Roped In

After experimenting with seed bead chain maille, I wanted to take the idea a little further. This necklace was made by connecting rings of seed beads, created by zipping up strips of right angle weave. It was extremely fun to make, and opens up all kinds of design possibilities using chain maille techniques.

Before trying out more complex designs, I wanted to work more with the tubular RAW.

The Inspiration:

The small right angle weave tubes in the chain maille necklace had a rounded shape, but I wanted to see if I could create a square rope for a simple necklace. I hoped that working with larger beads would help the four sided tube take a more angular shape.

The Beads:

To help with my goal of a square rope, I started with 3mm Toho cubes. The smooth edges are ideal for stitching without fraying thread. I paired the green/blue cubes with the olive shade “Green Picasso” in 8/o Toho seed beads. The combination is somewhat reptilian, which fits nicely with a beaded rope.

The Beadwork:

Using larger beads made stitching up this necklace incredibly fast. By using cube beads in two rows opposite each other, I was able to get the angled shape I wanted for the rope.

I finished it off with a beaded loop and lime green lampwork bead for a clasp. At 16 inches it rests just over the collar bone. I can see it paired with just about any top or dress.