Glorious Fibers…What to do with them?

If you met me at a bead show, I’m sure you noticed I have a weakness for fibers. I was incorporating fiber into my necklaces way before it was popular. Thank goodness it’s gotten easier to find. I used to search out yarn stores in whatever town I was doing a bead show at and I would plop a pretty penny for the yarns I couldn’t resist!

So now I have a really big stash…. way too much according to my husband. But then again, my philosophy is you can’t have too much of a good thing….just need a little more storage room!

I used to make kumihimo weave necklaces when no one knew what it was. I bought the original Japanese loom which wasn’t cheap. So to recoup my money, I sold necklaces at bead shows. Kumihimo necklaces with a bead pendant looks fabulous together.

To get this look you would weave with the fiber on the loom, then pull a certain amount of inches of fiber through the loom without weaving it and then you would repeat the steps. It takes time and you gotta be precise in the measurements. The spacing can repeat perfectly on each sides of the necklace or not. Don’t you love all the colors and textures!

You can use fibers with a lot of fringes and irregular thicknesses which gives you an artsy look to your necklace. The traditional style uses thin silks with a very tight smooth design. Also pretty but too restricted for my taste.

People were always asking where I bought my fibers so I started selling my fibers at the bead shows. And I bought more fibers. It’s really an addiction. There’s always another wonderful color or texture that is irresistible. Maybe I do have way too much. Nah!

So I thought it was time to start using a little of my stash. Don’t you love the look a necklace has with fiber? There is a softening feature that fiber gives a necklace that is so attractive. And I thought it would be fun to share with you how I constructed this necklace.

I’m using the same fibers, but I have included 1 chain with the fibers (I’ll call this “fiber bundle” from now on):
1. I started off making a U-shaped bend with the wire, with one side about 4 inches long and the other side connected to the spool of wire. Now you have a loop and 2 pieces of wire – one long and one about 4 inch long.
2. Lay the fiber bundle on top of the U-shaped loop with about 1.5 inches excess fiber past the loop. Taking the shorter wire end, go down 1/2 inch from the loop and tightly wrap upward the fiber bundle towards the loop. Finish the end by wrapping it onto the loop.
3. Then taking the long piece of wire and bend it ‘up’ so it lays along the fiber passing the loop. Now lay the 1.5 inch fibers down over the previous wrapped fiber bundle, leaving the chain that was in the fiber bundle hanging out.
4. Then wrap the long wire ‘down’ over these fibers and finish off with the last two wraps tighter at the end of the wrapped “end cap”. Leave the long wire for the next step. Trim any excess folded fibers.
5. Do a loose wrapping with the long wire until you get to the length you want. Leave 1.5 inches excess wire and cut the spool.
6. Now repeat steps 1 through 4 for the other end.
7. Wrap this second wire along the fiber bundle, being careful to position the wire and chain to crisscross each other to create a balanced design throughout the necklace.
8. Finish off the very ends of the 2 long wires you crisscrossed by wrapping a couple of loops around the wire just coming out of each ‘end cap’. Then crimping with pliers. Hide in the fiber bundle.
9. Hook your decorative necklace chain onto the end cap loops and the fiber bundle chains dangling out. Cut excess fiber bundle chain off.

OMG! Hope that made sense! Might make more sense after a couple of beers!

This is one of my Victorian Posies with an antique reproduction filigree finding that I used to back my glass posie. To secure the bead I went through the bead hole with wire and weaved the wire into the finding. I used two wire jump rings to attach the pendant to the fiber necklace. Lastly, I made a flower dangle and attached it to one end of the decorative chain to finish it off.
Any questions? Just leave me a comment and I will get back with you. :)

Here’s another necklace with the same technique. Don’t you love the sensuous look to these necklaces? They are light weight and very comfortable to wear.

If I didn’t make some of my instructions clear, leave me a comment below and I will clarify. This is the first time I’ve given instructions so bear with me! :)

If you would like instant gratification, these necklaces are in MY SHOP.

How do you use Fiber in your necklaces?

Let me know if you would like to be spotlighted with a necklace you created with one of my beads. Leave your email in the comments and I will contact you with details. :)

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