Making Soutache Jewelry Yourself for Beginners

Soutache jewelry can be a unique addition to a festive and everyday look. You can make such elements yourself. The technique involves smoothly laying silk braided cords around bases made of beads or seed beads. Other decorative elements can also be used.

History of Art

Soutache is a braided cord made of silk, which was actively used to make intricate patterns on clothing. After some time, the technique began to be actively used to make various decorations, combining silk cords with precious and semi-precious stones, pearls.

Soutache embroidery appeared in the 14th century. The birthplace of this pattern-forming technique is France, but it was the Dutch who actively developed it. This embroidery principle was actively used to decorate dresses and festive outfits for women.

After the end of the era of lush ball gowns, this technique was also forgotten. It was revived in the early 19th-20th century, when decorative trim of any kind came into fashion. Since then, the soutache technique has become a favorite female pastime. Thus, a long-forgotten art has become a novelty in the world of handicrafts.

Features of weaving

The work begins with making a sketch. It is necessary to schematically arrange all the elements of the decoration on the drawing and evaluate the result obtained.

Additional information! As you work on the decoration, you can change the patterns for creating individual elements or the entire product as a whole.

It is not difficult to create jewelry from soutache if you know some of the features of working with such materials:

• First, you need to make the center of the composition, around which the lace will be sewn.
• The reverse side should be done carefully so that the shape of the product is not too wide. Excess volume can worsen the appearance.
• It is essential to cover the back with leather or felt so that the decoration looks complete and finished.
• You need to work with silk cord carefully - the material can be easily damaged by forming a tightening or loop.

Other nuances may appear in the process of working on a specific model.

Tools and materials

To start working on creating unique jewelry, you need to prepare all the necessary tools and materials. The list is quite simple:

• beads of different colors and diameters;
• beads of different shapes, sizes, colors;
• thread and needle;
• soutache cords;
• interlining;
• rigid base (cardboard);
• quick-fix glue;
• scissors;
• braid;
• leather or felt.

Additionally, you need to prepare a workplace with good lighting.

Accessories

The choice of fittings depends on what design and type of decoration will be made. The list may consist of the following elements:

• bails - the basis for the pendant;
• carabiners for fastening bracelets and necklaces;
• pins for fixing individual parts;
• ear wires - hooks for earrings;
• studs - earring fastenings in the form of studs;
• jump rings for connecting parts;
• cabochons - faceted stones;
• hoops or chokers for the base of a necklace.

Each point has subgroups, which are represented by a variety of forms and features of the mechanism.

Decorating ideas

You can decorate the interlining base using the soutache technique in different ways. There is a huge variety of technical components and techniques that can help make the product unique.

The luxury of the finished jewelry depends on the number of techniques used. The quality of the materials used has a huge impact on the quality and appearance.

Master class on making a necklace using the technique of "soutache embroidery"

Soutache weaving for beginners can give you the opportunity to create beautiful jewelry. For example, to make a beautiful necklace, you do not need to have a lot of experience. You need to prepare the following materials for making a necklace:

• large stone;
• beads with a diameter of 4 mm, 3 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 11 mm;
• multi-colored beads;
• flat pearls;
• silk cord of several colors;
• rigid base, piece of leather, interlining, glue;
• scissors, thread, needles.

Manufacturing principle:

1. Glue the stone to the non-woven base. Trim the edges so that only 3 mm remains around the stone.
2. Bead the stone. String 2 elements and attach to the base with a stitch. Pass the needle through the last element and string 2 beads again.
3. Then the second row is formed, but through one bead of the first. In this case, the material is taken of a smaller diameter.
4. Form a loop from the soutache cord by folding it in half and sew this element around the stone.
5. Fold the edges and make a curl, into which one 5 mm bead and 2 with a diameter of 3 mm are sewn.
6. Sew another cord to this cord using the same principle as the first. Make a curl and insert beads with a diameter of 6 mm into it. They are sewn between the second cord until they reach the middle of the stone.
7. Then the cord is again curled in the opposite direction and beads with a radius of 2 mm are placed into its curl.
8. By lifting the workpiece, you can create another curl with a flat bead. All elements of this type are additionally stitched with beads inside.

Then the necklace chain is formed. The cord that comes out from the center of the composition is placed on the beads one by one and stitched with a needle. A kind of snake of soutache and beads is obtained.

How to Make a Soutache Embroidered Bracelet

Bracelets made in this technique also look beautiful on the hand. You can make such jewelry using simple materials and a pattern. For work you will need:

• several large stones;
• beads 4 mm in diameter;
• several stones of the same diameter as the beads;
• 4 different soutache tapes;
• drape, leather, glue, thread and needle.

DIY soutache jewelry master class for beginners on making a bracelet:

1. Draw a straight line on the drape base, the length of which will be 5 cm longer than the circumference of the arm.
2. Glue the main stones one after another along the line. Cut off the excess material, leaving about 4 mm from the edges of the stones.
3. Sew the stones along the contour with the first cord at the top and bottom, then the second, third and fourth.
4. Sew a bead and 3 small stones between the stones.

Turn the product inside out and seal it with leather. Attach the fastener to the edges of the product.

Weaving a soutache bracelet for beginners

It is not necessary to embroider with silk cord. Even simple weaving immediately transforms the material into an interesting decoration for everyday use.

Prepare 1 m of cord of different colors, a needle and a board.

Braided soutache master class for beginners on making a bracelet:

1. Place the laces on the board and secure them with a needle.
2. Wrap the material into loops.
3. You need to place a thread of any color into the second one, forming a loop. Tighten the base.
4. You need to do the same with the other thread.

Finally, a clasp of any configuration is attached to the base.

Master class on creating a soutache pendant

Soutache jewelry patterns, which are distinguished by their simplicity, look impressive, so do not complicate the work with unnecessary details. The principle of creating a pendant in the presented technique:

1. Glue the main stone onto the base.
2. Trim the material, leaving about 1 cm of space around the central element.
3. Sew a cord around the element in 2 rows with the ends coming out at the top. Form a curl from the cord at the top, into which a large bead is inserted. The next one is with a smaller hardware base.
4. Hide the ends of the second curl under the first and make a wave into which several beads are inserted.
5. Again, a curl is made with a bead inside.

At the bottom, sew the stone after the cord with a row of beads, and then make a few more rows of soutache.

Soutache earrings

Many girls and women love original earrings that are distinguished by their unique design. You can make retro-style soutache earrings, spending only 3-4 hours on the work.

To make soutache earrings you need to prepare the following materials:

• 2 tablet-shaped beads of the desired color;
• 6 pieces of soutache (4 mm) 30 cm each;
• 4 beads, diameter 4 mm;
• 4 drop-shaped beads with a longitudinal hole;
• 6 drop beads with transverse holes;
• beads of different diameters to match the beads;
• earwire;
• a piece of seven-layer non-woven fabric;
• leather;
• cardboard sheet;
• super glue;
• threads with a needle.

The creation of earrings occurs in accordance with the following algorithm:

1. Glue a bead-tablet to the interlining using super glue - this will become the center of the composition. Cut off excess material, leaving only 4 mm from each edge of the central element.
2. Bring a needle and thread out near the central element. String 2 beads onto the needle and sew them with a stitch to the interlining base along the "tablet". Bring the needle out to the front side between the two already secured beads.
3. Pass the needle through one of the beads and thread it onto tool 2 again. In this way, you need to sew around the entire contour of the central element.
4. Having finished the circle, you need to fix the thread with the needle in the very first bead of the row. Then string 1 element and step back one bead in the first row and pull the thread through the next one. The next circle is stitched through 1 bead. This way, 2 more rows are formed.
5. Once you have finished the work, put aside the already formed element. Next, you need to sew together 2 strips of soutache tape.
6. Sew the bead droplet along the contour with connected ribbons. Fixation is made from the longitudinal hole. The decorative element should be in the middle of the length of the ribbons.
7. Sew the edges of the ribbons to this part to the interlining base to the first part. Sew a bead at the junction of the ribbons.
8. Now you need to sew the outer part of the soutache ribbons with beads. Pick up 1 bead and sew it on with a stitch. And so on until the end.
9. Sew the soutache ribbons that are left over from the work over the bead row. Form a curl from the remaining edges and sew a small bead into it. Fasten the edges of the ribbons to the back side of the interlining base. The second side is made according to the same pattern.
10. Without cutting the thread, string 10 beads on it; the last one will be a teardrop bead. Pass the thread through it and hide it in a set of beads. You get a pendant.
11. Make smaller pendants from the bead set that are attached to the curls.
12. Bring the thread out at the top and string a teardrop bead with a longitudinal hole on it. Attach an earwire to the end of the thread.
13. Place the product with the wrong side up. Cut out a shape from cardboard and leather. Glue the cardboard first, and the leather on top. Sew the edges with a bead line.

The second earring is made in the same way. Such decoration will become an original addition to the image.

How to decorate clothes

Soutache embroidery is quite feasible work for beginners. The principle of stitch formation and work execution is no different from regular embroidery with one amendment. Silk cord is sewn with threads to the textile base, laying along the drawn contour.

The tutorial will not take much time. It is important to ensure that the cord does not twist during sewing to the base. In this way, you can form patterns on clothes, curtains, decorative pillows.

Earnings on soutache weaving

Not many people know soutache, what it is and how to use it in the process of creating images. But soutache products are becoming increasingly popular among fashionistas who know modern trends.

Due to such demand, many needlewomen make jewelry to order or produce for general sale. The cost of each piece depends on the complexity of the pattern and the cost of the materials used.

Soutache is back in fashion and conquers new heights. The technique is quite simple, but at the same time very versatile. Using silk cord, any product will become more original and attractive. Smooth lines and transitions will make every detail attractive.