garden grow?The search for a metallic background led designer Veronique Landis to an unexpected material for her beaded bloomsdesigned by Veronique Landis

PEYOTE STITCH AND WIREWORK

How does your

Gold-filled wire spirals accent the base and flowers that embellish a pendant made from crimp beads.

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©2007 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.

Crimp tubes are reimagined as a peyote stitch background for gemstone, freshwater pearl, and glass flowers.

stepbystep

Every pendant floral arrange-ment will be different, depending upon the beads you select and how you arrange them. You can use a variety of beads with the following techniques to create flowers and leaves.

Base[1] Arrange a variety of small pressed-glass, crystal, shell, or gemstone flowers and leaves in a preliminary layout to determine the size of your pendant base (photo a).[2] Attach a stop bead (Basics) to 2 yd. (1.8m) of Fireline, and pick up enough crimp tubes to equal the width of your pendant base. Working in either flat, even-count or odd-count peyote stitch (Basics), use the crimp tubes to sew a band that is four beads high on each edge.[3] If you plan to incorpo-rate a 12 x 8mm double-drilled vase bead in your design, note where you’d like to place it. Count the number of crimp tubes you’ll need on each side of the vase bead to create an opening for the bead.[4] To make the opening for the vase bead, sew a narrow band up one side of the base (photo b), making the band as tall as the vase bead.

[5] On 1 yd. (.9m) of thread, attach a stop bead. Sew into row 4 on the edge where you have stitched the side band, and sew through the crimp tubes to the other edge. Sew another side band to match the first band.[6] To connect the side bands, exit a crimp tube on the inside edge of the opening. Pick up the same number of crimp tubes as there are between the side bands in the base row. Sew through the crimp tubes of the other band.[7] Continue stitching rows of peyote (photo c) until your pendant is the desired length plus ½ in. (1.3cm) for the bail. Add thread (Basics) as needed. Secure the threads with a few half-hitch knots (Basics), and trim. Remove the stop beads, secure the tails with a few half-hitch knots, and trim.[8] To make the bail, fold over ½ in. (1.3cm) of the peyote base, and sew it in place (photo d). Secure the thread with a few half-hitch knots, and trim.

EmbellishmentVase[1] To secure the vase bead, cut a 2½-in. (6.4cm) piece of 28-gauge wire. On one end of the wire, make a small coil. [2] Working toward the opening you left for the vase

bead, weave the wire through two or three crimp tubes that line up next to the bead’s top hole. Go through the bead and two or three crimp tubes on the other side of the hole (photo e). Make a small coil on the other end of the wire.[3] Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the bead’s bottom hole.

Pressed-glass flowers[1] To attach a pressed-glass flower, cut a 3-in. (7.6cm) piece of 28-gauge wire. Center a 4mm bicone crystal or round bead on the wire. Fold the wire in half and slide a flower bead over both ends. Snug up the flower bead to the 4mm (photo f).

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[2] Position the flower on the pendant base, and push the ends of the wire between two crimp tubes (photo g). Separate the wire ends on the back side of the pendant. Using chainnose pliers, work in opposite directions to pass each end through as many crimp tubes as possible. Trim the excess wire.

Depending upon your design, it may be possible to use the ends of the wire to attach other flowers or leaves to the base. To do this, push the wire ends back through to the front of the base. Slide a flower or leaf onto the wire and pass the wire end between two crimp tubes to the back of the base and then through as many crimp tubes as possible (photo h). Trim the excess wire.

Make-your-own flowersYou can form flowers using small drop-shaped, top-drilled pearls; briolettes; or gemstone or glass beads.[1] Cut a 7-in. (18cm) piece of 28-gauge wire. Slide five top-drilled beads on the wire, leaving a 1½-in. (3.8cm) tail. Twist the working wires around the tail, and fold the wires to the back of the flower (photo i).[2] Position the bead cluster on the pendant base. Pass the working wire through the flower center between two petals, and down between two crimp tubes. Bring the wire up between two petals and back through the flower center (photo j). Repeat around the petals.[3] Pass the working wire to the front of the pendant and slide a 4mm bead on the wire to form the flower’s center. Pass the wire to the back of the pendant, secure it in the pendant base, and trim (photo k).

Finishing[1] Continue adding flowers, leaves, and embellishments to the pendant. Add wire tendrils, leaf outlines, or spirals as desired. Try using S-tube beads for flower stems. You could form a frame around the pendant using twisted crimp tubes.[2] Hang your pendant on a beaded or metal chain or on a satin or leather cord. w

MATERIALSpendant 2 x 1¼ in. (5 x 3.2cm)• 12 x 8mm double-drilled bead for vase• variety of pressed-glass, crystal, shell, or gemstone flowers and leaves• variety of flat, oval-shaped, center-drilled glass or stone beads for leaves• variety of drop-shaped, top-drilled pearls, briolettes, or gemstone or glass beads for flower petals• variety of 4mm bicone crystals or round beads for flower centers• variety of 2mm beads or 110 seed beads for embellishments

• 2–4 silver or gold-filled S-tube beads for stems (optional)• 28-gauge silver or gold-filled wire, dead-soft• 500–550 3 x 2mm silver or gold-filled crimp tubes• twisted silver or gold-filled crimp tubes for pendant frame (optional)• Fireline 6 lb. test• beading needles, #10• chainnose pliers• roundnose pliers• wire cutters

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EDITOR’S NOTE:Instead of wiring the flowers in place, try attaching the floral embellishments by sewing through the pendant base with Fireline as if you were working in bead embroidery. – Lynne

Veronique Landis started beading while she was stationed in Italy with her husband. Her first projects used freshwater pearls that she purchased while she was stationed in the Orient. This Art Deco-inspired design led her to combine her love of flowers, her attraction to gold and silver, and her prefer-ence for peyote stitch.