Hand made bead woven jewelry

Beaded or bead woven jewelry is such a joy to create and to wear. There are numerous stitches that are thousands of years old, and the variations on each stitch multiplies with each new generation of bead weavers.

Beading seems to connect me to some ancient roots even tho I don't know exactly where those roots lie.

I love to pick a color pallet of various sizes of beads, thread my needle and say "what if". Sometimes I pick a stitch and use different variations throughout the project, and sometimes I mix stitches just to get the look I want.
Drop by my Galleryand browse a while.

This "Drops Necklace" is one of my first Right Angle Weave patterns.




This "Round n Round" necklace is also Right Angle Weave. Make it with 3mm fire polished beads and 6 mm pearls for a more dressy look.


If you'd like to know more about what I've got in "the works" you can follow my progress in my blog

Square Stitch

Cubic RAW

Waffle Stitch - Single Needle RAW

Ndebele/Herringbone Stitch

St. Petersburg Chain

Puffed Bezel

Diagonal Peyote

Hexagon Angle Weave

Right Angle Weave

Sewing beads on clothing and making beaded jewelry dates back as far as the late old stone age. The beads then were made of shell and ivory. What we know as seed beading is also ancient. King Tut's tomb contained a pair of beaded slippers and a beaded hassock.

In some cultures these beaded objects were used to tell a story, much as prehistoric man drew pictures on the walls of caves.

The stitch we call peyote has been found in many different locations throughout the world. It seems many major cultures used this technique to weave their beads.

In some cultures such as the Zulu of Africa, beaded jewelry is a method of communication. Different geometric shapes as well as the colors used denote a person's status. Thus a young man can easily pick out a woman in a crowd who is single and available from the wives, mothers, widows etc.
More About the Zulu