Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Nunzia's "Earrings Number One" - How to make my variations

I wasn't quite sure how to present these tweaks because the steps aren't numbered in Nunzia's video. I also can't post the complete tutorial as a PDF because it's not my pattern. So, you will need to watch the video carefully and work these changes in when you get to the right places in the tutorial.

Click HERE to watch Nunzia's video tutorial. I suggest making the earrings once or twice using her method so that you're familiar with the procedure.

TWEAK #1: When you come around again to the top of the earring where Nunzia says to pick up 3 seed beads, I pick up 5 instead. I found that with most SuperDuos, three wasn't enough to go around the point without causing some of the beads to go wonky.


TWEAK #2: After adding the strings of 4 seed beads of netting across the bottom of the earring, and weaving back around to the top to add 3 seed beads, I go back around through all the outside beads until I reach the very center seed bead at the bottom. I go through that center bead, pick up 3 seed beads and then go back around through the seed bead I just exited. This forms a little "cross". I weave back around through those three beads again to reinforce the "cross" and then go back out through the seed bead that I started from to continue on around the edge to the top of the earring.
TWEAK #3: I've changed the way that I make the top loop for the earring wire. Instead of picking up five 11/0 seed beads for the loop, I pick up two 11/0's, then one 8/0 and two more 11/0's. Now I weave around the loop and top part of the earring to reinforce the loop a few times. As I go around through the five beads I just added, I skip the 8/0 seed bead and make it pop out. I use this bead to insert a jump ring to attach the earring wire to.

After making the loop at the top of the earring, I weave around the outer beads and exit through the center seed bead of the three that are on the side of the first SuperDuo bead near the bottom left side of the earring. Continue on with Tweak #4.

NOTE: I didn't notice until after I'd made a bunch of sample earrings that the SuperDuo at the very top is a little crooked. To make it stay upright, make sure that you weave around through the outside hole of the SuperDuo once or twice as you reinforce the top loop. Doing so will pull the seed beads closer to the side of the SuperDuo bead and will make it behave.

TWEAK #4: Next, I pick up 7 seed beads and go through the first seed bead on the side of the little cross at the bottom of the earring. I continue on through the center bead of the cross and then through the bead on the other side.
Next, I pick up 7 more seed beads and go through the center seed bead of the three on the side of the third SuperDuo on the right side of the earring. While adding these two strings of netting across the bottom, keep your tension slightly loose. If you pull these beads too tight, the netting won't stay neat and smooth. Keep this in mind too as you weave back around through the netting later to reinforce it.
At this point, the earring is finished except to reinforce it and add the jump ring and wire. Since I've already woven through the beads in the upper part of the earring several times, I only reinforce the two rows of netting at the bottom. To get back around to the other side of the earring to reinforce it, follow the thread path below, which is the same one that Nunzia mentions in the video.
That's what I do for the first of my variations. Make the same tweaks that I mentioned above for both of my other two variations and then proceed with the following additions to embellish the bottom of the earring. You will need to follow the thread path above to get ready to do both of these two variations.

VARIATION #2:

Weave around through the first five 11/0 seed beads of the long row of netting at the bottom.

Pick up eleven 11/0 seed beads. Skip the next two 11/0 seed beads of the netting, the three "cross" beads and the next two 11/0 seed bead of the netting. Go on through the remaining beads of the netting.

Weave across the earring again following the same thread path as last time. Go around the outer five 11/0 seed beads and the next five 11/0 seed beads of the netting on the bottom of the earring. Skip the sixth 11/0 seed bead and go through the next five. Pop out the center bead that you skipped.

Weave around the earring to reinforce it and weave in the working thread. Insert a jump ring through the 8/0 seed bead and attach an earring wire to the jump ring.

Sorry, but I didn't take any step-by-step photos when I made this version but the bottom of the earring will look like this when you're finished:
VARIATION #3:

Go through the first six 11/0 seed beads of the bottom row of netting.
Pick up seven 11/0 seed beads. Skip the next 11/0 seed bead, the three 11/0 seed beads of the "cross" and the next 11/0 seed bead. Continue on through the next six 11/0 seed beads of the netting.
Weave back around through the inner row of netting to get back to the other side of the earring. The two photos below are showing the back of the earring because it's easier to follow the path by flipping the work over.
Flip the earring back over. Go through the first six 11/0 seed beads of the bottom row of netting and then on through the first three 11/0 seed beads of the seven 11/0 seed beads you just added.
Skip the next 11/0 seed bead and go through the next three 11/0 seed beads and the six 11/0 seed beads of the netting on the other side of this row.

Pop out the center 11/0 seed bead that was skipped and continue on through the next six 11/0 seed beads of this row of netting.

Weave back around to reinforce this new point of beads that you just added

Weave around the earring to reinforce it and weave in the working thread. Insert a jump ring through the 8/0 seed bead and attach an earring wire to the jump ring.

 

8 comments:

  1. I like the variations. Thank you for sharing how to make the variations. I like the overall shape of this earring.

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    1. The shape is what attracted me to this pattern. There are so many round earring patterns but not so many in shapes like this.

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  2. The shape of the overall earring attracted me as well. I saw the video, used some of your tweaks and have made a few pairs with tweaks of my own - using 2 colors of seed beads but different from the video. Love these. I am on my 6th pair and plan to drop them off at a resale shop associated with a women's shelter. Thanks and LOVE your blog!

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    1. Do you have any photos of your earrings that you can post on Pinterest or somewhere? I'd love to see your tweaks.

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  3. What color are the pinkish superduos?

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