Micro-Macrame class offered online, Princeton Adult School, April 2021

We will be teaching a Micro-Macrame jewelry class for the Princeton Adult School in April 2021. The class will be taught online, via Zoom, on three Tuesday evenings in April (April 13, 20, and 27). Here is the link with class details and registration information for the class: PAS Macrame Register 

Scallop Necklace for April 2021 online class

Building on the success of our Fall 2020 online Bead Weaving class, we look forward to guiding students through this introduction to micro-macrame jewelry techniques using up-close video of each step. Watch, learn, and create along with us as we show you how to mount the cords, form the knots, and add beads to embellish the design!

Students will learn to combine 1mm nylon cord and beads to create a wide collar necklace. The necklace can be completed with your own unique charm or one included in the materials kit. The class is intended for macrame beginners or those who know some knots but want to learn more about this knotting technique.

Three color options will be offered for this class, as shown in the photos. Students will choose either the Gold, Silver, or Spring color option for the nylon cords. All kits will include a textured pewter focal ring and clasp. Seed beads and crystals in coordinating colors will also be included in the materials kit. 

The materials kit will be available for order in March from our Etsy store. Materials kits must be ordered by March 30 to allow time for delivery before the first class on April 13.

Bead Weaving class online, Princeton Adult School, March 2021

Diamond Lace Necklace 
in Topaz/Royal Purple

We will be offering a Bead Weaving class in March 2021 through the Princeton Adult School. 

For details about the class and registration information, go to:
PAS Bead Weaving class

For this class, Reem has designed an elegant necklace made with hundreds of Czech fire-polished crystals, Japanese seed beads, and a beautiful pear shape crystal. Janet designed the coordinating earrings. We will be demonstrating every step on Zoom so that you can bead along with us. The class is suitable for beginner and experienced beaders.

The materials kit, containing over 600 Czech fire-polished crystals as well as the other materials needed to complete the projects, is available for order from our Etsy Store. The materials kit is offered in two color options: Topaz & Royal Purple or Cobalt Blue & Fuchsia. Students who register for the class will need to order their materials kit by February 15, to allow time for delivery before the first class on March 2.

The three elements of the 
Diamond Lace Necklace
in Cobalt Blue/Fuchsia

We will be making three components for the necklace: 

1) a netted rope, filled with hundreds of Czech crystals (top of photo);

2) a shaped beaded component that gives you the opportunity to learn the Prismatic Right-Angle Weave (PRAW) stitch (middle of photo); and

3) a large pear shaped crystal pendant (bottom of photo) that will be beautifully bezeled using seed beads and crystals.

We will be combining all three of the elements into one fabulous necklace (photo at top). Students may also choose to assemble the elements in different ways, making jewelry to suit individual tastes. For example, the netted rope necklace can be worn on its own. The PRAW tube and bezeled pear shape crystal can be combined and strung on a chain, a ribbon, or other material supplied by the student. Or string the PRAW tube on a ribbon and keep the bezeled crystal as a separate pendant to wear on your favorite chain.

PRAW tube and crystal pendant
on a wire necklace

PRAW tube on a chain

Netted rope necklaces

Matching earrings are included in the class. Students will make a beaded ball that matches the netted rope. They will then have the option of finishing the earring by adding fringes to make a tassel earring, or embellishing the beaded ball with a single crystal dangle.

Please join us for this sparkling bead adventure!

Tassel Earrings in Cobalt

Optional version of earrings

Fall 2020 Princeton Adult School Bead Weaving class

SuperDuo Twist Set

We've finished the Princeton Adult School Bead Weaving class for Fall, 2020. We taught the class entirely on Zoom, which worked surprisingly well! The students said they really liked being able to see us demonstrate every step, up close! We used a camera mounted right over the beading tray. It was great to see our "regulars" again and we welcomed some new bead weavers as well. Because the class was online, we were delighted to have some students from far away!

We made a set (necklace, bracelet, and earrings) using SuperDuo beads, seed beads, and faceted crystal rondelles. The patterns are available from our Etsy store, along with the last couple of kits.

The SuperDuo Twist Necklace has a central twisted section that uses a twisted tubular herringbone variation that we devised and which we haven't seen anywhere else. Usually, herringbone variation using SuperDuo beads has the beads oriented in a different way. This version looks like knitting. The stitch variation creates not only a twist in the tube but also an undulation that is very attractive. If you like it, check out the pattern on Etsy!

The SuperDuo Wrap Bracelet works up quickly and is super easy! We've designed it to wrap around the wrist three times and the instructions provide detailed row counts for every bracelet size.

The SuperDuo Swirl Earrings feature three colors of SuperDuos swirling around the beaded bead, which is embellished with a faceted rondelle at the bottom. This earring is also quick and easy.

We offered three different color palettes to the students. The purple and indigo combination was by far the most popular!

Bead Weaving at Princeton Adult School--Spring 2020

I started the Spring 2020 Bead Weaving course at the Princeton Adult School, but only got the first class in before everything shut down because of COVID-19. I hope to use this post, along with some new YouTube videos, to keep the class connected so everyone can finish their projects.

Russian Spiral Necklace--detail

First, a look at the projects for Spring 2020!

Russian Spiral Necklace:
Metallic Purple,Matte Gunmetal,
and Silver-lined crystal

Russian Spiral Necklace:
Metallic Teal Green, Matte Copper, and
Copper-lined Opal

I wanted to design a versatile piece that everyone could use in their wardrobe, so I decided on a rope necklace and two different pendants. The Russian Spiral rope necklace can be worn on its own, or you can slide on one of the pendants that I designed to go with it.

Oglala Pendant--metallic purple

The pendants are very different! The Oglala ruffle pendant is frilly and romantic; the Warped Square pendant is edgy and a little futuristic. Because sometimes we feel frilly and sometimes we feel edgy, right?

The Oglala Pendant gets gradually wider at the bottom. The Oglala netting creates a layer of beaded ruffles. The pendant slides easily onto the Russian Spiral rope necklace.
The YouTube video is available at: https://youtu.be/Xb0y52c1su4

Oglala Pendant--metallic teal

  

Warped Square Pendant (metallic teal)
with a herringbone-stitch bail

The warped squares used in the Warped Square Pendant create a wing-shaped element with a front and back triangular shape. The Warped Square Pendant can be completed in several different ways, although only two are pictured here.

In the metallic teal version, a herringbone-stitch bail is added to a pendant with a smaller warped square atop a large warped square.

In the metallic purple version, the smaller warped square is still atop the large warped square; the small square is used as the bail, with the Russian Spiral rope necklace slid inside.

Warped Square Pendant (metallic purple)
with the smaller warped square as the bail

If you want to make a shorter pendant, you could make just one warped square instead of two. Either attach a herringbone-stitch bail or slide the single warped square onto the rope necklace. I think it would look great any way you make it!

I'm very excited by the fact the several students opted to mix the color choices to create even more color combinations. For example, teal with gunmetal and crystal; purple with copper and opal; purple with gunmetal and opal; and teal with copper and crystal! So many possibilities. I hope we can post photos of the students' completed projects here, so we can admire all of the work.
The YouTube video tutorial is available:
Warped Square part 1