beadworkonline

day in
the sun
Kelli Burns

Create this blooming cuff with a garden

of Lucite components. It’s an easy backstitch-
embroidery project that turns into a wonderful
three-dimensional work of art.

techniques
:: bead embroidery
:: fringe
:: brick stitch
:: picot
Project Level

See Beadwork magazine for

project-rating information.

Copyright Beadwork® magazine, Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved. Beadwork        online      1 of 3
1) Foundation. Measure the length overlap slightly once worn, but it is best Materials
and width of the cuff. Draw the dimen- to arrange them in this round so only the 2 g each size 15° seed beads in Ceylon
sions on the beading foundation. Leav- outside edges touch. Sew a second round robin’s egg blue, sky blue, silver-lined root
ing an edge of at least ¼" around all of 5 gold leaves inside the round just beer, silver-lined olive, denim blue, and
sides, lightly draw vines and leaves onto added, placing each new leaf between the silver-lined tangerine
4–6 g each size 11° seed beads in transpar-
the foundation (Fig. 1). Note: The lines leaves from the first round (Fig. 3). Sew a ent robin’s egg blue, silver-lined matte
you draw may be visible through the chartreuse, and silver-lined tangerine
beads, so keep them light. Find the exact 3–4 g each size 8° seed beads in Ceylon
center of the drawing and lightly sketch a robin’s egg blue and silver-lined matte
19mm circle. You’ll keep this circle free chartreuse
1 g silver-lined aqua size 8° hex seed beads
of beads so you can add the focal flower
10 frosted chartreuse AB 12mm twisted
later. bugle beads
25 frosted aqua AB 3×4mm glass drops
10 jonquil AB 3×4mm glass drops
46 pale yellow 6×2mm Lucite flowers
2 light yellow 10×3mm Lucite flowers
Fig. 1: Vine template 2 celery 10×18mm Lucite leaves
Fig. 3: Adding the second leaf round
2 olive green 10×18mm Lucite leaves
2) Vines. Tie a knot at one end of 3' of third round of 4 gold leaves, then a 3 pale yellow 15mm Lucite leaves
thread. Pass up through the beading fourth round of 3 pale yellow leaves, 9 gold 15mm Lucite leaves
6 caramel 15mm Lucite leaves
foundation from back to front, exiting leaving just enough space in the center
1 celery 12×28mm Lucite leaf
from one of the vine lines. Use char- for the rivoli (Fig. 4). Secure the thread
1 olive 17×30mm Lucite leaf
treuse size 11°s to backstitch the vine and trim. Use a toothpick to dab the back 1 smoky topaz 12mm crystal rivoli
lines, adding in bugle beads occasionally of the rivoli with glue and press it to the 1 metal 40mm wide tapered cuff blank
to vary the line. Once the vines are com- center of the flower. Let dry overnight. 4 × 6" piece of beading foundation
plete, backstitch more lines along the 4 × 6" piece of navy blue Ultrasuede
vines, using various seed-bead sizes, col- Size B or D nylon beading thread in color to
ors, and clusters of drops. Create added match beads
texture and depth by setting lines of Clear jeweler’s adhesive
smaller beads against lines of larger ones.
Tools
Fill in the entire foundation except the Scissors
19mm circle. Size 10 or 12 English beading needles
Toothpicks
3) Focal flower. Lay the hole of   Pen
1 caramel 15mm leaf just inside the
19mm circle. Securely stitch the leaf to Finished size: 6¾"
the beading foundation three times. Re- Fig. 4: Adding the fourth leaf round (inside measurement)
peat to add a total of 6 gold leaves, 1 cel-
ery 12×28mm leaf, and 1 olive 17×30mm 4) Fringe. Start 3' of new thread on the fringes, string a 10×18mm green leaf  
leaf around the circle (Fig. 2). Note: The beading foundation that exits up through before you string the flower. Secure the
outside edges of a few of the leaves may the beadwork near a vine. String one thread and trim.
6×2mm or 10×3mm flower and 1 root
beer size 15º; pass back through the 5) Assembly. Lay the beadwork against
flower and into a backstitched vine bead the front of the cuff to check for fit. Add
near the place you last exited. Pass beads, if necessary, to cover any exposed
through several vine beads and repeat to foundation that shows after the beadwork
add a total of 12 flower fringes along the is bent over the cuff. Use a toothpick to
vines, arranging them in a random pat- apply a layer of glue to the back of the
tern on both sides of the focal and using beadwork. Cover the front of the cuff
both 10×3mm flowers so only 6×2mm with the beadwork and allow to dry. Re-
flowers remain unused. For 4 of the peat this step to add the Ultrasuede to the
Fig. 2: Attaching the first round of leaves

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 options
back of the cuff. Once the glue is dry,
trim the Ultrasuede and beading- 
foundation edges 1⁄16" from the cuff edge.

6) Edging. Tie a knot at the end of  

3' of thread. Sew through the edge of the
beading foundation from back to front
so the knot is hidden between the fabric
layers. Work brick-stitch edging, then
picot and fringe edging to complete the
cuff:
Brick-stitch edging: String 2 chartreuse size
11°s; sew down through both layers of
fabric and pass back up through the
last bead strung. String 1 chartreuse Give your focal crystal greater presence by Make this high-contrast beauty by stitching
size 11° and sew through both layers of bezeling it in peyote stitch and surround- with primarily black and white beads, with
fabric next to where you placed the last ing it with low-profile pointed leaves. both matte and shiny finishes. Add in an un-
bead, then pass back through the bead Also consider bead-embroidering only suspected hint of red and, for a sweet look,
just strung; repeat around the edge of a minimal amount of beads directly on attach a few Lucite butterflies. The dynamic
the cuff to connect the fabric layers   colored Ultrasuede (in place of the beading shape of the cuff was achieved by using a
(Fig. 5). Pass down through the first foundation)—the texture of the Ultrasuede wavy cuff blank, not a tapered blank as used
adds richness to the design. in the other samples.

edge size 11°, and pass up through the Artist’s Tips

following size 11°. Repeat to alternate
picots and flowers along the top of the • Since only a small amount of each
cuff edge, adding a total of 18 flowers seed-bead color is needed, this a
Fig. 5: Brick-stitching the edge (Fig. 7). Work picots along the ends of great project for using up leftover
beads.
bead added and up through the last one • Vary sizes, colors, and shapes
added to complete the edging (Fig. 6). of the Lucite leaves for a natural,
authentic-looking 3-D flower.
• If needed, use chain-nose pliers
to help pull your needle through
Fig. 7: Working the picot-and-fringe edging the Ultrasude.

Fig. 6: Finishing the brick-stitch edging

the cuff. Repeat this step to add 18
Picot-and-fringe edging:Weave through the flowers along the bottom of the cuff
brick-stitched beads to exit up through edge. Secure the thread and trim. F
a size 11° about 10 beads from one cor-
ner of the cuff. String 3 olive size 15°s, Resources
pass down through the adjacent size 11° Check your local bead shop or contact: G-S Hypo jeweler’s cement, Swarovski crystal rivoli, Lacy’s
on the edging, and pass up through the Stiff Stuff beading foundation, Nymo nylon beading thread, and all other beads and findings: The
following edge bead. String a 6×2mm Hole Bead Shoppe, (918) 338-2444, www.theholebeadshop.com.
flower and 1 root beer size 15°; pass
back through the flower, down Kelli Burns has been beading for more than eight years and has owned The Hole Bead Shoppe in
through the last size 11° exited, skip an Bartlesville, Oklahoma, for four years. On any given day or night you can find Kelli talking about beads,
plotting new beading strategies, or sketching in her idea book. Reach her at theholebeadshop@aol.com.

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