"Blue Christmas" Necklace Tutorial

Blue Christmas

Ingredients:

(5) 8 mm faceted crystals (10) 4 mm bi-cone crystals 1 strand 6 mm blue satin finish druks 1 strand 4mm blue satin finish druks 1 gram, size 15 seed beads Silver Clasp of choice Fire Line

Optional:

2 thread guards or French wire to cover thread attached to clasp

Directions:

Before starting, make sure you have your scissors, needles, and bead mat ready, and have assembled your ingredients.

Thread the end of the Fire Line onto your needle WITHOUT cutting it loose from the spool. Pull between a yard and four feet of thread from the spool to work upon.

To begin:

Bead (5) silver seed beads,

Main Sequence:

[(1) 6mm druk, (1) silver seed bead, (1) 4 mm druk, (1) silver seed bead.]

For this section, you will repeat this sequence for a total of 9 repeats.

Focal Sequence:

[Add (1) 6mm druk, and (1) silver seed bead, (1) 4 mm bi-cone crystal, (1) silver seed bead, (1) 4 mm druk, (1) silver seed bead, (1) 8 mm crystal, (1) silver seed bead, (1) 4 mm druk, (1) silver seed bead, (1) 4mm bi-cone, (1) silver seed bead]

You will repeat the main sequence 6 times, then the focal sequence 1 time.

This pattern of 6 and 1 will be repeated three more times, for a total of four section repeats.

Now you will repeat the main sequence 9 times. (Note: the tenth druk will be part of the next step).

Add (1) 6mm druk, (5) silver seed beads.

[Optional step – at this point, thread the French wire or thread guard to go through the clasp.]

This example shows a thread guard being used with a toggle clasp.

Photo: Ginger Ausband,/p>

Thread on clasp.

[Optional step 2 – pass thread back through the French wire or thread guard.]

Pass your thread back through the last 5 silver seed beads. Pause and tie a half hitch between the last seed bead and the 6 mm druk, then pass thread through the druk. Make sure the knot is snug and doesn’t show, by exerting a gentle tug on your working thread, to bury the half hitch into the druk.

Continue to pull the thread thru all of the beads, until you are about three or four inches from the beginning of your project. You should also be near the end of your thread at this point (about 10 or so inches left).

Now it is the time you will cut the thread from your spool. When cutting the thread, make sure you have enough Fire Line to equal 2 ½ times the length of your project. It is okay, if you have a little more – it is better to be safe, but don’t try to cut it a bit short to “save” thread.

Remove your needle from the remainder of thread you have been working with. Do not cut it – you will need to secure it in another step.

The thread that you have just removed from the spool will now become your new working thread. Thread your needle with it.

[Optional step 3 - If using optional French wire or thread guard, put it on your newly threaded end of fire line.]

Thread on your clasp.

[Optional step 4 – Go back through the French wire or thread guard.]

Go back through the five seed beads. Continue to go back through all of the beads. Be careful – it is very easy to accidentally skip the tiny seed beads!

When you reach the spot where your other end of Fire Line is hanging out, tie it with a surgeons knot or square knot. Continue to work the rest of your current working fire line into the beaded project, until you use most of it up.

Under best possible conditions you will be able to pass your working Fire Line through to the end, and part way back towards the middle. Be sure to stop when you still have enough Fire Line left to secure your thread.

Resist the temptation to work right up until there is only one or two inches left – that will not give you enough to work with. I try to always stop when I have 6-7 inches of Fire Line left.

Use the needle to make a half hitch knot between beads and work the end through one or two more beads Make another half hitch and go through another couple of beads. Be sure to gently tug the knots to not show. Trim snugly.

Go back to the dangling piece of Fire Line from the original working thread and do the same thing with half hitches to secure it as well.

Note: A lot of folks would prefer to use a tiny dab of hypo cement on their knots. I think that would be great. I just tend to make a mess whenever I get near any type of glue! So to keep from gluing myself to half the house, I usually rely on just the knots. I have not had much trouble with them coming loose, but it is good to be sure, if you can.