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The project for this article is a woven amulet bag.

Photo 1 shows the pattern I used and Photo 2 shows the finished bag created from it. Amulet bags are fun and we’ll do more amulet bag variations in upcoming articles.

PHOTO 1 – A Basic Amulet Bag Pattern

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As we did with the pattern for a necklace, the pattern for the amulet bag is laid out on ?-inch grid graph paper. You can use this pattern in PhOTO 1 or make your own.

PHOTO 2 – Finished Amulet Bag (front)

Before you create your pattern, think about what you’d like the finished size to be and how you plan to use your bag. If you want a bag that will be strictly "jewelry" it can be smaller than a bag that you expect to be able to use for change, etc. My finished bag is about 3-1/2" on a side. Your bag could be square or rectangular. Once you’ve created your pattern, tape the pattern to ? inch foam core.

You should also consider what you will use for the strap(s) on your bag. I made a braid for the strap on mine, but you could use a woven strap or choose lots of beads for a bag that will be a necklace.

PHOTO 3 – Warp Strung for Weaving

This pattern uses vertical warping. As with our necklaces, you can add beads directly onto the warps or add them later to the finished bag. Rows of beads might be very interesting, for instance. When including beads in your design think about how the finished bag will be folded. You probably won’t want to have the beads at points where the bag is folded.

When the weaving is completed, the length of the pattern will be divided into thirds (more or less) as you fold the bottom third up and fold the top third down to make a "flap." You’ll need to stitch the sides closed after you fold the bottom third up.

PHOTO 4 – Finished Amulet Bag Back with Flap Up

On my example bag, I made the flap come to a center point, but you could slant it off to one side or make a curvy pattern – anything you like. This bag works up fairly quickly, but you need to take care to keep the outside edges straight. I use extra pins along the length to keep everything lined up straight.

www.dianakirkpatrick.com

Needle Woven Necklace Design  -  Part 1 of 3
 

There are several important things to think about when you create necklace designs.:

 (1)  Whether your design is symmetrical or asymmetric, you want the visual “weight” of the elements to feel and look balanced.  For instance, the scarab design in my last article has right vs. left symmetry on either side of a center vertical line

(2)  The beads you select should be appropriately sized for the scale of the piece you are making.  Consider how you need to arrange your beads to show them off to their best in your design. Your design needs a focal point, a feature, an area that the eye is drawn to – it can be part of the woven design, an added element such as a brooch, or groupings of special beads.  The focal point can be highlighted by surrounding it with color that also draws the eye of the viewer. 

(3)  The size of the hole drilled in your beads is an important consideration.  You want to be sure that the beads will fit on the warp.  You can add the beads on the warp as you go, using only one thickness of cord, but they may not sit in your design the way you’d like. So you’ll need to experiment.   If you add beads by sliding the bead onto the double cord, the hole in the bead has to be big enough to accommodate two thicknesses of cord.   That size requirement will eliminate a number of very nice beads.  The lining of silver-lined bugle beads will rub off if you put them on your warps, but you can always add bugles and smaller beads to the finished necklace.  You can embellish your necklace after the weaving is completed by adding fringe, crocheted elements, etc., to your woven design.  Once I’ve selected my beads and decided on their arrangement, I mark the bead positions on my drawing.   

I’m using three colors of #3 Perle Cotton for this necklace – two shades of purple and an aqua shade.   I’m also using two metallic threads.   I have selected a mixture of iridescent purple tube beads, square peacock pearls, and Czech crystals to use in this piece.   The hole in the peacock pearl is too small to allow the pearl to go onto the warp so I will sew this bean onto the finished necklace at later time.  I’ll also use the pearls for “dangles” at the bottom of the necklace.  I will add the dangles using head pins when the weaving is finished.  A head pin is a wire with a “head” similar to a sewing pin’s head.

The photos below show the bead placement, the pin placement, and the warp on my pattern. 

PHOTO 1:    DESIGN LAYOUT WITH BEAD PLACEMENT DRAWN IN

 
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You can see the concept behind the pin placement better in this vertical layout than in the scarab we examined earlier.  In photo 2, notice that across the bottom of the pattern the numbers run out from zero at the center in both directions and the pins are placed on the lines.  Across the top of the pattern the spaces on either side of the center line are marked as “1” and the numbers run out to the sides. The pins at the top are placed halfway between the lines.   Be sure that pins are inserted at about a 45 degree so they will hold securely.

PHOTO 2:    PIN PLACEMENT

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 The warp is usually a 4 ply No. 18 waxed linen thread or something similar.  You can get a rough idea of how much warp you’ll need by measuring back and forth across your piece (I use string and then measure the string).  Add some extra for tying off at the ends.  

Using a slip knot, tie the end of the warp to the pin whose position is most to the left (not necessarily a top row pin), then proceed across the piece to the next pin then back across to the next, etc.  There is no photo to illustrate this so just start with the leftmost outside pin (in this case the leftmost pin is the first pin in the second row), then go up to the leftmost pin on the top row, then back and forth.  In Photo 3 I’ve marked the starting point and the ending point for the warps.   Place your beads onto the warp as you go, according to your design.   At the last pin, tie the warp off with another slip knot.  Once the warps and your beads are in place, you are ready to weave.

I use No. 3 perle cotton with a tapestry (blunt tip) needle to weave and I put at least two threads through the eye of the needle together.  One thread is perle cotton, the other thread is a metallic.  Metallic threads come in many colors that can complement your perle cotton color or contrast with it.   You can also use two different colors of perle cotton.   To start, weave with a basic under/over (plain weave) stitch.  Once you are comfortable with weaving, you can experiment with variations (go under 2 or 3 warps then over 2 or 3, etc.).  Like all needlework, there’s a correct tension or tightness for what you are doing and you’ll learn what this is as you go.  You will need to weave for a while to get a “feel” for it and for your tension to be uniform.  Too loose will not look good and too tight will pull the yarn off your pattern. 

As you can see in Photo 3, openings are created between sections that are not woven together.   You can create some very lacy designs using open areas.  Twisted threads will create another interesting effect in your necklace.  Have fun experimenting.    Look at the openings that occur in Photo 3 below.     As you weave, compact each new row against the rest.  I use a table fork to push the rows together.   If you choose a design that has matching patterns on the left and the right, try to work on both sides during one working session.  This will help preserve the same tension.  In addition to thread and needle, you will need sewing scissors, extra needles, and a small pair of pliers.  I often thread two needles with the same thread so I can work on two areas simultaneously.  When pulling the needle and threads through the finished weaving to end a section, you may find that you need to grab your needle with a pair of pliers in order to pull it through.

 PHOTO 3:  WEAVING STARTED

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With my beads placed on the warp, I began weaving on the left side of my necklace.   I left about an inch and a half of thread loose down the edge of the pattern then wove across the entire top of the necklace and back.  From this point, I started weaving in the top left side block.   Weave the thread ends into the block as you go.  Try to fill the entire block with woven thread.   I use some straight pins to hold the compressed weaving in place.  As I weave more, I move the pins down.   Use the lines on your graph paper to keep beads and woven areas lined up on each side.

When I’ve finished the first block, I end the block by running the thread up through my weaving.  I also trim any thread ends that are hanging down below the block.   Hint:   don’t cut any threads until you are absolutely sure you are finished.   I often leave about one inch hanging out after I’ve run the threads up so I can tighten the threads if needed.

I start the threads for the next block by running them up through the weaving in the block just completed.  BE SURE that all your beads are in place before you get into this block if you are following my design.   Weave the block, going around the beads that you included in the design.  If you can’t get all the way across the block because of a bead, do one side, then fill in the other side later.

Start the center section of our design in the same way.  Be sure that your beads are in place so weaving won’t block bead placement.

In Part 2 (below) we’ll do more weaving and talk about additional things you can do with your necklace designs.

Needle Woven Necklace Design  -  Part 2 of 3
 

In Part 1 of this article I described how to set up the necklace pattern on graph paper, mark the bead placement then start weaving and in Part 2 we finished the weaving.  In Part 3 we’ll add embellishments and discuss possibilities for the neck straps.

 PHOTO 1:   PIN PLACEMENT ON LAYOUT

 
click photo for enlarged view

You can clearly see the pin placement in the layout shown in Photo 1.   Pay particular attention the numbers that appear above and below the pattern.  Across the bottom of the pattern the numbers run out from zero (at the center) in both directions and the pins are placed on the lines.  Across the top of the pattern the spaces on either side of the center line are marked as “1” and the numbers run out to the sides.  The pins at the top are placed halfway between the lines.   Be sure that pins are inserted at an angle so they will hold securely.

 PHOTO 2:  WARPING DONE & WEAVING STARTED

 
click photo for enlarged view

In general, the warp is usually a 4 ply No. 18 waxed linen thread or something similar.  Using a slip knot, tie the end of the warp to the pin whose position is most to the left as seen in Photo 2  (not necessarily a top row pin).    You place your beads onto the warp as you go, according to your design.   You’ll have to experiment to determine which beads and what arrangement you like the best.   At the last pin, tie the warp off with another slip knot.  Once the warps and your beads are in place, you are ready to weave.

I’m weaving with No. 3 Perle Cotton (or a similar thread) using a tapestry (blunt tip) needle.  Usually I use at least two threads together through my needle for each row I weave – one is perle cotton, the other(s) are lurex metallic. The metallic threads come in many colors which can compliment your perle cotton color or contrast with it.  I used three metallic threads and one perle cotton for most of this necklace.  In the center section I used two perle cotton threads (aqua and deep purple) and three metallic threads.  

Photo 2 shows some of the weaving at the top of the necklace.  The weaving is done with a basic under/over (plain weave) weaving stitch, although you can use variations (go under 2 or 3 then over 2 or 3, etc.).  I start weaving on the left top.  I leave about an inch and a half of yarns loose, then start weaving.   I lay the loose threads along the warp thread and weave them into the section.  You will need to weave for a while to get a “feel” for it and for your tension to be uniform.  You will find that your beads tend to slide to the bottom as you work.  Be careful to arrange your beads before you weave into an area that will prevent you from placing the beads where you want them.

As you weave, compact each new row against the rest.  I use a table fork to do this.   If you choose a design that has matching patterns on the left and the right, try to do both sides during one working session. This will help preserve the same tension.  Like any needlework, there’s a correct tension or tightness for what you are doing and you’ll learn this as you go.  Too loose will not look good and too tight will pull. 

PHOTO 3:  WEAVING IN PROGRESS

 
click photo for enlarged view

Unless you weave segments together, you will produce openings between the woven sections in your pattern.  Some designs look very lacy with open areas in them.  I like the naturally occurring openings and the effect they create.  The openings around the beads set them off and can’t be eliminated.  Near the top of our necklace you can see openings in the weaving between the dark purple sections and the lighter purple sections.  If you do not want to have openings between woven segments, you need to weave the sections together as you go.   One way to do this is to weave every other row around the first warp of the adjacent section.

If you look at the top group of cylinder beads as shown in Photo 3, you’ll see that where there is a single warp thread due to the pattern designs, I have wrapped my weaving threads around and around the warp until you reach a point where you pick up additional warps. 

I use straight pins to anchor sections and warps in place so that they do not pull to one side or the other as I’m weaving.   When a section is completed, run your needle up through the weaving and pull your thread through.   Be careful not to let any of your pulled through weaving thread show when you do this.  Pull the threads through a substantial amount of the weaving so the end will be secure.  You can also curve into another row and backtrack a little to anchor your thread ends.   Once you’ve pulled your threads through you can cut them off.  I generally leave a length of around two inches.  I want to be able to identify where I’ve pulled threads through so I don’t try to pull additional threads through the same area (especially in the opposite direction).   When you start new threads in the body of your necklace, either for a new section or to continue an existing section, you will pull them through the weaving in the same way.

As you weave, you will discover that when you are working around groups of beads you may not be able to have access to all the spaces you want to weave.  The beads and the grouping you chose may block your access to certain areas.  Here’s an example:  midway down our necklace, there’s second group of cylinder beads.  You can weave the center section down to where that second group starts, but then you will need to work over to each side and back, then anchor your threads.   You will have to start new threads down each outer part of this section in order to weave those areas.  Run your threads down through the weaving in the center in order to complete the weaving the area just above the second group of cylinder beads.  (This is how I completed weaving the area above the first group of cylinder beads at the top of the necklace).

To weave the next section below the second group of cylinder beads (lavender fibers in our necklace), run threads down one side and weave as much as possible, then introduce threads from the other side and complete weaving the area.   Another approach to doing this area is to start from each side and weave to the center, interlacing the threads in the center.  I used a combination of these approaches.  

The lavender section has angular lines in the center portion.   To deal with weaving on a diagonal line make each row one or two stitches longer than the row above it depending on the angle of the slant.  You will use this same approach to weaving the final dark purple section of the necklace   Weave as close as possible to the pins at the bottom of the necklace and compact your threads well so the weaving is nice and firm.

PHOTO 4:  WEAVING THE NECKLACE BODY COMPLETED

click photo for enlarged view

I had to run my thread through the center cylinder bead in order to weave to very bottom of this necklace.  The hole in my bead was too small to run all the threads through, so I used just the skinny metallic ones.  Once I was finished weaving the bottom section, I wove a piece of the heavier perle cotton thread through my weaving.  When you have finished the weaving and run all your threads back into areas woven earlier, you can trim all the thread ends and remove the pins.

In Part 3 of this article (below), I’ll show how to add beads to the bottom of the necklace and we’ll consider various possibilities for the neck straps.

In Parts 1 and 2, I described how to create a necklace pattern and start weaving.  In Part 3 we’ll add embellishments, weave the neck straps, and complete the necklace.

PHOTO 1:  WEAVING THE NECKLACE BODY (COMPLETED)

The weaving is finished, with all thread ends run back into areas woven earlier, and the thread ends have been trimmed.  Remove the pins.  Your goal is to have the back of your piece look as neat as the front.   In photo 1, you can see that I sewed the pearl in the center of the design and added a few seed beads.  If you want to add more beads to the body of the necklace in this way, you can do it at any time, now or later.

Adding Dangling Beads to the Necklace

PHOTO 2:   NECKLACE WITH SOME DANGLES ADDED - HEADPINS

In photo 2 you can see the head pins I used to attach the crystals and beads to the bottom of the necklace.  You can buy head pins in a variety of styles or make your own from wire.  The beads are added to the headpins, the pin is bent at a 90 degree angle just above the beads using pliers, then curved around the tip of your round nose pliers to make a loop.  Don’t quite finish the loop – you need to be able to thread the wire through the warp at the bottom of your necklace.   The beads on the head pin should look like the example in Photo 2. 

Locate the warps at the bottom of your necklace.  You may need to use a crochet hook or a large pin to loosen the warp a little.  Slide the wire of your dangle into the warp until your bead hangs free then wrap the end of the head pin wire around and around just below the loop a couple of times.   Cut off the excess wire and use your pliers or a crimper to wrap the end in tightly.   Attach all your dangling beads in this manner.   You may want to use a tiny file to smooth the cut end of the wire.  You can also purchase pins with a loop on one end to attach a dangling bead.  You attach them just like head pins. You can also add charms, etc., to the necklace as dangles by putting a jump ring through the eye on the charm and running the end of the jump ring through the warp loop.  Use your pliers to close the jump ring.  Or use split rings – they look like a double jump ring – to attach charms.  Split rings will not pull open.

An alternative to adding dangles this way is to thread your beads onto the warps initially before the weaving is started.   As you string your warp, the bead(s) is slipped over the bottom end loop of the warp using microfilament fishline or a crochet hook and the loop of warp thread is brought up and over the bead or charm to hold it in place securely.   To do this, the hole in the bead has to be large enough to accommodate a double thickness of warp thread and you will also need extra warp thread length.

Adding the Neck Straps to Your Necklace

You have a large number of choices when adding neck straps to your necklace.   You can have straps of beads, woven straps, one of each, or straps that combine weaving with bead sections.  If you choose to weave one side and use beads on the other, make sure that both straps are equal in weight.  If one side is heavier than the other (beads weigh more than the fibers), the necklace will pull to the heavy side and not hang straight.

If you want to weave the straps, get out your graph paper and create the patterns you want to use just as you did for the necklace.  You can add beads to each warp thread or over a double warp as we discussed earlier.   I’m going to weave part way up the straps, have a row of three cylinder beads on each side, then continue weaving until the straps are long enough. To start your weaving, anchor the weaving thread(s) into the back of the necklace.  When the straps are long enough to overlap slightly behind your neck and the pendant is where you want it to hang when you wear it, you are ready to make your closure.  There are a number of options open to you at this point.  We’ll look at three possibilities.

PHOTO 3:  WARPING FOR STRAPS WITH WOVEN ENDS

(1)  To create straps with woven ends, draw the outline of your necklace on graph paper and draw the straps.   Anchor the necklace in place with pins.  Use a favorite necklace to guide you as to strap length and allow some length to overlap behind the neck.   Place your pins at the ends of the neck straps.   Measure how much warp length is needed to make the straps about 9” on each side. You start warping just as we did for the necklace:  attach the warp at the outside corner of the necklace – lift that outside warp and run the warp for the straps under.  Tie the end to the necklace warp with a slip knot, then run the strap warp up and down between the pins at the end of the strap and the warps at the top of the necklace, slipping it under each warp loop as you go.   Tie another slip knot at the necklace end to finish the warping for the strap.  Repeat on the other side.  The ends of the warp will be buried in the weaving (just as we did for the necklace itself).  This will produce straps with woven finished ends.  Sew a hook and eye or snaps onto the strap ends and your necklace is complete!  You could also you a fancy closure if you have something you like, threading the warp through the eyes on the closure or attached the closure to your straps with split rings.

PHOTO 3a:  WARPS ARE STRUNG FOR STRAPS WITH A LOOP END

(2)  Alternatively, once you know how long you want your straps to be, double that length and cut three warps for each side.   Thread the three double length warp threads through the warps at the top of your necklace on each side as shown in Photo 3a.  Add any beads you want.  Keeping the warps aligned, tie all the warp ends in a knot near the end and pin the knot securely to your board.  Repeat for the other side. When you have woven as much as you want, make a fiber coil wrapped loop on one side and a fiber wrapped knot on the other side for the closure. On the other side, wrap your perle cotton threads around and around the remaining warp thread length until you have more than enough to create a loop that will fit over the button/bead on the other strap.  Make your loop and anchor it by running your thread through the wrapped part and coiling it around some more.  Anchor the ends by running through the wrapped part a few times.   See Photo 4 for reference.

(3) Sometimes I prefer to use beads for my straps.  You can string the beads on your warp threads, but you can also use beading wire (Beadalon, etc.) and crimps.  Attach your bead wire(s) through the warps at the top of your necklace and use a crimp bead to anchor it.  I try to select a bead that will slide over the crimp and hide it as my first bead on the string.  Add all of your beads and your closure at the other end and fasten with more crimps to complete the beaded straps.  (Another approach to this is to use clam shell bead tips to hide the crimp.  In this case you do not thread the bead wires under the warps – just crimp or knot the end and add a bead tip, then attach the hook of the bead tip to your warp.)

PHOTO 5:  COMPLETED NECKLACE WITH STRAPS

Enjoy wearing your necklace! 

I’ve had several requests for sources for materials and information, so I’m including a brief list here. An internet search will turn up even more.

Yarns

Herrschner’s – a good source for a variety of yarns and perle cottons.  They also carry some metallic threads.  The address is 2800 Hoover Rd., Stevens Point, WI 54492.  Their phone is 1-800-441-0838.  The URL for the website is www.herrschners.com

Earth Guild – perle cotton and other fibers.  www.earthguild.com or 33 Haywood St., Asheville, NC 28801;   Needlework Unlimited – perle cotton;  www.needleworkunlimited.com;  I also found some interesting items at www.welcomestitchery.com

I’ve used Purr-fect Punch thread, but so far I haven’t found a source for this brand.  However, YLI Corp. is source for very similar threads and YLI has a list retail outlets on their website at www.ylicorp.com

I have purchased waxed Linen Thread  from Royalwood Ltd.   Their contact info is: 517 Woodville Rd., Mansfied, OH 44907,  1-800-526-1630.

Pins

I purchased pins several years ago at Panda International Trading, 237 W. 38^th St., New York, NY 10018, 212-302-9434.  I do not know if they are still at this location.   The pins I’m using are #20, but I think #24 would also work.  They are labeled Prim Dritz and the URL for Dritz is www.dritz.com