INSIDE!
Beaded
patterns for a basic 8-cord round braid
KUMIHIMO Jewelry
Mix materials & techniques for 4 variations on this signature style! 2-hole beads • pearls & seed beads • multibead • soutache
A supplement to Bead&Button magazine www.BeadAndButton.com 618308
2014
Kumihimo Cool Jewelry makers have fallen in love with the versatility of kumihimo, the ancient Japanese fiber technique. Quick to work up and easy to master, kumihimo can be used with a blend of techniques and materials for many variations on this signature style.
Find more beading basics on p. 78 of the December issue of Bead&Button or visit www.BeadAndButton.com/Basics.
Brush up on the basics for this trendy technique (p. 3), then decide which direction to go with your kumihimo. Monica Han uses pearls to keep it classic (p. 6), Yvonne Rosania Reavis stays on trend with Twin beads (p. 8), Michelle Heim and Jane Danley Cruz braid a bevy of beads (p. 10), and Sonia Corbin-Davis adds a new dimension with soutache (p. 12). Whatever your inspiration, we’re sure you’ll go crazy for kumihimo!
Contents Technique Workshop..................................... 3 Intro to kumihimo
1 Basic Kumihimo with Beads.......................... 6 The royal treatment
2 Kumihimo with Two-Hole Beads.................... 8 Twice as nice
3 Multibead Kumihimo................................... 10 Get your group on
4 Flat Kumihimo and Soutache..................... 12 New dimensions
TECHNIQUE WORKSHOP
Difficulty rating
Intro to kumihimo
Materials basic kumihimo bracelet or necklace
An easy-to-learn art offers plenty of design options once you learn the basics. by Julia Gerlach
• beads to fit on cord • 4 yd. (3.7 m) or more cord such as C-Lon, Conso, YLI Jeans, Tuff-Cord, silk, hemp, yarn, etc. • 6 in. (15 cm) 20-gauge wire • 2 cones or large-hole beads • clasp • Big Eye needle (if using beads) • E6000 adhesive • marudai stand or round kumihimo disk with 8 bobbins and weight or large binder clip • chainnose pliers • roundnose pliers • wire cutters
Basics Attaching a stop bead Tying a square knot Making a wrapped loop
Kumihimo is the ancient Japanese art of braiding. Traditionally done with silk, kumihimo can be done with any of the wide array of fibers now available, resulting in gorgeous necklaces, bracelets, and other accessories. Fibers of different thicknesses or textures can be combined for interesting effects. Including beads in a kumihimo braid creates another dimension. The beads can be added randomly as embellishments, or continuously, resulting in beaded ropes that can vary greatly in appearance, depending upon how you add them. If you work the beaded
strands as though they were regular cords, you get a sequence of loops that spiral around the rope, as in the bracelet shown above. If the beads are slid into place one at a time, the result is a more solid-looking rope with the beads nestled together, as seen in the six pattern options on p. 4. For those who like the look of bead crochet but don’t enjoy the process, kumihimo is a great alternative. Traditionally, kumihimo is done on a large wooden stand called a marudai (photo a). These days, small foam or plastic disks with slots around the perimeter and a hole in the middle (photo b) allow the same
Julia Gerlach is the editor of Bead&Button. Contact her at
[email protected].
a
b
types of braids to be made less expensively. The handheld disks are either round or square and are lightweight and portable. Each braiding movement
3
pattern to go with photo g
pattern to go with photo g
pattern to go with photo h
pattern to go with photo h c
pattern to go with photo g pattern to go with photo i
pattern to go with photo h pattern to go with photo j d
pattern to go with photo i
pattern to go with photo i pattern to go with photo k
pattern to go with photo k
pattern to go with photo k
pattern to go with photo j
pattern to go with pattern phototoj go with e photo g pattern to go with photo l pattern to go with photo g pattern to go with photo l
f
pattern to go with photo g pattern to go with pattern to go with photo l photo i g
pattern to go with photo i
pattern to go with photo i h pattern to go The illustrations show the setup used to achieve the pattern. photo k
4
with
pattern to go with
tip
fig. 1 If you need to take a break while braiding, set your work down when there are three cords at the bottom of the disk. This way, you’ll always know at what point in the sequence you stopped. fig.
1 fig. 2
3 Feed the knot through the is made individually on a disk, while two movements center hole of the kumihimo can be made at a time on disk from front to back, and a freestanding marudai. attach a weight or binder fig. 2 Kumihimo offers hundreds clip to secure. 4 Use a Big Eye needle of pattern possibilities. Spirals, to string beads on each stripes, flowers, diamonds, cord according to the and other designs can be desired pattern. achieved by changing the General guidelines for number of cords, the bead fig. 2 stringing beads: order, and the movements’ • If you’rerotate using the bead-atsequence and direction. disk 90° a-time method, A kumihimo pattern is fig.string 3 each cord with enough beads to usually illustrated as a large equal the desired finished circle representing the maruto go with length of the braid. If you dai orpattern disk, surrounded by photorepresenting h string too few or too many, small circles, you can remove beads or the cords. The movements rotate disk 90° string more later on. required to make the braid fig. 3 • If you’re using the beaded are shown in subsequent drawings, usually with lines pattern to go with or arrows showing where photo h the next cord or cords are rotate disk 90° supposed to go. fig. 3 Complex braids can be fig. 4 made with 48 or more cords, butpattern it’s best toto getgo acquainted with withphoto kumihimo h by learning the eight-cord round braid. Varying bead order and i to go with colors canpattern offer a multitude fig. 4 j Photos of design photo possibilities. c–h show six different looks that are possible with the bead-at-a-time method on an eight-cord braid.
pattern to go with Setupphoto j
1 Cut eight pieces of cord about three times the desired finished length of the braid you want to make. pattern toUse goany with cord that will accommodate photo j your beads. 2 Gather the cords together, pattern to go with and tie an overhand knot photo l about 1 in. (2.5 cm) from the end of the cords.
pattern to go with
fig. 4
r j
pattern to go with pattern to go with attern photo to go with j photo l hoto k
fiFIGURE g. 1 1 strands method, string each cord with enough beads to equal about one-and-a-half times the desired finished length of the braid. pattern toeach go beaded with cord 5 Wind ontol a bobbin (photo i), photo leaving about 4 in. (10 cm) of cord free between the knot and the bobbin. 6 Align the kumihimo disk so you have a dot at the top fig. 2 and at the bottom. 7 Arrange two cords so that one goes in the slot to the left of the top dot and the other end goes in the slot to the right of the top dot. 8 Rotate the disk 90 degrees, and repeat step 7 with two more cords. Repeat twice more so you have two cords flanking each dot.
Beaded strands Attach a stop bead and snug it up to disk the beads. rotate 90° 1 Bring the top-right cord fig. 3 down, and place it to the right of the bottom-right cord (figure 1). Bring the bottom-
FIGURE fig. 22
FIGURE 3
left cord up, and place it to the left of the top-left cord (figure 2). Rotate the disk 90 degrees (figure 3). 2 Repeat step 1 with the two cords that are now in the top-right and bottomleft positions (figure 4). Repeat twice more. This is one full rotation. 3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the desired length braid. Don’t allow any space rotate disk 90° between the beads as you fig. 3 braid, but if a strand begins to kink, loosen the tension by moving the stop bead a bit. Make sure the braid is being formed flush with the top of the disk. If it drops below the disk, the braid will be too loose.
Bead-at-a-time
1 Work as in “Beaded strands,” but don’t attach a stop bead; instead, slide a bead up tofig. the 4 braid before you move the cord. Slip the bead under the cord that crosses over the cord you
rotate disk 90° fig. 3 are working with (photo j), and then cross the cord as usual. 2 Repeat for the desired length braid, sliding a bead in place before making each movement. Release more thread and beads from the bobbins as needed.
Finishing There are several ways to finish a kumihimo braid, but here is one fi method. g. 4 Specific projects may call for a different procedure. 1 When the braid is the desired length, position a 3-in. (7.6 cm) piece of 20-gauge wire at the end of your braid, and continue braiding for one full rotation, securing the wire within the braid (photo k). With two opposite pairs of cords, make
FIGURE fig. 44
a square knot. Repeat with the remaining two pairs of cords. Dot the knots with glue, let dry, and trim close to the knots. Remove the cords from the disk. 2 Wrap one end of the wire tightly around the end of the braid a few times (photo l). String a cone or large-hole bead on the wire, covering the end of the braid (photo m). String additional beads and components, if desired, and make the first half of a wrapped loop. String half of a clasp into the loop (photo n), and complete the wraps. 3 Slide a 3-in. (7.6 cm) wire into the other end of the braid, and repeat step 2 to finish. w
l
m
fig. 4
k
n
5
BASIC KUMIHIMO WITH BEADS
The royal treatment Elevate the basic kumihimo technique with pearls and metallic accents for a bracelet that looks complex and elegant but works up quickly. designed by Monica Han
Setup
1 Cut eight 30-in. (76 cm) pieces of pearl cotton thread. Cut one piece of leather cord at least 2 in. (5 cm) longer than the desired finished length of the bracelet. 2 Gather the ends of the threads, and tie an overhand knot around the leather cord about 1⁄2 in. (1.3 cm) from the 6
end of the cord (photo a). Feed the knot through the center hole of the kumihimo disk from front to back, and attach the weight or binder clip. Arrange the threads so there is one in each of the slots on either side of the four dots, and position the leather cord in the center as shown (photo b).
3 On each thread, use a Big Eye needle to string nine 4 mm pearls, six 5 mm pearls, and nine 4 mm pearls. String one more or fewer 4 mm pearls at each end to adjust the bracelet by 1⁄2 in. (1.3 cm). 4 Snug up the beads to the edge of the kumihimo disk, and wind the ends of each thread around a bobbin.
Braid
1 To work a section of braid without beads around the leather cord: Position the disk with one dot at the top. Using the basic eight-cord kumihimo technique, bring the topright thread down, and place it in the slot to the right of the bottom-right thread. Bring the bottom-left thread up, and
Difficulty rating
Materials a
b
c
e
d
place it to the left of the top-left thread. Rotate the disk 90 degrees, and repeat this braiding pattern. Continue working kumihimo without beads until the braided section is 3⁄4 in. (1.9 cm) long (photo c), releasing more thread from the bobbins as needed. 2 To start incorporating beads, work in basic eightcord kumihimo as in step 1. As you move each thread, slide a pearl up to the braid, and tuck it under the thread that crosses over the one the pearl is on. Continue working in kumihimo, adding a pearl with each movement (photo d), until all the pearls have been added. 3 Work in kumihimo without beads as in step 1 until the braided section is 3⁄4 in. (1.9 cm) long. 4 Remove the threads from the disk, and gather them together. Tie an overhand knot around the leather cord
close to the end of the braid. Trim any excess cord and thread to 1 in. (2.5 cm) past the pearl section.
Embellishment
1 Thread a beading needle on 1 yd. (.9 m) of nylon beading thread, and attach a stop bead leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. Sew through an end 5 mm pearl, exiting next to a 4 mm pearl. 2 Pick up three 110 seed beads. Working to the left, find the thread at the bottom of the next 5 mm pearl, and sew under it from left to right so your working thread is going around the thread the pearl is on (photo e). 3 Repeat step 2, working around the 5-mm pearl section in a spiral. When you reach the other end of the bracelet, attach a stop bead. 4 Repeat steps 1–3 to fill in the empty spiral on the 5-mm pearl section.
f
5 Remove the stop beads, and end the threads.
Clasp
1 Apply glue to the overhand knots on each end of the bracelet and the braid next to it. After the glue has dried completely, cut the excess thread between the overhand knot and the braid, removing the knots from the bracelet. 2 Measure the depth of each clasp opening (they may be different sizes), and trim the braid-covered leather cord to fit, taking care not to remove too much of the braid. 3 Apply glue to the inside of the clasp opening and the end of the cord. Press the cord into the clasp end (photo f), and hold in place for three minutes. Repeat on the other end of the braid. 4 Close the clasp, and adjust the bracelet shape. Let dry completely overnight. w
bracelet 71 ⁄4 in. (18.1 cm)
• 48 5 mm crystal pearls (Swarovski, gold) • 144 4 mm crystal pearls (Swarovski, light gray) • 2 g 110 seed beads (Miyuki 1052, gold) • 20 x 5 mm magnetic tube clasp with glue-in ends (www.primitiveoriginals.com) • pearl cotton thread, #5 (DMC 415, pearl gray) • 3 mm leather or rubber cord • nylon beading thread (gold) • Big Eye needle • beading needle, #12 • E6000 adhesive • kumihimo disk with 8 bobbins and weight or binder clip
Basics Ending thread Tying an overhand knot Attaching a stop bead
Monica Han has received several design awards since discovering beading in 2002 and was a Swarovski Ambassador from 2009 to 2014. She enjoys designing, teaching, and publishing her beading projects. Learn more on her website, cysdreambeads.blogspot.com, or contact her via email at
[email protected].
7
KUMIHIMO WITH TWO-HOLE BEADS
Twice as nice Fiber and beads share the spotlight when two-hole Twins are twined into kumihimo. designed by Yvonne Rosania Reavis
Setup
1 Cut 12 11⁄2-yd. (1.4 m) pieces
of cord. Gather the cords, and tie an overhand knot 1 in. (2.5 cm) from one end. 2 Feed the knot through the center hole of the kumihimo disk from front to back, and attach the weight or binder clip. Arrange the 12 cords so there is one cord in each of the slots on either side of the dots on the top and bottom of the disk, and a pair of cords in each of the slots on either side of the dots on the right and left (photo a). 3 On one of the single cords, use a Big Eye needle to string 100 80 seed beads. Wind the 8
end of the cord around a bobbin so that the beads are approximately 2 in. (5 cm) from the disk. Repeat for the three remaining single cords. 4 Thread a Big Eye needle onto each cord in a pair of cords. String 100 2.5 x 5 mm Twin beads, with each cord going through one hole of each Twin (photo b). Wind the end of the cords around a bobbin so the beads are approximately 1⁄2 in. (1.3 cm) from the disk, leaving all the Twins exposed. This allows the Twins to slide off easily and will keep the cords from twisting. Repeat for the three remaining pairs of cords.
Braid As you work with the pairs of cords, always make sure the cords are not twisted and that you have equal tension as you braid. 1 Position the kumihimo disk so that the single cords are at the top and bottom, and the Twin cords are on the right and left. 2 To work a section of braid without beads: Using the basic eight-cord kumihimo technique, bring the top-right cord down to the right of the bottom-right cord. Bring the bottom-left cord up to the left of the top-left cord. Turn the disk 90 degrees so that the
paired cords are at the top and bottom. 3 Bring the top-right pair of cords down beside the bottom-right pair of cords, taking care to keep the cords from twisting. Bring the bottom-left pair of cords up to the left of the top-left pair of cords. Turn the disk 90 degrees. 4 Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the unbeaded section is 1⁄4–1⁄2 in. (6 mm–1.3 cm) long, ending with step 3. 5 To begin working with beads: Pick up the cord on the top right, and slide an 80 down to the braid, tucking it under the pair of cords cross-
Difficulty rating
Materials necklace 20 in. (51 cm)
a
c
b
d
e
note
In this necklace, I matched the cord to the beads, so I used aqua cord with the 80s and gold cord with the Twins.
ing over the cord you’re working with. Move the cord to the right of the bottom-right cord. Pick up the bottom-left cord, and slide a bead up to the braid, tucking it under the pair of cords that crosses the cord you’re working with. Move the cord up to the left of the top-left cord. Turn the disk 90 degrees. 6 Pick up the top-right pair of cords, and slide a Twin up to the braid. Tuck it under the crossing cord, taking care not to twist the cords. Bring the pair of cords down to the right of the bottom-right pair of cords. Pick up the bottomleft pair of cords, and slide a Twin up to the braid, tucking it under the crossing cord. Move the cords up to the left of the top-left pair of cords (photo c). Turn the disk 90 degrees. 7 Repeat steps 5 and 6 until
you’ve added all the beads to the braid, taking care to keep the cords from twisting, the tension even, and the beads on the outside of the braid. 8 Work in kumihimo without beads as in steps 2 and 3 until the unbeaded section is 1⁄4–1⁄2 in. (6 mm–1.3 cm) long. 9 Remove the cords from the disk and the bobbins, and tie the ends with an overhand knot next to the braid.
Finishing
1 Dab the knots and the unbeaded braid ends with glue, and let dry completely. Trim the excess cord just above the knots. 2 Cut a 6-in. (15 cm) piece of 20-gauge wire, and slide it through the middle of the unbeaded braid so about 1⁄2 in. (1.3 cm) comes out the other side (photo d). Make
f
a hook in the short end of the wire (photo e), and tightly wrap it around the end of the braid to secure the wire. 3 Extend the remaining wire so it points straight up from the end of the braid. String an 110 down to the braid, then slide a bead cap or cone over the bead and braid. 4 String a 60 seed bead (photo f), and make the first half of a wrapped loop. Attach half of the clasp, and complete the wraps. 5 Repeat steps 2–4 on the other end of the necklace with the other half of the clasp. w
• 22 g 2.5 x 5 mm Twin beads (Preciosa, copper) • 10 g 80 seed beads (Miyuki 278, aqua-lined crystal AB) • 2 60 seed beads for finishing (Miyuki 4202, gold) • 2 110 seed beads for finishing (any color) • 2 20 x 15 mm tulip bead caps (gold) • toggle clasp (gold) • 12 in. (30 cm) 20-gauge wire (brass) • C-Lon or S-Lon cord (antique gold and aqua) • kumihimo disk with 8 bobbins and weight or binder clip • Big Eye needles • E6000 adhesive • chainnose pliers • roundnose pliers • wire cutters All materials available from www.asthebeadturns.com.
Basics Tying an overhand knot Making a wrapped loop
Yvonne Rosania Reavis has been beading for two years and loves color, designing, and creating. Visit www.yvonnedesigns.com to see her work, and email her at
[email protected].
9
MULTIBEAD KUMIHIMO
Get your group on Kumihimo braiding is usually done one bead at a time. But what happens when you move multiple beads at once? Endless possibilities, that’s what! designed by Michelle Heim with Jane Danley Cruz
These instructions are for the seafoam bracelet (above right). To make the peanut-bead version (above), see “Design option,” next page.
Setup
front to back, and attach a weight or binder clip. 6 Refer to photo a to position the cords: • Position an accent bead cord in the slot to the left and another to the right of the top-center or 12 o’clock position of the disk. • Position the other two accent bead cords directly opposite. • Position an 80 cord in the slot above the 3 o’clock position and the other below the 9 o’clock position. • Position a peanut bead cord in the slot below the 3 o’clock position and the other above the 9 o’clock position.
1 Cut eight 2-ft. (61 cm) lengths of cord. Tie them together with an overhand knot at one end. 2 With a Big Eye needle on one cord, pick up 7 in. (18 cm) of 80 seed beads. Wrap the cord and the strung beads around a bobbin and secure, leaving 6 in. (15 cm) of cord to work with. Repeat this step once. These cords will be called the 80 cords. 3 For two of the remaining cords, work as in step 2, but pick up 7 in. (18 cm) of 2 x 4 mm peanut beads. These cords will be called the peanut bead cords. ACCENT-BEAD 4 For the remaining four CORDS cords, work as in step 2, PEANUT-BEAD but pick up two 90 largeCORD hole seed beads, and then pick up a repeating pattern of a 90, a 4 x 3 mm rondelle, and a 90 80 CORD a total of 19 times. End by picking up two 90s. These cords will be called the accent bead cords. 5 Feed the knotted end of the cords through the center hole of the kumihimo disk from 10
Braid
1 To work a section of braid without beads: Position the disk with a pair of accent bead cords at the top. Using the basic eight-cord kumihimo technique, pick up the top-right-hand cord, and move it to the right of the bottom-right cord (figure 1). Bring the bottom-left cord up, and place it to the left of the top-left cord (figure 2). Rotate the disk 90 degrees. 2 Repeat step 1 three times to work one complete kumihimo rotation. The beads should be positioned as they were during setup. 3 To begin working with beads: Pick up
80 CORD
b PEANUT-BEAD CORD ACCENT-BEAD CORDS
a c
Difficulty rating
Materials both projects
FIGURE 1
the top-right cord (an accent bead cord), and slide a bead down to the braid, positioning the bead under the cord crossing over the cord you are working with (photo b). Move the cord down to the right of the bottom-right cord. Pick up the bottom-left cord, and slide a bead under the crossing cord. Move the cord up to the left of the topleft cord. Rotate the disk 90 degrees. 4 Repeat step 3 for a for a total of two complete rotations. You should have worked 16 moves with beads at the end of these rotations. 5 Do this for the next 19 rotations: • On each accent bead cord, slide down a 90, a rondelle, and a 90 as a unit. • On each 80 cord, slide down four 80s as a unit. • On each peanut bead cord, slide down three peanut beads as a unit. Keep a consistent but not tight tension, and make sure each group of beads sits under the crossing cord and does not drop into the center of the braid. 6 Work the last two kumihimo rotations by sliding down a single bead on each cord, as in steps 3–4. 7 Work a complete kumihimo rotation without beads, as in steps 1–2.
FIGURE 2
8 Remove the cords from the bobbins,
seafoam bracelet 83 ⁄4 in. (22.2 cm)
and gather them together. Tie an overhand knot close to the braid. Trim the cord close to the knot, and dab with glue. 9 Remove the weight from the other end of the braid, and gently stretch the braid to adjust the tension. Check the braid for any beads that may have dropped inside, and use a needle or crochet hook to gently pull them back outside the braid (photo c).
• 76 4 x 3 mm rondelles (green turquoise AB) • 3 g 2 x 4 mm peanut beads (Matsuno P4014MA, matte seafoam) • 3 g 80 seed beads (Toho 1207, marbled opaque turquoise blue) • 1 g 90 large-hole seed beads (Toho 1071, dusty mauve; www.artbeads.com) • clasp • 2 12 x 10 mm end caps • 2 4 mm jump rings • 6 in. (15 cm) 20-gauge wire • C-Lon cord
Finishing
1 Cut a 3-in. (7.6 cm) piece of 20-gauge wire. Form the wire into a U-shape, and slide it through the second round of beads in the braid. Wrap one end of the wire tightly around the braid a few times, and trim. 2 On the other end of the wire, string a 12 x 10 mm end cap, and make a wrapped loop. 3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 on the other end of the braid. 4 Open a 4 mm jump ring, and attach the wrapped loop at one end of the braid to half of the clasp. Repeat this step at the other end of the braid. w
design option: peanut-bead version • • •
• Big Eye needle • bead awl or crochet hook (optional) • E6000 adhesive or Super New Glue • kumihimo disk with 8 bobbins and weight or binder clip • 2 pairs of chainnose, flatnose, and/or bentnose pliers • roundnose pliers • wire cutters
Select three colors of peanut beads, and string four cords with As, two cords with Bs, and two cords with Cs. When you arrange the cords on the disk, substitute A cords for the accent-bead cords, B cords for the 80 cords, and C cords for the peanut-bead cords. In step 6 of “Braid,” slide three peanut beads on each cord for each move.
peanut-bead version • 2 x 4 mm peanut beads
6 g color A (gunmetal) 3 g each color B and C (cream and matte lilac) • clasp • 2 12 x 10 mm end caps • 2 4 mm jump rings • 6 in. (15 cm) 20-gauge wire • C-Lon cord
Basics Tying an overhand knot Making a wrapped loop Opening and closing jump rings
Michelle Heim began her addiction to beads by chance. She took one class, and that was it! In 2006, she moved back to Wisconsin and opened the bead store Beadalotta Fond du Lac, which she co-owns with her mom. Contact her at
[email protected], or visit her website, www.beadalotta.com.
11
FLAT KUMIHIMO AND SOUTACHE
New dimensions Soutache sets the stage for a stunning coiled closure on a flat kumihimo braid. designed by Sonia Corbin-Davis
Large soutache clasp end When stitching through soutache, remember to always sew through the center V-shaped groove. Use shaping stitches to help form curves around beads: Make longer stitches on the outside and shorter ones on the inside, keeping the tension loose enough to prevent the cords from buckling. 1 Thread a needle on a 1-yd. (.9 m) piece of thread. 12
Tie an overhand knot at the other end. 2 Cut five 1-yd. (.9 m) pieces of soutache braided cord; work with just one color, or choose a different color for each cord. Stack the cords so the ends are even and all the grooves are running in the same direction, and fold the stack in half. Stitch through the groove of all 10 layers a little way down from the fold (photo a). Sew back through all 10 layers.
Repeat once more to secure the join. 3 Sew through the first five layers of cord to exit in the middle of the fold. Pick up a 10 mm round bead, a 4 mm spacer, and an 110 seed bead, and sew back through the spacer and the 10 mm (photo b). Continue through the next five layers. Retrace the thread path to reinforce the connection. This will be your clasp bead. 4 Divide the cords into two
equal stacks, and exit the outer cord of one stack. 5 Pick up a 10 mm bead, and sew through the fivecord stack where the hole of the 10 mm meets the stack. Retrace the thread path through the join twice. Make three shaping stitches to coil the stack around the 10 mm, and push the ends of the stack behind your work so that they pass under themselves at the bottom of the coil (photo c). Sew back
a
b
c
Difficulty rating
Materials bracelet 71 ⁄2 in. (19.1 cm) d
and forth between the layers of the coil to tack them in place. 6 Sew through the five-cord stack to exit about 1⁄4 in. (6 mm) beyond the coil you just made, exiting the same cord you exited in step 4. Pick up an 8 mm round bead, and sew through the stack where the hole of the 8 mm meets the stack. Retrace the thread path twice. Make several shaping stitches to coil the stack around the 8 mm, and push the ends of the stack behind your work so that they pass under themselves (photo d). Tack the stack at the intersection. 7 Sew through your work to the other five-cord stack, exiting even with the first coil. Repeat steps 5 and 6, making this side a mirror image of the first. 8 Sew through the five-cord stack to exit the space between the coils. Pick up an 8 mm, and sew through the five-cord stack on the other side. Sew back through the stack and the 8 mm, and end the thread. All 10 cords should now be pointing in the same direction and in the same order as when you began (photo e).
e
FIGURE 1
f
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 3
Braid As you work in kumihimo, take care to keep the cords straight and flat, and only turn them at the edges of the braid. 1 Insert the clasp end into the center slot of the disk. It will function as your weight as you braid. 2 Position the two outer cords in the center two slots on the bottom. Working inward, the next two outer cords should be placed on either side on the bottom. The two inner cords should go in the two center slots on the top, with the next two cords on either side. The last pair of cords should go on either side of the top (photo f). 3 Begin working with the two center cords on the top of the disk. Bring the top-right center cord to the left side of the disk (figure 1) and the top-left center cord to the right side of the disk (figure 2).
FIGURE 4
• 5 1-yd (.9 m) pieces of 1⁄8-in. (3 mm) soutache braided cord, 1–5 colors • 3 10 mm round beads, such as crystals, pearls, or gemstones • 6 8 mm round beads, such as crystals, pearls, or gemstones • 2 g 110 seed beads • 10 4 mm heishi daisy spacers • nylon beading thread to match cord • square kumihimo disk • beading needles, #10 • Ultrasuede • E6000 adhesive
Basics Tying an overhand knot Ending and adding thread
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 6
Sonia CorbinDavis is a realtor and self-taught jewelry designer and teacher. She’s been creating jewelry for more than 20 years. She and her husband live in Texas and have three children. Contact her at sonia.thejewelryinstructor@ gmail.com, or visit www.etsy.com/ shop/thejewelryinstructor.
4 Working with the left-hand cords: Bring the bottom-left center cord to the top-left center slot (figure 3), and bring the next top-left cord down to the bottom-left center slot (figure 4). Bring
13
FIGURE 7
FIGURE 8
FIGURE 9
FIGURE 10
FIGURE 11
FIGURE 12
soutache Ultrasuede FIGURE 13
14
g
the next bottom-left cord up to the empty slot on the top (figure 5), and bring the far-left cord down to the bottom-left slot (figure 6). Bring the cord on the left side of the disk to the top-left slot (figure 7). 5 Working with the right-hand cords: Bring the bottom-right center cord up to the empty top-right slot (figure 8), and bring the next top-right cord down to the bottom-right center slot (figure 9). Bring the bottom-right cord to the empty slot next to the topright cord (figure 10), and bring the top-right cord down to the bottom-right slot (figure 11). Complete the sequence by bringing the cord on the right side of the disk to the top right slot (figure 12). 6 Repeat steps 3–5 until the braided portion is about 2 in. (5 cm) shorter than the desired finished length of the bracelet. End with a complete sequence. 7 Carefully remove the cords from the disk. Tie an overhand knot at one end of 1 yd. (.9 m) of thread, and sew through the end of the braid just enough to keep it from unraveling (photo g).
Small soutache clasp end
1 Divide the cords into three sets with three cords on each side and four cords together in the middle. Make sure your sets are stacked with the grooves going in the same direction.
h
i
j
k
2 Using the three-cord stack on one side, make three shaping stitches (photo h), and pick up an 8 mm. Wrap the stack around the 8 mm, and sew through the stack on the other side. Continue wrapping the stack around the bead, and sew back through the bead and the stack on the other side. Pick up an 8 mm on the other side, and continue wrapping the stack around the second bead to make a figure 8 (photo i). 3 Push the ends of the stack behind your work, and end the stack (photo j). Secure to the end of the braid. 4 Sew through the work to exit the remaining three-cord stack. Make two shaping stitches, and add an 8 mm. Wrap the stack around the 8 mm, and sew through the stack and back through the stack and the 8 mm. Continue wrapping the bead, and then tuck the cords to the back of your work. Tack them at the intersection, and end the stack (photo k). 5 Use shaping stitches on the four remaining cords to form them into a loop large enough to fit snuggly around the clasp bead on the other end of the bracelet. Tuck the
ends to the back of your work, and end the cords.
Finishing
1 Embellish the front of your clasp ends as desired, using 110s and spacers to hide the joins. 2 Cut two pieces of Ultrasuede slightly larger than the clasp ends. Glue each piece of Ultrasuede to the back of the clasp ends, taking care not to glue the clasp loop. Let dry completely. 3 Carefully trim the Ultrasuede close to the outer cord of each clasp end. 4 Begin a new 1-yd. (.9 m) thread, and sew through a clasp end, burying the knot between layers and exiting along the edge where the clasp meets the braid. Pick up two 110s, sew down through the cord and Ultrasuede, and sew back up through the last 110 added (figure 13). For subsequent stitches, pick up an 110, sew down through the cord and Ultrasuede, and sew up through the last 110 added. Continue working around the outside of the clasp, and end the thread. 5 Repeat step 4 on the other end of the bracelet. w
