STEPBYSTEPBEADS.com Projects: Tesserae Earrings

PROJECT: TESSERAE EARRINGS

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Tesserae Earrings

A geometric pendant with all the right angles.
By Marcia DeCoster

Create miniature versions of the Tesserae Pendant following the same RAW stitching technique in the project on page 36. I simply used fewer beads for a more diminutive shape and seed beads instead of crystals along the sides. I also used different colors on the front and back of my earrings for added variety.

Intermediate project

Step by Step

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	• 3 g each of size 11° seed beads in 3 contrasting colors: front (A), back (B), sides (C) • Small amount of size 15° seed beads for edge embellishing • 2 each of 2 contrasting color accent beads (3-5mm) • Thread • 1 pair of ear wires • Scissors
*For information on supplies, please see the Big Bead Book.* Always ask for the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for any materials you buy, which will give you reactivity, health hazard, and safe handling data.

Marcia DeCoster
Marcia has enjoyed teaching nationally for ten years. Her design work is often component oriented as she likes to play with variations in design in color in small pieces that are then joined to create fabulous jewelry. Her work has been published in Jane Davis's Complete Book of Beading, Carol Wilcox Wells's The Art and Elegance of Bead Weaving, and Beadwork. Visit her website at www.marciadecoster.com.

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Making the triangles
In color A seed beads, stitch in flat right-angle weave to make a strip 6 units long by 2 rows wide.

Using two of the end units, continue another strip of right-angle weave 6 units long by 2 units wide. Together with the 2 units from the top, your side will now be 8 units long.

Using two of the end units from the inside edge of side 1, continue a strip of right-angle weave 2 units wide by 4 units long. The bottom beads of the first 2 units from the top of the triangle and the top beads of the fourth row you just completed will be joined together by adding side beads only, shown in red.

Repeat Steps 1-3 in color A for other triangle front, and create 2 more triangles in color B for the reverse sides of the triangles.

Join 1 color A and 1 color B triangle together using color C seed beads. (Note: In the necklace, large crystals were used to form the sides. Size 11° beads work best for the smaller earrings.)

After the inside and outside edges are joined, embellish each edge space on the inside and outside edges of the triangle with a size 15° bead as in Step 11 of the necklace.

Weave a new thread into the top row and exit the side bead that is in the middle of the top. Add 1 size 11°, 2 accent beads and 7 size 15°s to create a loop at the top of the earring. Reinforce by sewing through all the loop beads again.
[Editor's Note: I choose to attach earrings to a closed jump ring rather than a loop of seed beads to prevent the chance of the thread slipping off the ear wire. Both methods are popular. LR]

Use the loop to suspend the triangle from an ear wire. You may choose either color side to show. They can be reversed simply by opening the loop on the ear wire and turning the triangle to reveal the opposite side.

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