MOTHER'S
CELEBRATION BRACELET
About the Kit...
The
Ndebele Stitch, (also known as the Herringbone
Stitch or Basketweave
Stitch), originates from South Africa from
the Ndebele people. This stitch is known by
the herringbone or zig-zag
pattern the beads make when stitched together.
This
stitch is very versatile. There are many variations
on the stitch, which can result in different
patterns and textures, as well as looser or
tighter tension. The Ndebele stitch is easy
to incorporate with other beadweaving
stitches, such as peyote, right angle or brick,
off the ndebele weave.
The
stitch is very soft and fluid. It results
in a very beautiful texturing and patterning.
A lot of thread shows in this stitch, and,
in this case, is a charming part of the whole
effect.
The
beads sit in regular columns in angled pairs,
forming a "V" (thus, herringbone,)
shape.
Ndebele
usually begins by creating a row or two of
ladder-stitched beads. The stitch will work
with any shape or size bead. Evenly sized
beads will result in evenly sized beadwork.
Round beads (as opposed to more
squarer shapes) show less gaps between
each pair of diagonally-stacked beads. With
round beads, the piece feels a little more
flexible.
Ndebele
is easily worked flat or tubular.
Traditional
Ndebele beadwork can also be very flat and
2-dimensional. In contemporary jewelry design,
adding a sense of 3-dimensionality, as well
as movement, are important design elements.
Here the somewhat free-flowing flat strips
and tubes, as well as the raised button, help
contemporarize the
piece.
In
our Mother's Celebration Bracelet, we get
an opportunity to learn several variations
on Ndebele. These include 3 different ways
to make tube shape, including a basic tube,
a basic spiral tube, and a soft spiral tube.
We learn to increase the number of beads in
the width of our piece using a gradual increase
strategy. We also learn to decrease the number
of beads in the width of our piece using a
rapid decrease strategy. We learn to make
a fan or arc by varying the sizes of our beads
within our rows. We learn to create a "negative
space" in order to provide a "button
hole" for our clasp. We also learn to
make a simple decorative edging effect on
the sides of our bracelet.
This
bracelet is meant to be worn loosely around
the wrist.
In the Mother's Celebration Bracelet
project...
LearnToBead
Goals:
- History of Ndebele
-
Ndebele bead weaving basics
-
Managing Thread Tension
-
Reading a Pattern/Creating a simple figural
representation
-
Flat and Tubular and Spiral and Fanning Ndebele
variations
-
Increasing and Decreasing with Ndebele, both
rapid and slow
-
Adding a simple edging effect
-
Adding a button clasp, and creating a negative
space as part of the clasp assembly
-
Discussion of when Ndebele works well
Prerequisites:
-
Orientation To Beads & Jewelry Findings
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