Beaded Bag-ettes 33

Black Bag

MATERIALS: 2 Sterling Silver 4mm
round beads •

3

⁄

8

" wide Sterling Silver

pendant • Cardstock for insert • Size B
beading thread • Size 12 beading needle
Toho Beads:
• 29 grams 11/0 round matte Black #610

Plum Bag

MATERIALS: • 2 Sterling Silver 4mm
round beads •

3

⁄

8

" wide Sterling Silver

pendant • Cardstock for insert • Size B
beading thread • Size 12 beading needle
Toho Beads:
• 29 grams 11/0 round matte Bronze

Plum #514F

Blue Bag

MATERIALS: 2 Sterling Silver 4mm
round beads •

3

⁄

8

" wide Sterling Silver

pendant • Cardstock for insert • Size B
beading thread • Size 12 beading needle
Toho Beads:
• 29 grams 11/0 round matte Denim Blue

#511F

Join the first and
last group by run-
ning the thread
through both
groups as shown
in Illustration 4.

Row 1 - Now thread the needle back
through all four beads. Adjust work
into two groups of two beads each
(Illustration 2).

Row 2 - Thread
two beads. Pass
needle down
through both
beads of the next
group (Illustra-
tion 5).

Bring the needle
back up through
both beads of the
third group (Illustra-
tion 6).
Continue to add two beads with every
stitch across the row. When you reach the
last stitch, thread the needle back up
through the first group (Illustration 7).

Row 3 - Reverse direction. String two
beads, take the needle down through
the bead to the left of the thread (a sin-
gle bead, not a group this time). Come
up through the next bead. Continue
around (Illustrations 8 - 9).

Fun and Easy To Make Matchbox Bag

Try your hand at this variation of Ndebele/Herringbone stitch which

resembles loomed work… all the beads fall into vertical rows. It’s fun
and easy to do!

Continued on page 34

Ndebele Variation

A few notes on Ndebele. Why this
stitch? Two reasons: first, we can
always use another stitch in our bead-
ing repertoire. Secondly, it makes
design sense. I wanted to make a square
bag – a box. This stitch is perfect. Nice
even rows with square edges!

Tension is an important thing to

mention at this point. The instruc-
tions will tell you to “snug” a bead
into place. Pull with a gentle tension
until the bead slips into place, don’t
force it. This stitch is best worked
with a little bit of play and a lot of
faith. You’ll be adding beads to the
top row and straightening the beads
of the previous row all at the same
time. Don’t be discouraged if your top
row looks a mess, it’s supposed to!
Eventually, you’ll get into the rhythm
of the stitch and things will progress
quickly from there.

Let’s Get Started! Pour some seed
beads into a shallow bowl. Cut a 48"
length of thread. Thread the needle
with one end. Thread on four beads.
Slide them down the thread, leaving
the last 12" of thread free. Wrap this
end around the index finger of your
free hand. You’ll pull against this as
you tighten the first few stitches.

The Big Picture

You’ll be making the bag in three
pieces - a circular body and flat
bottom and flap. Next, add an
insert to help “square” the bag and
finally add strap (Illustration 1).

Row 4 -
Reverse
direction.
Add
stitches
from left
to right
around
the circle
(Illustra-
tion 10).

Rows 5 through 26 - Work as for Rows 3
and 4. Reverse direction with each row.
When you have completed row 26,
reverse direction and stitch another
row without beads. This tidies up the
last row of beadwork (Illustration 11).

Matchbox Bag size is 1

1

/

2"

wide x 2

"

high.

Weave up to begin a

new thread.

String two beads and thread needle
back through second group of two
beads and the new beads. Now you
have three groups of two beads each
(Illustration 3). Continue until you
have 40 groups.

1

2

3

4

5

10

9

8

7

6

11

12

Beaded Bag-ettes

34

Row 3 - Flip the piece over so you’re working
from left to right. String 3 beads and make the
first stitch of the row as shown in Illustration 16.
Notice we are now going
through single beads
instead of groups.

Row 4 - Flip the piece over
so you’re working from
left to right. String 3 beads
and make the first stitch
of the row as shown in
Illustration 18.

String two beads and
make the next stitch
(Illustration 17).

Row 1 - Make a ladder as
for Row 1 of the body
with 5 sets of two beads
(Illustration 13).

Row 2 - Flip the ladder over so you’re working
from left to right. Make two stitches through the
bead groups of Row 1 (Illustrations 14 - 15).

Rows 5 through 19 - Continue to work the panel
for a total of 19 rows. Remember to work a 20th
row without beads to tidy up Row 19.

Join the panel to the bag. Thread your beading
needle with 24" of thread. Weave the end
through several rows of the bag and come up out
of a bead on the bottom edge. Stitch one short
side of the panel to the bottom of the bag as
shown in Illustration 19. NOTE: As you stitch, try
to keep the panel resting on top of the bottom
row of beads.

Let’s face facts.

You’re going to run out of thread at some
point, but there’s no need to panic – or to tie a
knot! To end a thread, weave up and down
through a couple of bead groups on 2 or 3
rounds below. Clip thread end. Cut a 36" length
of thread and weave up and down through a
couple of bead groups on 2 or 3 rounds to
come up out of the last group of beads you
added. Weave down to end a thread, weave up
to start a new one (Illustration 12).

Let’s Make the Bottom Panel! The bottom panel
is worked flat. The direction of the stitches still
changes with every row. But we’ll simply turn
the piece over and continue to work from left to
right. (We are so sneaky!)

Matchbox Ndebele Stitch

Continued from page 33

16

17

18

13

14

15

Mary Harrison

Mar y designs and

crafts with unusual mate-
rials. Dozens of her
designs have appeared in
national craft magazines,
and she has designed
numerous books for
Design Originals.

Mary enjoys making

every kind of craft from
furniture to jewelry. She
operates S

ECOND

S

TORY

,

her own mail order bead-
ing kit business.

MANY THANKS to my friends for their

cheerful help and wonderful ideas!

Production • Kathy McMillan

Art Department • Jen Tennyson

Graphic Artists

Patty Williams & Marti Wyble

Copy Editors

Wanda J. Little, Colleen Reigh

Margaret Allyson

Photography

David & Donna Thomason

Stitchers

Laura Wilson-Anderson

Pat Drenten & Arlene Booth

Dayna Gustafson & Vicki Heimburger

Bridgette King & Kathy Sanders

21

22

23

24

25

Add two more
beads and contin-
ue stitching row.
(Illustration 22)

Turn. Begin Row
10

with three

beads in the cor-
ner and stitch to
the end of the
row. Turn and add
one bead to com-
plete the row.
(Illustration 23)

Row 11 - Add 2
beads, continue
stitching the row
(Illustration 24).
Stitch Rows 12
through 20 follow-
ing this pattern
(Illustration 25).

Stitch pendant here

(2 bead base row)

Row 20

Weave the thread in and out of the next 15
beads of the bottom row of the bag and
stitch the remaining short edge of the panel
to the bag between the 16th and 20th
beads. Stitch the long edges together as
neatly as possible. The beads will not line
up exactly, but should fit together well.
Illustration 20 will give you some ideas for
stitching.

Great, start on the flap.
Rows 1 through 8 - Begin just as you did for
the body and the panel with a 2-bead
starter row. There should be 19 sets of
beads in Row 1. Work the next 7 rows flat,
just as you did for the panel, turning the
work over and beginning each new row with
three beads.
End Row 8 - Complete this row by adding
only 1 bead in the last stitch (Illustration 21).

20

19

Row 1

Stitch to top of bag

Stitch the flap to the top of the bag just as you
attached the bottom panel.
Attach the Pendant. Stitch the pendant to the
bottom of the flap. Run the needle through all
the beads on the last row and then through the
pendant. Repeat several times. Weave the end
of the thread through several rows of stitching
to secure before clipping the end.
Add the Strap. Thread the needle with 70" of
thread. Weave the end through several rows of
stitching to secure and bring the needle up
through the left front corner bead. Thread on
15 beads, a Silver bead and enough seed beads
to make the strap the length desired. Then
thread another Silver bead and 15 seed beads.
Bring the needle down through the right front
corner bead. Weave the thread through the top
few stitches of the bag and bring the needle
out through the back right corner bead. String
15 seed beads, then pass the needle through
all the beads between the Silver beads. String
last 15 seed beads and bring needle back down
through the back left corner bead. Weave
through several stitches to secure. Reinforce
strap with another 70" piece of thread.
Make a Cardboard Insert. Cut out and fold the
cardboard insert using the pattern. Square up
your bag as best you can, hold your breath and
slip it in. It may not be a perfect fit, every bead-
er has a different stitch tension and beads are
not uniform. If it just won’t work, measure your
bag and use insert as a guide to make your
own.
That’s It - You’re a Pro! You’ve added a new
stitch to your growing list of talents.

Suppliers - Most craft and variety
stores carry an excellent assortment of
supplies. If you need something spe-
cial, ask your local store to contact the
following companies.
Toho Beads

Tambrook Bead & Trade
www.tambrookbeadandtrade. com

Brass Beads

South Pacific Wholesale
www.beading.com

Small Bottles, Black Disk Beads

Rings & Things,
www.rings-things.com

Wire Wrapped Crystal Point

Fire Mountain Gem
www.firemountaingems.com

Beading Thread

Power Pro
www.beadsmith.com

Styrene Plastic Tubes

Available from hobby shops

Hey, beading isn’t a science!

Hey, beading isn’t a science!

Matchbox Patter

n

for

Car

dboar

d Inser

t

or use a

Real Matchbox

Beaded Bag-ettes 35

Illustrated is one
method of con-
necting the beads.
Other methods
work also.