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Framedby a cubeFrames stitched in cubic right-angle weave give smaller beads stately borders

designed by Hannah Benninger

My Y-necklace combines two of my favorite design components – off-loom weaving and interesting focal beads.

stepbystep

Frame[1] On 1 yd. (.9 m) of Nymo, pick up four color A 150 seed beads, and leave a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. Sew through the As again to form a ring. Sew through the next three As.[2] Working in right-angle weave (Online Basics), sew two more three-bead clusters.[3] To form a cube, pick up an A and sew through the end bead of the first cluster

(figure 1, a–b). Pick up an A and sew through the end bead of the last cluster (b–c). Snug up the beads. Retrace the thread path through the four As you just sewed through (c–d). This is the top of the cube.[4] On one side of the cube, sew through the four As that are not connected in a ring (figure 2, a–b). Sew through the next three As on an adjacent side (b–c). Sew through the four As that are not connected in a ring to

close the other open side (figure 3, a–b). Sew through the next adjacent A (b–c). Start the next cube from this A.[5] Working in right-angle weave, sew two three-bead clusters (figure 4, a–b). Pick up an A and sew through the top A of the previous cube (figure 5, a–b). Pick up an A and sew through the end A of the end cluster (b–c).[6] Repeat step 4.[7] Repeat steps 5 and 6 to sew a total of six cubes.[8] With the thread exiting the bottom A on one edge of the end cube, repeat steps 5 and 6 to sew four more

cubes. Your beadwork is now in the shape of an L and you have estab-

lished the inside and out-side edges of the frame.

[9] With the thread exiting the bottom A on the inside edge of the end cube, repeat steps 5 and 6 to sew five more cubes.[10] With the thread exiting the bottom A on the inside edge of the end cube, repeat steps 5 and 6 to sew two more cubes. Connect the first cube stitched with the last cube by repeating step 3 for two sides of the cube and step 4 for the open sides. Secure the tails with a few half-hitch knots (Online

CUBIC RIGHT-ANGLE WEAVE AND SPIRAL STITCH

fIGURE 1 fIGURE 2 fIGURE 3 fIGURE 4 fIGURE 5

1 Bead&Button online project

ab

c

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Basics), and trim.[11] Repeat steps 1–10 to make a total of four frames.

Spiral rope and assembly[1] On a comfortable length of Nymo, leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail, pick up four color B and three A 150 seed beads. Tie the beads into a ring with a surgeon’s knot (Online Basics and figure 6, a–b). Sew back through the four Bs (b–c). Move the loop of As to the left of the Bs.[2] Pick up a B and three As, sew through the top three Bs, snug up the beads, and sew through the B just added (fig-ure 7, a–b). Move the new

loop of As to the left so it sits on top of the first loop of As.[3] Repeat step 2 until your spiral rope measures 6¾ in. (17.1 cm). Add thread (Online Basics) as needed.[4] Sew through the center of the third cube on a five-cube side of a frame. Pick up an 8 mm bead or two 4 mm beads, and sew through the middle of the third cube on the other side of the frame (photo a).[5] Sew a segment of spiral rope 5⁄8 in. (1.6 cm) long.[6] Sew through the middle of the second cube on a five-cube side of a frame. Pick up an 8 mm or two 4 mms, and sew through the middle of

the third cube on the other side of the frame (photo b).[7] Sew a segment of spiral rope 5⁄8 in. (1.6 cm) long.[8] Repeat step 4.[9] Pick up a bicone crystal and an A, skip the A, and sew back through the bicone (photo c). Retrace the thread path through the cubes, the focal beads, and the Bs in the short spiral-rope sections. Secure the thread with a few half-hitch knots in the Bs of the end spiral-rope section, and trim.[10] Repeat steps 1–5 to make the other side of the necklace. Join the second side of the necklace to the first by sewing through the second

cube of the middle frame of the first side (opposite the edge you went through in step 6). Continue through the 8 mm, secure the tail with a few half-hitch knots, and trim.

ClaspThread a needle on a tail of an end spiral-rope section, and pick up five As, half of a clasp, and five As. Sew through the first four Bs and the first A loop (photo d). Retrace the thread path through the end loop, secure the thread with a few half-hitch knots, and trim. Repeat on the other end. w

MATERIALSnecklace 17 in. (43 cm)• 48mmfocalbeadsor 84mmfocalbeads• 4mmbiconecrystal• size150seedbeads 10gcolorA 5gcolorB• clasp• NymoBorD,colorto matchcolorAseed beads• beadingneedles,#13

a b c

d

EDITOR’S NOTE: If this is your first attempt at cubic right-angle weave, it will definitely be easier to practice the stitch using 110 or 80 seed beads. Once you become familiar with how the beads form the cube, you can switch to 150s to make the project. I used 110s for the “how to” photos. – Lynne

Hannah Benninger’s grandparents saved her father’s childhood bead loom and gave it to her when she was 10. She loved the beads but eventually replaced weaving on the loom with creating pieces using peyote stitch. She learned about cubic right-angle weave from an article about bead artist David Chatt in The Art of Beadwork: Historic Inspiration, Contemporary Design by Valerie Hector. Hannah designs many projects using this technique. Contact her at hrbanana@yahoo.com.

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