Blue Rondelle Zigzig Collar

Back in 2012 I made samples of a netted zigzag collar design from Maria Rypan. It had rondelles along the edge and within the zigzag.

I also made myself a purple version to wear to a gala presentation for the Creativ Festival Designer Challenge. I used rondelles along the edge but replaced the rondelles within the zigzag with 3mm fire polished crystals.

In 2013 Maria was preparing to have the design published in Beadwork Magazine Aug/Sep 2013. I did a test run of the instructions as they would appear in the magazine. I worked with beads that I had on hand and that I would like to wear once the piece was finished.  After a few repeats I wa able to ensure that the instructions were fine. I put the sample aside until the article was published. 

Once I had the magazine in hand I did a few more repeats of the design before figuring out that I was not going to have enough rondelles for the length I wanted to make. So it got put aside yet again. I was able to get more rondelle but did not finish the necklace right away.

My summer vacation challenge to finish up some of my UFOs and the upcoming Blue Fantasy Blog Hop that I am participating in got me thinking that I should finish it.

Come back again on Saturday September 6 to see the Blue Fantasy Blog Hop Reveal.

Happy Beading!

Side Project

As I was working on the complete teal "Rita" zigzagged rondelles that Maria had requested I ran out of the small rondelles. I will get more from her on Tuesday, so I have time to work on a side project for myself.

Having spend time working on the complete teal piece, I was in the zone with the pattern, so I decided that I would make my own colour variation. I had some great large rondelles from Silver Dawn Jewels, but no co-ordinating smaller ones. Searching thru my fire-polished drawer I found some 3mm clear crystals. I added silver and purple seed beads to round out the needed supplies.

Supplies laid out 

Once I got going I love the way it looks. The silver and purple are a great reference back to my pieces that I made for the Designer Style Challenge. This will be a great necklace to wear to the Gala on the Saturday on Creativ Festival.

Iris Zigzag in progress

“Rita” Zigzagged Rondelles

Creativ Festival is only 3 weeks away. It is the 25th anniversary fall show. To honor the celebration Maria of Rypan Designs has designed a beautiful necklace named for the founder Rita Gramsch. The design is based on her basic netted zigzag design.

When Maria started working on the anniversary design, I suggested working in Rita's favorite colour, teal. Starting with the zigzag pattern, Maria swapped out some seed beads for tiny rondelles. With teal as the ground colour and silver as the accent the addition of larger rondelles on every third picot made this the necklace a stunning design.

I have made a display sample in black and silver. But Maria has now requested a complete necklace in the teal. So here is my working piles of beads.

This is a beautiful design that is best as a collar length necklace. Maria is teaching this project at Creativ Festival. I hope to have time to make one for myself soon.

Beadwork - Broad Collar segment

In addition to the box class on Saturday, on Sunday I took the broad collar class with Julia Pretl at Bead Junction.

I have done broad collars before but I used vertical netting. Julia's are done with horizontal bands of ladder stitch.

Instead of attempting to make a full collar we made just a segment of a collar. I have finished the collar section. I am going to finish it off with a combination of chain and larger blue beads.