 mm) to the left

of that stitch.
[5] Pick up a color A 6 mm round bead,
and sew up through the center of the
stack near the knot.
[6] Make a few long and short shaping
stitches: Working from left to right, sew
down through the stack 14 in. (6 mm)
to the right of the knot (photo a). Sew
up 116 in. (2 mm) to the right of the
previous stitch (photo b), and then
sew down 14 in. (6 mm) to the right
of that stitch.
[7] Wrap the stack around the A
on the right-hand side, and sew back
up through the A and the stack. Sew
back down through the stack and the A
close to where your thread just exited.
[8] To join the stacks beneath the A:
Carefully separate the braids into two
stacks of three braids, grasp both ends
of the innermost braid, and pinch the
ends together close to the A. With the
needle exiting the A, sew through
the inner braid on one side of the A,
sew back through the same braid, and
sew through the braid on the other
side of the A. Sew back through both
layers and the other two braids on
the first side. Sew back through all
six layers twice.

pair of earrings 214 in. (5.7 cm)

2 ft. (61 cm) soutache braid in each of
3 colors (ice blue, chartreuse, Dijon)
2 10 mm drop beads
6 mm round beads
2 color A
4 color B
4 mm round beads
8 color C
4 color D
6 color E
4 3 mm round beads
60 seed beads
4 color F
6 color G
8 80 seed beads
4 100 seed beads
110 seed beads
12 color H
1 g color J
2 112-in. (3.8 cm) head pins
4 6 mm soldered jump rings
pair of earring findings
nylon beading thread, size B
beading needles, #11
glue, such as E6000 adhesive
Ultrasuede
chainnose pliers
roundnose pliers
wire cutters

Soutache braid can be purchased

in a variety of beautiful colors at
ameerunswithscissors.com.

Amee McNamara
is a textile-jewelry
artist. She teaches
private and group
classes on soutache
bead embroidery. To reach Amee
and to see more of her work, visit
ameerunswithscissors.com.

www To brush up on the Online

Beading Basics referenced in this
story (plus lots of other techniques!),
go to BeadAndButton.com/Basics.

Bead&Button Online Project 2

[9] With your thread exiting the outer

braid of a three-braid stack, pick up
a color B 6 mm round bead, wrap the
three-braid stack around one side of
the B, and sew through the stack where
it meets the other end of the bead
(photo c). Working as in step 6, make
a few long and short shaping stitches,
and wrap the stack around the B.
[10] Working from left to right, sew
back down through the stack 14 in.
(6 mm) to the right of the previous
stitch, pick up a color C 4 mm round
bead, and sew down through the stack
between the B and the A so your thread
is exiting next to the A. Sew back up
through the stack, the C, and the following stack so your thread is exiting
the outer braid (photo d).
[11] Repeat step 10 four times, but
substitute a color D 4 mm round bead
in the first repeat, a color F 60 seed bead
in the second repeat, a 3 mm round
bead in the third repeat, and a color E
4 mm round bead in the final repeat
(photo e). The E should be centered
opposite the A.
[12] With the thread exiting the outer
braid above the E, sew down through
the stack, the E, and the next stack.
Determine which side of the piece you
would like to be the front and which
side you would like to be the back.

Working on the back side, skip over the

A, and sew through the unembellished
stack on the opposite side (photo f).
[13] Turn the piece so you are again
working on the front side. Repeat steps
911, but in step 11, work the repeat
only three times. Then sew through the
existing E and the center stack so the
needle is exiting next to the A. Sew back
down through the stack and the E
(photo g).
[14] Working as in step 8, join the
three-braid stacks below the E, and then
separate them again into two stacks of
three braids each.
[15] Work as in step 9, but substitute
a C for the B.
[16] Work as in step 10, but substitute
a color G 60 seed bead for the C.
Continue working as in step 10 to add
an 80 seed bead, a 100 seed bead, and
a color H 110 seed bead. Sew down
through all six braids, and sew back
up so your thread is exiting the outer
braid. Repeat this last stitch to secure
your work.
[17] Pick up an E, wrap the stack
around it, and sew through to the outer
braid of the new wrap (photo h).
Make a few long and short shaping
stitches to complete the curve, exiting
the inner braid of the stack on the
back of the piece.
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[18] Push the loose ends of the stack

to the back of the piece so that the stack
crosses itself, creating a front and back
layer. Sewing through the braids at some
point other than the center groove, sew
from back to front through both layers
(photo i), and then sew from front to
back through both layers, as close as
possible to the point where the thread
exited (photo j). Repeat this stitch several
times to secure the end of the stack
to the back of the piece, and trim the
braids 14 in. (6 mm) from the last stitch,
being careful not to trim too closely
as the braid will fray.
[19] Bring the thread across the back
of the piece to exit the remaining stack
on the opposite side of the join made
in step 14.
[20] Repeat steps 1518 to create
a mirror image on the other side of the
earring front. Do not end the thread.

the 80 again, and sew down through the

other braid. This helps the bridge curve
around the A and keeps the bridge resting on the braid.
[2] Working on the back of the earring,
bring the thread to the top of the A, and
sew through the edge of the middle braid
at the top of the earring. Pick up a 6 mm
soldered jump ring, and sew back
through the braid on the back of the
earring. Make sure the jump ring extends
slightly past the edge of the earring.
Secure the jump ring to this braid with
several small stitches, and then secure
it to the middle braid on the opposite
side of the join in the same manner.
[3] Bring the thread across the back
of the earring to exit a stack at the base
of the E. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to add
a bridge and a jump ring at this join.
End the thread by tying a knot on
the back of your work.

Bridge beads and jump rings

[1] Sew from the back of the earring

Assembly
[1] Glue the earring to

to the front, exiting the inner braid near

the join made in step 8 of Earring
front (photo k). Pick up an H, an 80,
and an H, and sew from front to back
through the inner braid on the other
side of the join (photo l). Sew back up
through the first braid your thread exited at the start of this step, sew through

a piece of Ultrasuede,
and let it dry. Trim
the Ultrasuede,
leaving a slight
border around
the edges.

[2] Tie an overhand knot (Online

Basics) at the end of 112 yd. (1.4 m)
of thread. Beginning at an inside curve,
sew through a stack to exit the center
groove on an outside edge of the earring
(photo m). The knot should be buried
in one of the small crevices on the
front of the work.
[3] Make a beaded edging: Pick up two
color J 110 seed beads, sew down through
the outer braid and the Ultrasuede
(photo n), and sew back up through
the Ultrasuede, the braid, and the last
J just picked up. For subsequent stitches,
pick up a J, sew down through the outer
braid and Ultrasuede, and sew back
up through the Ultrasuede, the braid,
and the J just picked up. Repeat this
stitch around the earring, and end the
thread in the beadwork (Online Basics).
[4] On a head pin, string a 10 mm drop
and a G, and make a simple loop
(Online Basics). Open the loop (Online
Basics), and attach the bottom jump ring.
[5] Open the loop of an earring finding,
and attach it to the top jump ring.
[6] Make a second earring. w

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