Welcome to Part 1 of Pearls on the Halfshell.
This post covers all the Bead Weaving you need to do for the Earring and Pendant Components.
If you are just joining the Project, you may want to Read the Intro for the Lesson Plans and the Full Materials and Tools lists.
Materials and Tools for Part 1
- Beading Thread and Needle
- Size 8/0 Seed Beads
- Size 11/0 Seed Beads
- Size 15/0 Seed Beads
- 2 – 12 mm Swarovski Pearls
- 1-14 mm Swarovski Pearl
- Scissors or Thread Burner
Bead Weaving Techniques
- Ladder Stitch
- Tubular Herringbone Stitch with Inclusions
- Right Angle Weave
- Adding Embellishments
- Following Thread Paths
- Ending the Thread
If you need help with the Basic Stitches, use the Links above to Shop my Technique Guides.
Ladder Stitch
Herringbone Stitch begins by building a base of beads using Ladder Stitch.
A two bead Ladder Base begins by picking up 4 beads and passing back up through the first 2 picked up. When you pull the thread through, the last 2 beads come into position and sit beside the first 2.
To get into position to add more beads, you then have to pass down through the last 2 beads again.
Due to the nature of the stitch, the direction of the stitches alternate from top to bottom each time you add another row of 2 beads and you move into position.
Getting Started
Begin by creating a 2 bead high Ladder Stitch Base.
- 2 Rows of 8/0’s
- 2 Rows of 11/0’s
To Form the Tube
- Pass back up through the first two 8/0’s
- Pass back down through the last two 11/0’s
- Pass back up through the first two 8/0’s again to get into position.
Since we are beginning each piece of bead work with a 2 bead high ladder, once the tube is formed, they will count as 2 rows of herringbone stitch.
Rows of Bead Work per Component
- Earrings – 14 Rows
- Pendant – 16 Rows
Herringbone Stitch with Inclusion
It is easier to understand this stitch if you think about the base rows as columns.
In this project, you will have a column of 8/0 beads and a column of 11/ beads.
You will be building your bead work, two beads at a time.
I am left handed so my starting point is the left side bead of the 8/0 column and this point is also the beginning of each additional row.
A Round or Row consists of adding beads to both columns and the step ups on both sides of the columns.
The Inclusion Beads are added during the Step up Stitch between each Column.
At the end of each Row, you pass up through the bead of the previous Row plus the Bead added in the current row.
For Each Row of Tubular Herringbone
Column One
- Pick up two 8/0’s
- Pass down the next 8/0 bead
Step-Up
- Pick up one 15/0
- Pass up the next 11/0
Column Two
- Pick up tow 11/0’s
- Pass down the next 11/0
Step-Up
- Pick up one 15/0
- Pass up through the next two 8/0’s
For each Earring Component – Repeat these steps 11 more times each.
For the Pendant Component – Repeat these Steps 13 more times.
Closing the Ends of the Bead Work
Once you complete the last Row, you will see that you have one more accent bead to add along each side of the bead work, between each column.
The next steps will take care of that and set up 2 beads of a Right Angle Weave Unit we will used to cover the ends of the tube.
The working thread should be in the starting position, exiting the left 8/0 bead:
- Pick up one 15/0 and pass down the next 8/0
- Pick up one 15/0 and pass up the next 11/0
- Pick up one 15/0 and pass down the next 11/0
- Pick up one 15/0 and pass up the next 8/0 (Only One Bead This Time)
Next, to cover the end of the Bead work we will use the two 15/0’s we just added to split the columns to form a Right Angle Weave Unit.
To get into Position – Pass over through the 15/0 sitting between the 8/0 Beads.
Pick up one 15/0 and pass through the 15/0 sitting between the 11/0 beads
(Note that my working thread is exiting left of the 15/0 I am starting from, so I pick up the 15/0 and pass through the next bead from left to right.)
Pick up a 15/0 and pass back through the bead you started from from right to left.
Reinforce all the beads of the Right Angle Weave Unit.
Pass through the Beads of the Right Angle Weave unit until your exiting the 15/0 above the 11/0 column and then pass down all the 11/0 beads on the right hand side of the Column to the other end of the Bead Work.
On this end of the Bead Work, we only need to add the Beads that split the Columns and the finish the Right Angle Weave Unit.
To add the Beads:
- Pick up a 15/0 and pass down the next 11/0
- Pass through the 15/0 on the side and up through the next 8/0
- Pick up a 15/0 (Shown) and pass down the next 8/0 (not Shown)
- Pass through the 15/0 on the side and up through the next 11/0
Pass over through the first 15/0 you added in this round to get into position to form the Right Angle Weave Unit on this end of the Bead Work.
Repeat the previous steps used on the other end to form this Unit and Reinforce the unit.
The working thread should be exiting the 15/0 splitting the 11/0 Column when done.
Adding The Pearl
To add the Pearl we will be using the first and last rows of Beads on the 11/0 Column.
To get into position, pass down through the next 11/0 Bead.
Note that I stitch down the bead on the right because my working thread is exiting to the right of the 15/0 bead.
The working thread is now exiting the right hand 11/0 of Row 1.
Pick up the pearl and sew up through the left hand 11/0 Bead of the last row.
Pass down through the right hand 11/0 bead of the last row.
Sew back through the Pearl.
Sew up through the left hand 11/0 bead of Row 1.
Sew back down the Right hand 11/1 Bead of Row 1 and then Reinforce by passing through all the beads again and don’t forget to sew through the pearl each time you cross.
After you sew back up the left side of Row, pass through the / that splits the 11/0 Column
Sew through the side and top beads of the RAW Unit.
Sew down into the 8/0 Beads.
Now you can either weave off the thread or tie half hitch knots.
Remember to move away from the last knot before ending the thread with your scissors or thread burner.
Remember to make the Earring Components with the 12 mm Pearls and a total of 14 rows, counting the 2 beads of the ladder base as two of the Rows.
And the Pendant with the 14 mm Pearl and a total of 16 rows, with the 2 beads of the ladder base counting as two of the rows.
That is it for Part 1 of the Series.
In Part 2 of the Pearls on the Halfshell Series, you will use 2 basic wire working skills to complete the components to add the crystals and make loops for the drop and the ear wire.
I will be using 22 gauge wire for part 2 because that is the thickest wire that fits through the beadwork and the pearl.
You will want to do the same, use the thickest gauge that fits through as well, so the component finishes professionally and doesn’t spin around on too thin of a wire.
This concludes Part 1 of the Pearls on the Halfshell Series.
Make sure to follow my Blog to stay up to date on this project and all the new and exciting content from The Alluring Bead Boutique.
Pearls on The Halfshell Tutorials
- Intro – Materials, Supplies and Tools Info
- Part 1 – The Beadweaving
- Part 2 – Finishing the Components
- Part 3 – The Ear Wires
- Part 4 – The Beaded Links and Chain