Echoes of Nefertiti

Create a museum-worthy necklace by weaving gentle curves into fan-shaped components and a coordinating toggle ring. A right-angle weave toggle bar adds an interesting element, and a twisted herringbone rope completes this lovely design.

SUPPLIES

Necklace 18 in. (46 cm)

• 6 14 mm disk beads (Czech, matte bronze peacock)
• 77 5 mm Tila beads (Miyuki 2006, matte metallic dark bronze)
• 25 4 mm bicone crystals (Swarovski, crystal Dorado)
• 5 3 mm bicone crystals (Swarovski, crystal Dorado)
• 5 g 3 mm fringe/drop beads (Magatama, metallic bronze)
• 2 g 11/0 seed beads (gold)
• 15/0 seed beads
  • 8 g color A (Toho 557, metallic gold)
  • 4 g color B (Miyuki 462, metallic rainbow bronze)
• Fireline 6 lb. test
• beading needles, #12

INSTRUCTIONS

Small pendants

1. On 1 yd. (.9 m) of Fireline, attach a stop bead, leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. Pick up a 14 mm disk bead. 

2. Pick up an 11/0 seed bead and three color A 15/0 seed beads. Repeat this pattern four more times, and then pick up an 11/0. Sew through the disk bead and the first 11/0 picked up in this step (FIGURE 1, a–b) to create a half-ring around one edge of the disk bead.

3. Pick up a 5 mm Tila bead, an A, an 11/0, and an A, and sew through the remaining hole of the Tila bead. Sew through the next 11/0 in the half-ring of beads picked up in step 2 (b–c). Repeat this step four times (c–d).

4. Sew through the disk bead and the next four beads, exiting the center 11/0 at the end of the Tila bead (d–e).

5. Pick up two As, a 3 mm drop bead, and two As. Sew through the 11/0 your thread exited at the start of this step to form a loop around it, and then sew through the next A at the end of the Tila bead (FIGURE 2, a–b). 

6. Pick up two As, an 11/0, and two As, and sew through the next A and 11/0 at the end of the next Tila bead (b–c). 

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 once (c–d).

8. Pick up three As, a 3 mm bicone crystal, and three As. Sew through the 11/0 your thread exited at the start of this step, and then sew through the first three As and the 3 mm crystal picked up in this step (d–e). Pick up two As, three drop beads, and two As. Sew through the 3 mm crystal, the next three As, the 11/0 your thread exited at the start of this step, and the next A at the end of the Tila bead (e–f).

9. Repeat steps 6 and 5 twice, and then sew through the beadwork to exit the center 11/0 picked up in the previous stitch (f–g).

10. Pick up two As, a drop bead, and two As, and sew through the 11/0 your thread exited at the start of this step. Sew through the next three As, an 11/0, three As, and an 11/0 (FIGURE 3, a–b). Repeat this step three times, but in the last repeat, sew through the beadwork to exit the disk bead (b–c). End the working thread and tail. 

11. Make a total of three small pendants, but for the third small pendant, start with 11⁄2 yd. (1.4 m) of Fireline instead of 1 yd. (.9 m), and don’t end the working thread.

12. Pick up 23 As, and sew through the disk bead to form a half-ring around the remaining edge of the disk bead. Sew through the first A picked up in this step (FIGURE 4, a–b). 

13. Pick up an A, and sew through the A your thread exited at the start of this stitch and the next A in the half-ring  (b–c). Repeat this stitch eight times, sew through the next five As in the half-ring (c–d), and then stitch nine As to the last nine As in the half-ring. Sew through the disk bead, the first nine As added in this step, the next five As, and the last nine As added in this step (d–e). Sew through the disk bead (e–f), and end the working thread.

Large pendants

1. On 2 yd. (1.8 m) of Fireline, work as in steps 1 and 2 of “Small pendants” (FIGURE 5, a–b).

2. Work as in step 3 of “Small pendants,” but pick up three As at the end of each Tila instead of an A, an 11/0, and an A (b–c).

3. Sew through the disk bead and the next five beads, exiting the three As at the end of the Tila bead (c–d).

4. Pick up a Tila bead, an A, an 11/0, and an A. Sew through the remaining hole of the Tila bead just picked up and the three As at the end of the Tila bead in the previous row (FIGURE 6, a–b).  

5. Pick up five As, and sew through the three As at the end of the next Tila bead in the previous row (b–c). 

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 three times, work step 4 once more (c–d), and then sew through the beadwork to exit the last four As picked up in the previous stitch (d–e).

7. Pick up a Tila bead, an A, an 11/0, and an A, and sew through the remaining hole of the Tila bead just picked up and the three center As your thread exited at the start of this step. Sew through the next eight As (FIGURE 7, a–b). 

8. Repeat step 7 three times, but in the last repeat, sew through only four As instead of eight.

9. Sew through the next three beads, exiting the center 11/0 at the end of the Tila bead in the second row (b–c). 

10. Pick up two As, a drop bead, and two As. Sew through the 11/0 your thread exited at the start of this stitch and the next A (c–d).

11. Pick up an A, an 11/0, and an A, and sew through the A and 11/0 at the end of the next Tila bead in the second row (d–e).

12. Repeat steps 10 and 11 twice, and then repeat step 10 (e–f).

13. Pick up two As, and sew through the A and 11/0 at the end of the next Tila bead in the second row (f–g). Work as in step 8 of “Small pendant” (g–h). Pick up two As, and sew through the A and 11/0 at the end of the next Tila bead in the second row (h–i). 

14. Repeat steps 10 and 11 three times, and then repeat step 10 (i–j). Sew through the beadwork to exit the last 11/0 picked up in the previous stitch (j–k).

15. Work as in step 10 to add a loop of two As, a drop bead, and two As to the remaining center 11/0s on both sides of the center drop. End the working thread and tail.

16. Repeat steps 1–15 to make a second large pendant.

17. To begin the center large pendant, repeat steps 1–3.

18. Repeat steps 4 and 5 twice (FIGURE 8, a–b). Pick up a Tila bead, and sew through the three center As from the half-ring at the top of the small center pendant (b–c). Sew through the remaining hole of the Tila bead just picked up and the three As at the end of the Tila bead between the first and second rows (c–d). Retrace the thread path, exiting the three As between the Tila bead just picked up and the corresponding Tila bead in the first row of Tila beads.  

19. Repeat step 5 and 4 twice. Sew through the beadwork to exit the last four As picked up in the previous stitch. 

20. Repeat steps 7–15, but in step 13, sew through the three As between the Tila beads, omitting the crystal-and-drop embellishment.

Toggle ring

1. On 2 yd. (1.8 m) of Fireline, pick up an 11/0 and three As. Repeat this pattern nine more times. Sew through all the beads again to form a ring, leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. Exit an 11/0.

2  Pick up a Tila bead, an A, an 11/0, and an A, and sew through the remaining hole of the Tila bead. Sew through the next 11/0 in the ring. Repeat this step  nine times to complete the round.

3. Pick up three As, and sew through the next 11/0 in the initial ring. Repeat to create a second layer of As in the initial ring, and exit an 11/0.

4. Pick up a Tila bead and an A. Sew through the center 11/0 at the top of the corresponding Tila bead in the first round of Tila beads. Pick up an A, sew through the remaining hole of the Tila bead just added, and continue through the next 11/0 in the initial ring (PHOTO A). Repeat this step to complete the round, and then step up through the beads to exit a center 11/0 at the top of a pair of Tila beads. Sew through the adjacent A above a Tila bead added in the round.

5. Pick up two As, an 11/0, and two As, and sew through the A, 11/0, and A at the end of the next Tila bead in the initial ring (PHOTO B). Repeat this step nine times, exiting an 11/0 at the top of one of the Tila bead spokes. 

6. Pick up two As, and sew through the center 11/0 in the stitch before the next Tila bead spoke. Pick up two As, and sew through the A, 11/0, and A at the end of the next Tila bead spoke. Repeat this step nine times, exiting an 11/0 at the top of one of the Tila spokes.

7. Pick up nine As, and sew through the 11/0 your thread exited at the start of this step. Retrace the thread path to secure the loop of As.

8. Sew through the beadwork to exit the next 11/0 along the outer edge of the ring. Pick up two As, a drop bead, and two As. Sew through the 11/0 your thread just exited. Repeat this step 18 times, and then end the working thread and tail.

Toggle bar

1. On 2 yd. (1.8 m) of Fireline, pick up eight As, leaving a 12-in. (30 cm) tail. Sew through the first six As again to form a ring. 

2. Working in modified right-angle weave with two beads per side, stitch a strip eight units long. You will pick up six As per stitch and sew through the first four As picked up in each stitch to get in position to start the next stitch.

3. Work a second row off of the first using six As for the first stitch and four As for the subsequent stitches. Repeat this step to stitch a third row.

4. If desired, wrap the rows of right-angle weave around a form, or fold the beadwork lengthwise to form a tube. Pick up two As per stitch (PHOTO C) to work a connecting row off of the pairs of edge As in the first and third rows.

5. Sew through a pair of As along the long edge of the tube. Pick up a color B 15/0 seed bead, and sew through the next pair of As along the same edge. Repeat this stitch twice, and then work one stitch with an 11/0. Work three more stitches using Bs (PHOTO D).

6. Sew through a pair of end As to embellish the next edge as in step 5, but only use Bs along the next edge. Repeat to embellish all the edges, and then sew through the beadwork to exit the 11/0 added to the center of the first edge.

7. Pick up 10 As, and sew through the 11/0 your thread exited at the start of this step to form a loop. Retrace the thread path, and then sew through the beadwork to exit a pair of As along the end of the tube opposite the tail.

8. Pick up a B, and sew through the next pair of As along the end of the tube. Repeat to add a B to each corner of the end round. Exit a corner B. Pick up an A, a 4 mm bicone crystal, and an 11/0. Skip the 11/0, sew back through the 4 mm and A, and sew through the corner B your thread exited at the start of this step. Sew through the next pair of As and corner B.

9. Pick up an A, and sew through the 4 mm and 11/0 above it. Sew back through the 4 mm and the A just picked up, and continue through the B your thread exited at the start of this step. Sew through the next pair of As and corner B. Repeat this step twice, and then end the working thread. 

10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 using the tail.

Twisted ropes

On a comfortable length of Fireline, use alternating As and Bs to make a four-bead ladder, leaving a 20-in. (51 cm) tail. Using the ladder as a base, make a twisted tubular herringbone rope 4 1⁄4 in. (10.8 cm) long. End and add thread as needed, making sure to end with at least 8 in. (20 cm) of working thread when you complete the rope. Repeat to make a second rope.

Assembly

1. Using the 20-in. (51 cm) tail from one of the ropes, pick up an 11/0, a 4 mm, and an 11/0, and sew through the disk bead from one of the small pendants. Pick up a repeating pattern of an 11/0 and a 4 mm four times, and then pick up an 11/0. Sew through the disk bead from a large pendant. Pick up a repeating pattern of an 11/0 and a 4 mm five times, and then pick up an 11/0. Sew through the disk bead from the large center pendant. String the second half of the necklace as a mirror image of the first, ending with an 11/0, a 4 mm, and an 11/0.

2. Sew through an end stitch of the other rope, sewing through the end the 20-in. (51 cm) tail is exiting. Sew through the beadwork to retrace the thread path, and then end the first 20-in. (51 cm) tail. Using the 20-in. (51 cm) tail from the other rope, retrace the thread path of the strung pendants, sew through the beadwork of the first rope, and then retrace the thread path a second time. End the second 20-in. (51 cm) tail.

3. Using the remaining thread on one of the ropes, pick up a 4 mm, an 11/0, three As, an 11/0, a 4 mm, an 11/0, and 10 As. Sew through the loop of As from the toggle bar, and sew back through the last 11/0, 4 mm, and 11/0 just picked up. Pick up three As, and sew through the first 11/0 picked up and the following 4 mm. Sew through the beads in the last few rounds of the rope to exit a bead in the stitch opposite the one your thread exited at the start of this step. Retrace the thread path of the toggle connection, and end the thread.

4. With the remaining thread on the other rope, pick up a 4 mm, an 11/0, and 10 As. Sew through the loop of As from the toggle ring, and sew back through the last 11/0 and 4 mm picked up. Sew through the beads in the last few rounds of the rope to exit a bead in the stitch opposite the one your thread exited at the start of this step. Retrace the thread path, and end the thread. 
Use a variety of stitches to create this regal yet wearable design. Perfect spacing allows square beads to make rounded components that drape beautifully.