INSIDE!

Beaded

patterns
for a basic
8-cord round
braid

KUMIHIMO
Jewelry

Mix materials & techniques for

4 variations on this signature style!
2-hole beads pearls & seed beads multibead soutache

A supplement to Bead&Button magazine

www.BeadAndButton.com
618308

2014

Kumihimo Cool
Jewelry makers have fallen in love with the versatility
of kumihimo, the ancient Japanese fiber technique.
Quick to work up and easy to master, kumihimo can
be used with a blend of techniques and materials for
many variations on this signature style.

Find more beading basics

on p. 78 of the December
issue of Bead&Button or visit
www.BeadAndButton.com/Basics.

Brush up on the basics for this trendy technique (p. 3),

then decide which direction to go with your kumihimo.
Monica Han uses pearls to keep it classic (p. 6),
Yvonne Rosania Reavis stays on trend with Twin beads
(p. 8), Michelle Heim and Jane Danley Cruz braid a
bevy of beads (p. 10), and Sonia Corbin-Davis adds
a new dimension with soutache (p. 12).
Whatever your inspiration, were sure youll go crazy
for kumihimo!

Contents
Technique Workshop..................................... 3
Intro to kumihimo

1 Basic Kumihimo with Beads.......................... 6

The royal treatment

2 Kumihimo with Two-Hole Beads.................... 8

Twice as nice

3 Multibead Kumihimo................................... 10
Get your group on

4 Flat Kumihimo and Soutache..................... 12

New dimensions

TECHNIQUE WORKSHOP

Difficulty rating

Intro to
kumihimo

Materials
basic kumihimo bracelet
or necklace

An easy-to-learn art offers

plenty of design options
once you learn the basics.
by Julia Gerlach

beads to fit on cord

4 yd. (3.7 m) or more cord
such as C-Lon, Conso, YLI
Jeans, Tuff-Cord, silk, hemp,
yarn, etc.
6 in. (15 cm) 20-gauge wire
2 cones or large-hole beads
clasp
Big Eye needle (if using beads)
E6000 adhesive
marudai stand or round kumihimo
disk with 8 bobbins and weight
or large binder clip
chainnose pliers
roundnose pliers
wire cutters

Basics
Attaching a stop bead
Tying a square knot
Making a wrapped loop

Kumihimo is the ancient

Japanese art of braiding.
Traditionally done with silk,
kumihimo can be done
with any of the wide array
of fibers now available,
resulting in gorgeous
necklaces, bracelets, and
other accessories. Fibers
of different thicknesses or
textures can be combined
for interesting effects.
Including beads in a
kumihimo braid creates
another dimension. The
beads can be added randomly as embellishments,
or continuously, resulting in
beaded ropes that can
vary greatly in appearance,
depending upon how you
add them.
If you work the beaded

strands as though they were

regular cords, you get a
sequence of loops that spiral
around the rope, as in the
bracelet shown above. If the
beads are slid into place one
at a time, the result is a more
solid-looking rope with the
beads nestled together, as
seen in the six pattern
options on p. 4. For those
who like the look of bead
crochet but dont enjoy
the process, kumihimo is
a great alternative.
Traditionally, kumihimo
is done on a large wooden
stand called a marudai
(photo a). These days, small
foam or plastic disks with
slots around the perimeter
and a hole in the middle
(photo b) allow the same

Julia Gerlach is
the editor of
Bead&Button.
Contact her at
jgerlach@beadandbutton.com.

types of braids to be
made less expensively. The
handheld disks are either
round or square and are
lightweight and portable.
Each braiding movement

pattern to go with
photo g

pattern to go with
photo g

pattern to go with
photo h

pattern to go with
photo h
c

pattern to go with
photo g
pattern to go with
photo i

pattern to go with
photo h
pattern to go with
photo j
d

pattern to go with
photo i

pattern to go with
photo i
pattern to go with
photo k

pattern to go with
photo k

pattern to go with
photo k

pattern to go with
photo j

pattern to go with
pattern
phototoj go with
e
photo g
pattern to go with
photo l
pattern to go with
photo g
pattern to go with
photo l

pattern to go with
photo g
pattern to go with
pattern
to go with
photo
l
photo i
g

pattern to go with
photo i

pattern to go with
photo i
h
pattern
to go
The illustrations show the setup used to achieve
the pattern.
photo k

with

pattern to go with

tip

g. 1
If you need to take a break while
braiding, set your work down when
there are three cords at the bottom
of the disk. This way, youll always
know at what point in the sequence
you stopped.
g.

1
g. 2

3 Feed the knot through the

is made individually on a
disk, while two movements
center hole of the kumihimo
can be made at a time on
disk from front to back, and
a freestanding marudai.
attach a weight or binder
g. 2
Kumihimo offers hundreds
clip to secure.
4 Use a Big Eye needle
of pattern possibilities. Spirals,
to string beads on each
stripes, flowers, diamonds,
cord according to the
and other designs can be
desired pattern.
achieved by changing the
General guidelines for
number of cords, the bead
g. 2
stringing beads:
order, and the movements
If yourerotate
using the
bead-atsequence and direction.
disk
90
a-time method,
A kumihimo pattern is
g.string
3 each
cord with enough beads to
usually illustrated as a large
equal the desired finished
circle representing the maruto go with
length of the braid. If you
dai orpattern
disk, surrounded
by
photorepresenting
h
string too few or too many,
small circles,
you can remove beads or
the cords. The movements
rotate disk 90
string more later on.
required to make the braid
g. 3
If youre using the beaded
are shown in subsequent
drawings, usually with lines
pattern to go with
or arrows showing where
photo h
the next cord or cords are
rotate disk 90
supposed to go.
g. 3
Complex braids can be
g. 4
made with 48 or more cords,
butpattern
its best toto
getgo
acquainted
with
withphoto
kumihimo
h by learning
the eight-cord round braid.
Varying bead order and
i
to go with
colors canpattern
offer a multitude
g. 4
j Photos
of design photo
possibilities.
ch show six different looks
that are possible with the
bead-at-a-time method on
an eight-cord braid.

pattern to go with
Setupphoto j

1 Cut eight pieces of cord

about three times the desired
finished length of the braid
you want
to make.
pattern
toUse
goany
with
cord that will accommodate
photo j
your beads.
2 Gather the cords together,
pattern to go with
and tie an overhand knot
photo l
about 1 in. (2.5 cm) from the
end of the cords.

pattern to go with

g. 4

r
j

pattern to go with pattern to go with

attern photo
to go with
j
photo l
hoto k

FIGURE
g. 1 1
strands method, string each
cord with enough beads to
equal about one-and-a-half
times the desired finished
length of the braid.
pattern
toeach
go beaded
with cord
5 Wind
ontol a bobbin (photo i),
photo
leaving about 4 in. (10 cm)
of cord free between the knot
and the bobbin.
6 Align the kumihimo disk
so you have a dot at the top
g. 2
and at the bottom.
7 Arrange two cords so that
one goes in the slot to the left
of the top dot and the other
end goes in the slot to the
right of the top dot.
8 Rotate the disk 90 degrees,
and repeat step 7 with two
more cords. Repeat twice
more so you have two cords
flanking each dot.

Beaded strands
Attach a stop bead and
snug
it up to disk
the beads.
rotate
90
1 Bring the
top-right cord
g. 3
down, and place it to the
right of the bottom-right cord
(figure 1). Bring the bottom-

FIGURE
g.
22

FIGURE 3

left cord up, and place it to

the left of the top-left cord
(figure 2). Rotate the disk
90 degrees (figure 3).
2 Repeat step 1 with the
two cords that are now in
the top-right and bottomleft positions (figure 4).
Repeat twice more. This is
one full rotation.
3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 for
the desired length braid.
Dont allow any space
rotate disk 90
between the beads as you
g. 3
braid, but if a strand begins
to kink, loosen the tension by
moving the stop bead a bit.
Make sure the braid is being
formed flush with the top of
the disk. If it drops below
the disk, the braid will be
too loose.

Bead-at-a-time

1 Work as in Beaded
strands, but dont attach a
stop bead; instead, slide a
bead up tog.
the 4
braid before
you move the cord. Slip the
bead under the cord that
crosses over the cord you

rotate disk 90
g. 3
are working with (photo j),
and then cross the cord
as usual.
2 Repeat for the desired
length braid, sliding a bead
in place before making each
movement. Release more
thread and beads from the
bobbins as needed.

Finishing
There are several ways to
finish a kumihimo braid, but
here is one
method.
g. 4 Specific
projects may call for a different procedure.
1 When the braid is the
desired length, position
a 3-in. (7.6 cm) piece of
20-gauge wire at the end
of your braid, and continue
braiding for one full rotation,
securing the wire within the
braid (photo k). With two
opposite pairs of cords, make

FIGURE
g.
44

a square knot. Repeat with

the remaining two pairs of
cords. Dot the knots with glue,
let dry, and trim close to the
knots. Remove the cords from
the disk.
2 Wrap one end of the wire
tightly around the end of the
braid a few times (photo l).
String a cone or large-hole
bead on the wire, covering
the end of the braid
(photo m). String additional
beads and components,
if desired, and make the
first half of a wrapped loop.
String half of a clasp into
the loop (photo n), and
complete the wraps.
3 Slide a 3-in. (7.6 cm) wire
into the other end of the
braid, and repeat step 2
to finish. w

g. 4

BASIC KUMIHIMO WITH BEADS

The royal treatment

Elevate the basic kumihimo technique with pearls and metallic accents
for a bracelet that looks complex and elegant but works up quickly.
designed by Monica Han

Setup

1 Cut eight 30-in. (76 cm)

pieces of pearl cotton thread.
Cut one piece of leather
cord at least 2 in. (5 cm) longer than the desired finished
length of the bracelet.
2 Gather the ends of the
threads, and tie an overhand
knot around the leather cord
about 12 in. (1.3 cm) from the
6

end of the cord (photo a).

Feed the knot through the
center hole of the kumihimo
disk from front to back, and
attach the weight or binder
clip. Arrange the threads so
there is one in each of the
slots on either side of the four
dots, and position the leather
cord in the center as shown
(photo b).

3 On each thread, use a

Big Eye needle to string nine
4 mm pearls, six 5 mm pearls,
and nine 4 mm pearls. String
one more or fewer 4 mm
pearls at each end to adjust
the bracelet by 12 in. (1.3 cm).
4 Snug up the beads to the
edge of the kumihimo disk,
and wind the ends of each
thread around a bobbin.

Braid

1 To work a section of braid

without beads around the
leather cord: Position the disk
with one dot at the top. Using
the basic eight-cord kumihimo technique, bring the topright thread down, and place
it in the slot to the right of the
bottom-right thread. Bring the
bottom-left thread up, and

Difficulty rating

Materials
a

place it to the left of the

top-left thread. Rotate the disk
90 degrees, and repeat this
braiding pattern. Continue
working kumihimo without
beads until the braided
section is 34 in. (1.9 cm) long
(photo c), releasing more
thread from the bobbins
as needed.
2 To start incorporating
beads, work in basic eightcord kumihimo as in step 1.
As you move each thread,
slide a pearl up to the braid,
and tuck it under the thread
that crosses over the one
the pearl is on. Continue
working in kumihimo, adding
a pearl with each movement
(photo d), until all the pearls
have been added.
3 Work in kumihimo without
beads as in step 1 until
the braided section is 34 in.
(1.9 cm) long.
4 Remove the threads from
the disk, and gather them
together. Tie an overhand
knot around the leather cord

close to the end of the braid.

Trim any excess cord and
thread to 1 in. (2.5 cm) past
the pearl section.

Embellishment

1 Thread a beading needle

on 1 yd. (.9 m) of nylon
beading thread, and attach
a stop bead leaving a 6-in.
(15 cm) tail. Sew through an
end 5 mm pearl, exiting next
to a 4 mm pearl.
2 Pick up three 110 seed
beads. Working to the left, find
the thread at the bottom of
the next 5 mm pearl, and sew
under it from left to right so
your working thread is going
around the thread the pearl
is on (photo e).
3 Repeat step 2, working
around the 5-mm pearl
section in a spiral. When
you reach the other end
of the bracelet, attach a
stop bead.
4 Repeat steps 13 to fill
in the empty spiral on the
5-mm pearl section.

5 Remove the stop beads,

and end the threads.

Clasp

1 Apply glue to the overhand

knots on each end of the
bracelet and the braid next
to it. After the glue has dried
completely, cut the excess
thread between the overhand knot and the braid,
removing the knots from
the bracelet.
2 Measure the depth of each
clasp opening (they may be
different sizes), and trim the
braid-covered leather cord to
fit, taking care not to remove
too much of the braid.
3 Apply glue to the inside of
the clasp opening and the
end of the cord. Press the
cord into the clasp end
(photo f), and hold in place
for three minutes. Repeat on
the other end of the braid.
4 Close the clasp, and adjust
the bracelet shape. Let dry
completely overnight. w

bracelet 71 4 in. (18.1 cm)

48 5 mm crystal pearls
(Swarovski, gold)
144 4 mm crystal pearls
(Swarovski, light gray)
2 g 110 seed beads (Miyuki
1052, gold)
20 x 5 mm magnetic tube
clasp with glue-in ends
(www.primitiveoriginals.com)
pearl cotton thread, #5
(DMC 415, pearl gray)
3 mm leather or rubber cord
nylon beading thread (gold)
Big Eye needle
beading needle, #12
E6000 adhesive
kumihimo disk with 8 bobbins
and weight or binder clip

Basics
Ending thread
Tying an overhand knot
Attaching a stop bead

Monica Han has

received several
design awards
since discovering
beading in 2002 and was a
Swarovski Ambassador from
2009 to 2014. She enjoys
designing, teaching, and
publishing her beading projects.
Learn more on her website,
cysdreambeads.blogspot.com,
or contact her via email at
mhan@dreambeads.biz.

KUMIHIMO WITH TWO-HOLE BEADS

Twice as nice
Fiber and beads share the spotlight when
two-hole Twins are twined into kumihimo.
designed by Yvonne Rosania Reavis

Setup

1 Cut 12 112-yd. (1.4 m) pieces

of cord. Gather the cords,

and tie an overhand knot
1 in. (2.5 cm) from one end.
2 Feed the knot through the
center hole of the kumihimo
disk from front to back, and
attach the weight or binder
clip. Arrange the 12 cords so
there is one cord in each of
the slots on either side of the
dots on the top and bottom
of the disk, and a pair of
cords in each of the slots on
either side of the dots on the
right and left (photo a).
3 On one of the single cords,
use a Big Eye needle to string
100 80 seed beads. Wind the
8

end of the cord around a

bobbin so that the beads are
approximately 2 in. (5 cm)
from the disk. Repeat for the
three remaining single cords.
4 Thread a Big Eye needle
onto each cord in a pair of
cords. String 100 2.5 x 5 mm
Twin beads, with each cord
going through one hole of
each Twin (photo b). Wind
the end of the cords around
a bobbin so the beads are
approximately 12 in. (1.3 cm)
from the disk, leaving all the
Twins exposed. This allows
the Twins to slide off easily
and will keep the cords from
twisting. Repeat for the three
remaining pairs of cords.

Braid
As you work with the pairs of
cords, always make sure the
cords are not twisted and
that you have equal tension
as you braid.
1 Position the kumihimo disk
so that the single cords are
at the top and bottom, and
the Twin cords are on the
right and left.
2 To work a section of braid
without beads: Using the
basic eight-cord kumihimo
technique, bring the top-right
cord down to the right of the
bottom-right cord. Bring the
bottom-left cord up to the left
of the top-left cord. Turn the
disk 90 degrees so that the

paired cords are at the top

and bottom.
3 Bring the top-right pair
of cords down beside the
bottom-right pair of cords,
taking care to keep the
cords from twisting. Bring
the bottom-left pair of cords
up to the left of the top-left
pair of cords. Turn the disk
90 degrees.
4 Repeat steps 2 and 3 until
the unbeaded section is
1412 in. (6 mm1.3 cm) long,
ending with step 3.
5 To begin working with
beads: Pick up the cord on
the top right, and slide an 80
down to the braid, tucking it
under the pair of cords cross-

Difficulty rating

Materials
necklace
20 in. (51 cm)

note

In this necklace, I matched the cord to the beads,

so I used aqua cord with the 80s and gold cord with
the Twins.

ing over the cord youre working with. Move the cord to the
right of the bottom-right cord.
Pick up the bottom-left cord,
and slide a bead up to the
braid, tucking it under the
pair of cords that crosses
the cord youre working with.
Move the cord up to the left
of the top-left cord. Turn the
disk 90 degrees.
6 Pick up the top-right pair of
cords, and slide a Twin up to
the braid. Tuck it under the
crossing cord, taking care not
to twist the cords. Bring the
pair of cords down to the
right of the bottom-right pair
of cords. Pick up the bottomleft pair of cords, and slide a
Twin up to the braid, tucking
it under the crossing cord.
Move the cords up to the left
of the top-left pair of cords
(photo c). Turn the disk
90 degrees.
7 Repeat steps 5 and 6 until

youve added all the beads

to the braid, taking care to
keep the cords from twisting,
the tension even, and the
beads on the outside of
the braid.
8 Work in kumihimo without
beads as in steps 2 and 3
until the unbeaded section is
1412 in. (6 mm1.3 cm) long.
9 Remove the cords from the
disk and the bobbins, and tie
the ends with an overhand
knot next to the braid.

Finishing

1 Dab the knots and the

unbeaded braid ends with
glue, and let dry completely.
Trim the excess cord just
above the knots.
2 Cut a 6-in. (15 cm) piece
of 20-gauge wire, and slide
it through the middle of the
unbeaded braid so about
12 in. (1.3 cm) comes out the
other side (photo d). Make

a hook in the short end of

the wire (photo e), and
tightly wrap it around the
end of the braid to secure
the wire.
3 Extend the remaining
wire so it points straight up
from the end of the braid.
String an 110 down to the
braid, then slide a bead
cap or cone over the bead
and braid.
4 String a 60 seed bead
(photo f), and make the
first half of a wrapped loop.
Attach half of the clasp,
and complete the wraps.
5 Repeat steps 24 on the
other end of the necklace
with the other half of the
clasp. w

22 g 2.5 x 5 mm Twin beads

(Preciosa, copper)
10 g 80 seed beads (Miyuki
278, aqua-lined crystal AB)
2 60 seed beads for finishing
(Miyuki 4202, gold)
2 110 seed beads for finishing
(any color)
2 20 x 15 mm tulip bead
caps (gold)
toggle clasp (gold)
12 in. (30 cm) 20-gauge wire
(brass)
C-Lon or S-Lon cord (antique
gold and aqua)
kumihimo disk with 8 bobbins
and weight or binder clip
Big Eye needles
E6000 adhesive
chainnose pliers
roundnose pliers
wire cutters
All materials available from
www.asthebeadturns.com.

Basics
Tying an overhand knot
Making a wrapped loop

Yvonne Rosania
Reavis has been
beading for two
years and loves
color, designing, and creating.
Visit www.yvonnedesigns.com
to see her work, and email her
at yvonne@yvonnesdesigns.com.

MULTIBEAD KUMIHIMO

Get your group on

Kumihimo braiding is
usually done one bead at
a time. But what happens
when you move multiple
beads at once? Endless
possibilities, thats what!
designed by Michelle Heim
with Jane Danley Cruz

These instructions are for the seafoam

bracelet (above right). To make the
peanut-bead version (above), see
Design option, next page.

Setup

front to back, and attach a weight or

binder clip.
6 Refer to photo a to position the cords:
Position an accent bead cord in the
slot to the left and another to the right
of the top-center or 12 oclock position
of the disk.
Position the other two accent bead
cords directly opposite.
Position an 80 cord in the slot above
the 3 oclock position and the other
below the 9 oclock position.
Position a peanut bead cord in the
slot below the 3 oclock position and
the other above the 9 oclock position.

1 Cut eight 2-ft. (61 cm) lengths of cord.

Tie them together with an overhand
knot at one end.
2 With a Big Eye needle on one cord,
pick up 7 in. (18 cm) of 80 seed beads.
Wrap the cord and the strung beads
around a bobbin and secure, leaving
6 in. (15 cm) of cord to work with.
Repeat this step once. These cords
will be called the 80 cords.
3 For two of the remaining cords, work
as in step 2, but pick up 7 in. (18 cm)
of 2 x 4 mm peanut beads. These
cords will be called the peanut
bead cords.
ACCENT-BEAD
4 For the remaining four
CORDS
cords, work as in step 2,
PEANUT-BEAD
but pick up two 90 largeCORD
hole seed beads, and
then pick up a repeating
pattern of a 90, a 4 x 3 mm
rondelle, and a 90
80 CORD
a total of 19 times. End
by picking up two 90s.
These cords will be called
the accent bead cords.
5 Feed the knotted end of
the cords through the center
hole of the kumihimo disk from
10

Braid

1 To work a section of braid without

beads: Position the disk with a pair of
accent bead cords at the top. Using the
basic eight-cord kumihimo technique,
pick up the top-right-hand cord, and
move it to the right of the bottom-right
cord (figure 1). Bring the bottom-left
cord up, and place it to the left of the
top-left cord (figure 2). Rotate the disk
90 degrees.
2 Repeat step 1 three times to work one
complete kumihimo rotation. The beads
should be positioned as they were during setup.
3 To begin working with beads: Pick up

80 CORD

b
PEANUT-BEAD
CORD
ACCENT-BEAD
CORDS

a
c

Difficulty rating

Materials
both projects

FIGURE 1

the top-right cord (an accent bead

cord), and slide a bead down to the
braid, positioning the bead under the
cord crossing over the cord you are
working with (photo b). Move the cord
down to the right of the bottom-right
cord. Pick up the bottom-left cord, and
slide a bead under the crossing cord.
Move the cord up to the left of the topleft cord. Rotate the disk 90 degrees.
4 Repeat step 3 for a for a total of two
complete rotations. You should have
worked 16 moves with beads at the
end of these rotations.
5 Do this for the next 19 rotations:
On each accent bead cord, slide
down a 90, a rondelle, and a 90 as a unit.
On each 80 cord, slide down four 80s
as a unit.
On each peanut bead cord, slide
down three peanut beads as a unit.
Keep a consistent but not tight tension,
and make sure each group of beads
sits under the crossing cord and does
not drop into the center of the braid.
6 Work the last two kumihimo rotations
by sliding down a single bead on each
cord, as in steps 34.
7 Work a complete kumihimo rotation
without beads, as in steps 12.

FIGURE 2

8 Remove the cords from the bobbins,

seafoam bracelet 83 4 in. (22.2 cm)

and gather them together. Tie an

overhand knot close to the braid. Trim
the cord close to the knot, and dab
with glue.
9 Remove the weight from the other end
of the braid, and gently stretch the braid
to adjust the tension. Check the braid
for any beads that may have dropped
inside, and use a needle or crochet
hook to gently pull them back outside
the braid (photo c).

76 4 x 3 mm rondelles (green turquoise AB)

3 g 2 x 4 mm peanut beads (Matsuno P4014MA, matte seafoam)
3 g 80 seed beads (Toho 1207, marbled
opaque turquoise blue)
1 g 90 large-hole seed beads (Toho 1071,
dusty mauve; www.artbeads.com)
clasp
2 12 x 10 mm end caps
2 4 mm jump rings
6 in. (15 cm) 20-gauge wire
C-Lon cord

Finishing

1 Cut a 3-in. (7.6 cm) piece of 20-gauge

wire. Form the wire into a U-shape, and
slide it through the second round of
beads in the braid. Wrap one end of the
wire tightly around the braid a few times,
and trim.
2 On the other end of the wire, string
a 12 x 10 mm end cap, and make a
wrapped loop.
3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 on the other end
of the braid.
4 Open a 4 mm jump ring, and attach
the wrapped loop at one end of the
braid to half of the clasp. Repeat this
step at the other end of the braid. w

design option: peanut-bead version

Big Eye needle

bead awl or crochet hook (optional)
E6000 adhesive or Super New Glue
kumihimo disk with 8 bobbins and weight
or binder clip
2 pairs of chainnose, flatnose, and/or
bentnose pliers
roundnose pliers
wire cutters

Select three colors of peanut beads, and string four cords with As,
two cords with Bs, and two cords with Cs.
When you arrange the cords on the disk, substitute A cords for
the accent-bead cords, B cords for the 80 cords, and C cords
for the peanut-bead cords.
In step 6 of Braid, slide three peanut beads on each cord for
each move.

peanut-bead version
2 x 4 mm peanut beads

6 g color A (gunmetal)
3 g each color B and C (cream and
matte lilac)
clasp
2 12 x 10 mm end caps
2 4 mm jump rings
6 in. (15 cm) 20-gauge wire
C-Lon cord

Basics
Tying an overhand knot
Making a wrapped loop
Opening and closing jump rings

Michelle Heim began her

addiction to beads by chance.
She took one class, and that
was it! In 2006, she moved
back to Wisconsin and opened the bead
store Beadalotta Fond du Lac, which she
co-owns with her mom. Contact her at
michelle@beadalotta.com, or visit her
website, www.beadalotta.com.

11

FLAT KUMIHIMO AND SOUTACHE

New dimensions
Soutache sets the stage for a stunning
coiled closure on a flat kumihimo braid.
designed by Sonia Corbin-Davis

Large soutache
clasp end
When stitching through
soutache, remember to
always sew through the
center V-shaped groove.
Use shaping stitches to help
form curves around beads:
Make longer stitches on the
outside and shorter ones on
the inside, keeping the tension loose enough to prevent the cords from buckling.
1 Thread a needle on a
1-yd. (.9 m) piece of thread.
12

Tie an overhand knot at the

other end.
2 Cut five 1-yd. (.9 m) pieces
of soutache braided cord;
work with just one color, or
choose a different color for
each cord. Stack the cords
so the ends are even and
all the grooves are running
in the same direction, and
fold the stack in half. Stitch
through the groove of all
10 layers a little way down
from the fold (photo a). Sew
back through all 10 layers.

Repeat once more to secure

the join.
3 Sew through the first five
layers of cord to exit in the
middle of the fold. Pick up a
10 mm round bead, a 4 mm
spacer, and an 110 seed
bead, and sew back through
the spacer and the 10 mm
(photo b). Continue through
the next five layers. Retrace
the thread path to reinforce
the connection. This will be
your clasp bead.
4 Divide the cords into two

equal stacks, and exit the

outer cord of one stack.
5 Pick up a 10 mm bead,
and sew through the fivecord stack where the hole
of the 10 mm meets the
stack. Retrace the thread
path through the join twice.
Make three shaping stitches
to coil the stack around the
10 mm, and push the ends
of the stack behind your
work so that they pass under
themselves at the bottom of
the coil (photo c). Sew back

Difficulty rating

Materials
bracelet 71 2 in. (19.1 cm)
d

and forth between the layers

of the coil to tack them
in place.
6 Sew through the five-cord
stack to exit about 14 in.
(6 mm) beyond the coil you
just made, exiting the same
cord you exited in step 4. Pick
up an 8 mm round bead,
and sew through the stack
where the hole of the 8 mm
meets the stack. Retrace the
thread path twice. Make several shaping stitches to coil
the stack around the 8 mm,
and push the ends of the
stack behind your work
so that they pass under
themselves (photo d). Tack
the stack at the intersection.
7 Sew through your work
to the other five-cord stack,
exiting even with the first
coil. Repeat steps 5 and 6,
making this side a mirror
image of the first.
8 Sew through the five-cord
stack to exit the space
between the coils. Pick up
an 8 mm, and sew through
the five-cord stack on the
other side. Sew back through
the stack and the 8 mm, and
end the thread. All 10 cords
should now be pointing in
the same direction and in the
same order as when you
began (photo e).

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2

FIGURE 3

Braid
As you work in kumihimo,
take care to keep the cords
straight and flat, and only
turn them at the edges of
the braid.
1 Insert the clasp end into
the center slot of the disk.
It will function as your weight
as you braid.
2 Position the two outer
cords in the center two slots
on the bottom. Working
inward, the next two outer
cords should be placed on
either side on the bottom.
The two inner cords should
go in the two center slots
on the top, with the next
two cords on either side.
The last pair of cords should
go on either side of the top
(photo f).
3 Begin working with the
two center cords on the top
of the disk. Bring the top-right
center cord to the left side
of the disk (figure 1) and
the top-left center cord to
the right side of the disk
(figure 2).

FIGURE 4

5 1-yd (.9 m) pieces of 18-in.

(3 mm) soutache braided cord,
15 colors
3 10 mm round beads, such as
crystals, pearls, or gemstones
6 8 mm round beads, such as
crystals, pearls, or gemstones
2 g 110 seed beads
10 4 mm heishi daisy spacers
nylon beading thread to match
cord
square kumihimo disk
beading needles, #10
Ultrasuede
E6000 adhesive

Basics
Tying an overhand knot
Ending and adding thread

FIGURE 5

FIGURE 6

Sonia CorbinDavis is a realtor

and self-taught
jewelry designer
and teacher. Shes been creating
jewelry for more than 20 years.
She and her husband live in Texas
and have three children. Contact
her at sonia.thejewelryinstructor@
gmail.com, or visit www.etsy.com/
shop/thejewelryinstructor.

4 Working with the left-hand

cords: Bring the bottom-left
center cord to the top-left
center slot (figure 3), and
bring the next top-left cord
down to the bottom-left
center slot (figure 4). Bring

13

FIGURE 7

FIGURE 8

FIGURE 9

FIGURE 10

FIGURE 11

FIGURE 12

soutache
Ultrasuede
FIGURE 13

14

the next bottom-left cord up

to the empty slot on the top
(figure 5), and bring the
far-left cord down to the
bottom-left slot (figure 6).
Bring the cord on the left
side of the disk to the top-left
slot (figure 7).
5 Working with the right-hand
cords: Bring the bottom-right
center cord up to the empty
top-right slot (figure 8), and
bring the next top-right cord
down to the bottom-right
center slot (figure 9). Bring
the bottom-right cord to the
empty slot next to the topright cord (figure 10), and
bring the top-right cord
down to the bottom-right
slot (figure 11). Complete
the sequence by bringing
the cord on the right side of
the disk to the top right slot
(figure 12).
6 Repeat steps 35 until
the braided portion is about
2 in. (5 cm) shorter than
the desired finished length
of the bracelet. End with a
complete sequence.
7 Carefully remove the cords
from the disk. Tie an overhand
knot at one end of 1 yd.
(.9 m) of thread, and sew
through the end of the braid
just enough to keep it from
unraveling (photo g).

Small soutache
clasp end

1 Divide the cords into three

sets with three cords on each
side and four cords together
in the middle. Make sure
your sets are stacked with
the grooves going in the
same direction.

2 Using the three-cord stack

on one side, make three
shaping stitches (photo h),
and pick up an 8 mm. Wrap
the stack around the 8 mm,
and sew through the stack
on the other side. Continue
wrapping the stack around
the bead, and sew back
through the bead and the
stack on the other side. Pick
up an 8 mm on the other
side, and continue wrapping
the stack around the second
bead to make a figure 8
(photo i).
3 Push the ends of the stack
behind your work, and end
the stack (photo j). Secure
to the end of the braid.
4 Sew through the work to
exit the remaining three-cord
stack. Make two shaping
stitches, and add an 8 mm.
Wrap the stack around the
8 mm, and sew through the
stack and back through
the stack and the 8 mm.
Continue wrapping the bead,
and then tuck the cords to
the back of your work. Tack
them at the intersection, and
end the stack (photo k).
5 Use shaping stitches on
the four remaining cords to
form them into a loop large
enough to fit snuggly around
the clasp bead on the other
end of the bracelet. Tuck the

ends to the back of your

work, and end the cords.

Finishing

1 Embellish the front of your

clasp ends as desired, using
110s and spacers to hide
the joins.
2 Cut two pieces of Ultrasuede slightly larger than the
clasp ends. Glue each piece
of Ultrasuede to the back of
the clasp ends, taking care
not to glue the clasp loop.
Let dry completely.
3 Carefully trim the Ultrasuede
close to the outer cord of
each clasp end.
4 Begin a new 1-yd. (.9 m)
thread, and sew through a
clasp end, burying the knot
between layers and exiting
along the edge where the
clasp meets the braid. Pick
up two 110s, sew down
through the cord and
Ultrasuede, and sew back up
through the last 110 added
(figure 13). For subsequent
stitches, pick up an 110, sew
down through the cord and
Ultrasuede, and sew up
through the last 110 added.
Continue working around the
outside of the clasp, and end
the thread.
5 Repeat step 4 on the other
end of the bracelet. w