GENLIS brooch – bead embroidery tutorial

Tutorials:

• Genlis earrings tutorial
• Bead Embroidery basics – Erika’s Traveller files and videos.

Material list (for single Genlis motif + the embroidery):

• 1x 8 mm Preciosa Nacre cabochon
• 4x 5×8 mm DiamonDuo
• 8x 5×8 mm PaisleyDuo – PD
• 4x 8×13 mm pear glass cabochon
• 16x Miyuki Quarter Tila – QT
• 8x 3 mm round glass bead – P3
• 4x 4 mm Preciosa sew-on rhinestone – RS4
• 4x 21×21 mm Romance Connector in antique copper
• 15/0 Miyuki round seed beads (1-3 colors) – R15A, B
• 11/0 Miyuki round seed beads – R11
• 11/0 Miyuki Delica (1-2 colors) – C11
• 2x 10×10 cm Ultrasuede (embroidery and backing)
• findings, drops (depending on how you want to finish your jewel)

Tools:

• 11/0 Tulip beading needle
• 0.12 mm / 4 LB Fireline
• bead mat
• thread burner, scissors
• glue (e-6000 or other industrial, strong glue)
• cardboard (chocolate) paper to support your embroidered piece
• ruler
• pen

Final size: dimension of finished embroidery is approx. 6×6 cm.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PDF TUTORIAL!

1. 

Start with beading a single Genlis motif, following the tutorial.
Try to make the motif sturdy.
When finishing the motif, navigate your thread ends to the back and tie a double knot. You will hold the motif a lot during the embroidery, you don’t want the bezel to lose the shape or disolve under the pressure created by holding it.

2. 

Prepare your Ultrasuede, cut 10×10 cm square.
Use ruler to draw the lines in a right, 90° angle and also in 45° angles. (I used silver gel pen for paper as this later wear off from foundation – also, if you use light blue or grey foundation, it’s almost invisible.)
Depending on your tension and beads you used for Genlis motif, you need to set the distance from the center, for attaching connectors. Genlis motif should slightly cover the loops on the connector on the outer edge. I measured my distance to 3 mm from the center to 4 sides.
Make marks with blue pen for attaching your connectors so you properly see it on foundation. This will be later covered with the motif.

3. 

Attach the connector with a stitch on the bottom, top and the two loops – on each side.
Attach all 4 connectors.

Tip: You can gently add the pear cabochons and the motif to see if you counted well.

4.

Attach the Genlis motif by beading through the corner R15 beads + the loop in the connector + foundation and bead back to R15 from the opposite direction. Repeat on the other 3 corners.
Make additional stitch between the PDs + foundation and catch the thread from the motif to foundation. Repead three more times.
I suggest you make knot on the backside in case you need to cut some of the parts later, it’s always good to have main motif secured. You don’t have to cut the thread and start over, just continue after the knot.

5.

Place the pear cabochon in claw between two connectors, mind the center and let the line on foundation lead you.
Sew the cabochon to the foundation by making the stitches through both sets of holes.
Attach all 4 pear cabochons.
Make knot – see previous step.

6. 

Exit to the front side between the connector and the pear cabochon.
We’re used to work with 2-3-4 bead backstitch when beading a line in the embroidery. The cabochon in claw has irregularities in the setting caused by the claws/prongs. When doing several separate backstitches, the line is not smooth and it doesn’t look pretty.  Here’s my solution:

Pick up (14) C11, lean the beads around the cabochon and then bead to the foundation. Create a slight pressure by holding the cabochon and the foundation with beads on the top and make the anchoring backstitches afterwards. E.g. pass through 3-4 C11 and bead down to the foundation.

7. 

Create a slight pressure by holding the cabochon and the foundation with beads on the top and make the anchoring backstitches. E.g. pass through 3-4 C11 and bead down to the foundation. Bead back to the front, pass through next 3-4 beads, and repeat.
At the end you can make one more single threadpath from the start, to the end of your newly added beads if they need to add tension or adjustments. Tie knot when finished 🙂

Note: 14 C11 is not mandatory number, you can make adjustments depending on your tension or coating of your C11 beads.

8.

Navigate to the metal connector and exit toward the front right next to the loop.
Pick up (4) QT beads and bead to the foundation. Bead back to the beginning, pass through (2) QT.

9.

Pick up R15A. Bead down to the foundation.
Bead back and exit to the front side between (2) QT and R15A. Pass through R15 + (2) QT and bead down to the foundation.

10.

Exit between the connector and open, outer hole of QT. Pick up C11 and pass through (2) QT. Pick up RS4 and pass through (2) QT. Pick up C11 and bead to the foundation.
Bead back to the point where you started from.
Hold the new beads on the foundation between index and thumb fingers, to give the right pressure and place where they need to settle.

11.

After passing through C11 + (2) QT + RS4, bead to the foundation. Make extra stich by passing through RS4 only (horizontal direction).
Pass through the open hole of RS4 (vertical direction) and attach it to the foundation so it’s not moving and it doesn’t flip.

12.

Return to the beginning of the motif. Pass through C11.
Pick up (3) R15A and bead to RS4.
Pick up (3) R15A and bead to C11.

13.

Bead back to exit between C11 and R15.
Pass through (3) R15A.
Pick up (5) R15B and bead through (3) R15A.

14.

Exit to the front side between groups of R15s. Pass through (3) R15B and bead to the foundation.
Bead back to exit between 2nd and 3rd R15B and pass through (3) R15B.
Bead down to the foundation.
Knot…of course.

15.

Decorate the metal connector by adding R15B into the small loop with a single stitch.
Add P3 with a single stitch to the larger loop.
Add R15A next to P3 with extra stitch.
Repeat adding the beads on the other half of the connector.
Knot 😉

Note: You can use different beads and bead counts that fit your personal taste or ideas. You can also leave the space empty and let the color of the foundation visible.

16.

Repeat Steps 6-15 three more times to finish the main motif.
You can pass through all the beads on the outer edge one more time to create a full circle, to secure beads and ensure they lean nice and flat. Add a knot on the backside.

17.

Cut the motif, leaving 0.5 mm edge.

18.

Cut the backing from the card paper or other stiff textile material that is few mm smaller than the main motif.
I used one from hard chocolate cover.
Glue it to the foundation.

19.

Glue the second layer of ultrasuede to the motif, let dry and cut the leftover edge to match the motif.

20.

Bead the edge around the motif. There are several options, I decided to add simple C11 row.
Make a knot on your Fireline and bead to the front side. The knot is hidden on the back of 1st layer of Ultrasuede.
Pick up (2) C11 and bead through BOTH layers of Ultrasuede to the back.
Pass through the second C11 you just added, with needle directing out from the motif.

21.

Pick up C11 and bead to the back.

22.

Pass through the same C11 to exit, with needle directing up from the bead.
Continue to add C11 beads all around.

23.

Connect the last and very first C11 beads you added:
Bead down to the first C11. Pass through the ultrasuede to the back.

24.

On the backside, pass up through the very first C11 in the edge.
Make few stitches to hide the thread, knot and trim.

25.

I finished my motif as a brooch by attaching the metal filigree brooch with strong, industrial glue.

Ideas:
You can decorate the C11 edge with adding extra picots, beads, fringe or drop pendants.
Add a peyote bail to create pendant – see more ideas.
See more of Beadingschool’s bead embroidery videos or tutorials on blog or in the shop 🙂