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Needlewoven Art
Jewelry Pendants and Necklaces
by Diana Kirkpatrick
New woven art jewelry designs are on the
drawing board that incorporate handwoven segments into metal
designs and introduce woven metal and other metal elements into
fiber pieces. Some will be small pieces of weaving set into
silver frames. Another design is for a larger necklace that will
have a removable silver pendant as a focal. I’ve used braiding and
twining as well as other techniques in creating these handmade woven
fiber pieces.
Weaving and woven objects have been used since
the dawn of human civilization as personal adornments. However,
“tapestry needleweaving” is a relatively unique form of weaving.
Tapestry needleweaving can be used to create necklaces and
“pectorals” that are ready to wear from almost the moment the last
threads are woven. This technique was originated by Helen Banes, a
talented and innovative Washington, DC area fiber artist and jewelry
designer.
The terminology for needleweaving is very
simple: all weaving involves warps and wefts. Warps are the heavier
threads that define the shape of the piece and in this case also
carry any beads you want to include in the body of your design.
Wefts are the threads and fibers that are woven over and under the
warps.
The actual weaving of my handmade woven fiber
necklaces is done with No. 3 perle cotton threaded through a small
(#18, 20, or 22) tapestry (blunt tip) needle. Any shop that sells
cross-stitch, knitting, or similar supplies may have tapestry
needles and perle cotton available in lots of colors in this size.
I use two threads together for each row I weave – one thread is the
perle cotton, the other thread is a lurex metallic (the type used
for punch work, or you can use the metallic version of perle
cotton). The metallic threads come in many colors which can
compliment your perle cotton color or contrast with it. 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 necklace off the outsides edges of your pattern
Tapestry needles (blunt ends) are made
especially for needlework and weaving. The blunt ends of the
needles will not split your weaving thread. You’ll also want small,
sharp scissors. Each row of weaving should be compacted as you
proceed. As you weave, compress each new row against the rest. An
ordinary table fork works well as a “pusher” to compact the threads
after each row.
You add your beads to the warp using
microfilament: You thread the microfilament through the loop in
the warp in the location where you want your beads. Slide the beads
into the proper position. You can add beads from either the top or
the bottom, but only one of these options will give you beads along
the vertical center line. Keep in mind that you may block access
to some parts of the design by adding beads. These points are
especially important when you create a design of your own. Once your
beads have been added to the warps and the warps are in place, you
are ready to weave.
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