Intricate Fuchsia Earrings
Beaded Using Apache Leaf Stitch |
Free Bead Pattern
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If you know the Apache leaf stitch then you may recognize it in this design. Making these earrings will be much easier if you already know Apache leaf stitch, but it isn't necessary. You can find the stitch in
Indian Bead-Weaving Patterns by Horace R. Goodhue.
You Will Need:
2 colors of size 11 Japanese seed beads. This example was made with purple (blue with red lining) and clear.
Size 0 Nymo beading thread.
Size 12 or 13 beading needle.
2 earring wires.
Make a circle with spokes radiating out from every other bead for a total of five spokes.
Pick up 10 beads and tie them in a circle.
Continue forward through the first two beads in the circle.
Pick up 6 beads, skip the 6th and go back up through the other five beads. Re-enter the circle at the back of the bead you originally left. Continue forward through two more beads. Create another spoke by picking up six beads, skipping the 6th, going up though the other five and re-entering the circle at the back of the bead you left. Go through 2 more beads and repeat until you've got five spokes. Then continue to the nearest spoke and pass the needle through it to the end. Go through the sideways end bead as well.
Now, connect the spokes to form another circle. Pick up 3 beads and go through the next spoke in the direction the thread is going in. Do this four more times until there are 3 beads between each spoke and they all form a circle of 20 beads together. Pull it tight and it will look like a short truncated cone. Pass the needle through the next two beads along the circle. The thread should be coming out of the middle bead of a set of three between the spokes.
Looking closly you will see that the bell of the flower is made up of simple short petals and more complex longer petals. Each of the short petals are anchored in between 2 spokes in the 2nd bead of the 3 bead sets. Each of the longer petals are anchored at the end of a spoke. There are 5 of each sort. First, form one complete short petal. This is the only petal that will be built all at once. All of the others are interconnected.
Pick up 8 beads, skip the 8th and go up through the 7th. Pick up 5 more beads and go up through the top bead of the original set of 8. Then re-enter the circle by passing the needle through the back of the bead you originally left (the second of the three beads between spokes). Go through 2 more beads. The thread should now be coming out of the spoke bead.
Now begin the first long petal.
The following section will be repeated 4 times.
Pick up 11 beads, skip the 11th and go up through the 10th. Pick up 4 more beads. Now connect the long petal to the short one. Go up through the 4th and 5th bead (counting the bottom sideways bead) on the side of the short petal that is next to the long petal. These 2 beads will form part of the side of the long petal.
Pick up 2 more beads and go up through the top bead of the long petal. Re-enter the circle through the back of the spoke bead and continue through 2 more beads, again coming out through the second of the 3 beads between this and the next spoke.
Next, form the far side of the next short petal. Pick up 8 beads, skip the 8th and go through the 7th. Pick up 1 bead and pass the needle up through the 7th and 8th beads from the bottom of the long petal. Before completing the second short petal, fill in the long petal. Pick up 3 beads and go up through the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th beads on the far side of the long petal.
Pick up one bead and go down through the second of the 3 beads you just added. Pick up another bead and go up through the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th beads on the near side of the long petal. The thread is back to the starting point to where you left left off forming the second short loop.
Pick up 2 beads and go up through the top bead of the short petal. Re-enter the circle at the back of the bead you originally left (second bead past the spoke). Continue through the next 2 beads to the next spoke bead.
End of repeat section.
Once you have five short petals and four long petals, it's time to make the last long petal and finish off the bell of the flower.
This petal is done slightly differently because it's neighboring short petal already exists. Pick up 3 beads and go down through the 4th and fifth beads of the short petal on the far side.
Pick up 6 more beads, skip the 6th and go up through the 5th. Pick up 4 beads and go up through the 4th and 5th beads from the bottom of the short petal on the other side. Pick up two beads and go up through the top bead of the petal you are creating. Go through the back of the spoke bead. Now go down through the top bead again and the next 6 beads. Pick up 3 beads and go down through the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th beads from the TOP on the other side. Pick up 1 bead and go up through the 2nd of the 3 beads you just added. Pick up another bead and go down through the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th beads from the top on the other side. The bell is complete.
Now add a stamen. Weave your way back up to the large ring at the top of the petals. String on 20 clear beads and 4 purple beads. Skip 3 purple beads and go up through the top purple bead and 17 of the clear beads. Add 3 more clear beads and go through the bead directly across from the bead you left.
Finally, add the earwire. Weave your way up to the top of the earring so that your thread is coming out of one of the beads in the original circle of 10 beads that you started with. Pick up 15 beads and your clasp or ear wire and go through the bead directly across from the bead your thread is coming out of. Go back through all of the beads you added and through the back of the bead you originally left. Weave back into the piece to secure and hide your thread and the fuchsia flower is finished.
