O

ne Christmas, my husband gave
me a shoebox with 180 little
boxes of seed beads. You would

have thought he had given me the Hope
Diamond. He told me he had chosen
them from a close-out bin. It was amus-
ing to picture him sorting through
beads, but I knew it was a real testimony
of love. So I only giggled a little bit.

Though I am always looking for new

inspiration, I think Russian beadwork is
my favorite source. Looking through my
books on this topic inspired me to cre-
ate my sweetheart necklace design.

step

by

step

To achieve the heart shape, you must
keep the thread tension taut so the
skipped beads pop out.

Thread a needle with 4 yd. (3.6m) of

thread. String a bead 3 in. (8cm) from
the tail end. Tie the tail and working
thread in a surgeon’s knot (see “Basics”)
over the bead. Glue the knot and string
a bead tip over the bead (photo). Trim
the thread tail close to the bead.

Chain

Stitch these sweet links
into a necklace or
bracelet

by Josette Maguire

String 3 A beads, 2 B beads, and 3 A

beads. Continue through the first 6
beads strung (figure 1, a-b). Skip bead 7
and go through bead 8, pulling the
thread taut so that bead 7 pops out,
becoming a “point” bead. Skip bead 1
and go through the next 4 beads (b-c).

String 6 As and 1 B. Sew through

bead last exited in step 2 and continue
through the first bead strung in step 3
(figure 2, a-b). Skip the second bead,
pulling the thread taut, and sew through
the third bead. Skip the fourth bead and
sew through the next 2 beads (b-c).

String 3 A beads. Sew through the

first bead loop as shown in figure 3 and
continue through the beadwork, skip-
ping point beads, to reach the 3 beads
just added (figure 3, a-b). Sew through
the first bead added, skip the second
and go through the third (b-c). The
skipped bead becomes the heart’s
bottom point.

Sew through the beadwork to exit

the point bead on the heart’s right
side (c-d).

To make the connecting diamond

loop, string 3 Bs, 1 A, and 3 Bs. Sew
through the last bead exited (figure 4,
a-b). Continue through the first bead
strung, skip the second bead, sew

through the next 3 beads, and skip the
fourth (b-c). Continue around the loop,
skipping the diamond’s bottom point
bead, to exit the A bead just added (c-d).

Pick up 3 As, 2 Bs, and 2 As. Go

back through the last bead exited to cre-
ate a loop (figure 5, a-b). Sew through
the first bead added, skip the second,
and continue through the third and
fourth beads added (b-c).

materials

• 10g* Size 11

0 seed beads, color A

• 5g* Size 11

0 seed beads, color B

• 2 Bead tips
• 1 Clasp
• 1 Jump ring
• Nymo D or Fireline fishing line, 4 or 6 lb. test
• Beading needles, #12 or 13
*Measurements are for a choker necklace. A
longer necklace requires more, a bracelet less.

a

b

c

of hearts

b

a

c

b

d

a

c

b

a

c

d

figure 1

figure 2

figure 3

figure 4

B e a d

&

B u t t o n • F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 3

3

b

a

c

figure 5

Pick up 1 B and 6 As and go through

the bead exited in step 7 to create a loop
(figure 6, a-b). Go through the first 3
beads added, skip the fourth, and go
through the fifth. Skip the sixth and go
through the seventh bead (b-c).

Sew through this heart’s first loop,

skipping the point beads to exit as in
figure 7, a-b. Pick up 3 A beads and sew
through the heart’s second loop, skip-
ping point beads to reach the beads just
added (b-c). Go through the first bead,
skip the second, go through the third,
and continue through the second loop
to exit at the side point bead (c-d).

Pick up 3 Bs, 1 A, and 3 Bs and sew

through the bead exited in step 9 (figure
8, a-b). Go back through the first bead
strung, skip the second, go through the
third, fourth and the fifth, skip the sixth
and go through seventh (b-c). Continue
through the diamond loop, skipping the
point bead to exit the A bead (c-d).

Continue the pattern in steps 2-11

to build a heart chain to the desired
length.

To finish, string a bead tip and a

seed bead. Sew back through the bead
tip and through the last loop of bead
work, tightening the thread so the bead
nestles into the bead tip. Sew back
through the bead tip and tie several
half-hitch knots (see “Basics”). Glue the
knots and allow them to dry before
trimming the thread. Close both bead
tips and use roundnose pliers to attach
each one to the clasp.

w

Contact Josette at 836 Baxterwood Ln.,
Janesville, WI 53546 or
[e-mail].

4

b e a d a n d bu t t o n . c o m

a

c

b

d

b

a

c

a

b

c

d

figure 6

figure 7

figure 8

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