Jewelry-Making Techniques

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Brooch with Glass Beads and Seed Beads

Courtesy of Fashion Magazine
D17G

Design by Olga Kochergina

Umbrella Brooch

: : : Materials : : :

  • Glues and adhesives
  • Beading wire
  • Bead, black, bicone (6 beads) (E)
  • Bead, black, 6mm round (F)
  • Bead, glass, 5x8mm drop (4 beads) (G)
  • Seed bead, Czech, glossy black, #11 (A)
  • Seed bead, Czech, matte black, #11 (B)
  • Seed bead, matte black, #11 hexagonal Toho (C)
  • Seed bead, glossy black, #11 hexagonal Toho (D)
  • Seed bead, #11 cut (H)
  • Bar pin finding
  • Fabric for under backing (cloth, felt or 5 - 6 layers of glued underlining)
STEP 1
Picture 1

Figure 1
 Make a full size diagram of the brooch or photocopy picture 1, enlarging it to the desired size. Trace the diagram on to the fabric. Embroider along the perimeter in A, using Fig. 1 as a guide or working as you'd love to. Once you have finished with one side, come back through all the beads, pulling the thread taut. This will force the beads to line up straight with each other. Embroider the inner lines in B (see the photo or the diagram). Fill in the free space in C, D.
STEP 2
Trimming the under backing. Using a sharp pair of scissors, trim all excess material from around the under backing. Try to do it close to the outside bead row. Be careful: Do not trim too close! It is important that you do not cut any of the threads you used to apply the beads.
STEP 3
Figure 2
 Adding the outer backing and beading the basic edge. Put the brooch back side down on a piece of leather and trace its outline. Cut out the pattern. Fix a bar pin finding to the back side of the brooch, sewing it in the middle. Go through each bar pin hole to fix it taut.

Lay the leather flat over the finding and the brooch to mark the points where the pin stems are. Cut small holes at the marks. Spread some glue over the back side of the brooch; slip the pin and the pin stems through the holes in the leather and press it down flat. A tip: Be careful not to apply the glue all the way to the edge because later on you will need to stitch through the backings near the edge to add more beads. You do not want glue in that area. Allow the glue to dry completely.

Bead the basic edge in B, A (Fig. 2). Attach G fringe at the bottom.
STEP 4
Making the handle. String E, B, F onto the wire in a random order. Fold the wire so that it looks like an umbrella handle and attach it to the brooch.

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