Skip to main content

Orthoceras pendant with bead embroidery

Time Traveler

This fossil is called an orthoceras, and I bought it on our trip to Alaska in 2013.  I've been looking for the perfect project to use it, because I think it is SO COOL, and I didn't want to waste it on just anything.

Recently I've gotten into another pendant-making kick, so that seemed to be the best choice for my little fossil.  The patterning on it is really interesting, and I didn't want my beadwork to overpower it, so I kept it very simple...a few seed beads and a handful of glass pearls, all in black and grays.

Step-by-step instructions for putting together a bead embroidered piece, including back stitch, edging brick stitch, and stack stitch can be found in the free first chapter of Every Bead Has a Story.  Chapter two has instructions for stitching a peyote stitch bezel, and Chapter three teaches the square stitch bail.



1. I used double-sided tape to attach the fossil temporarily to the foundation fabric.  I'm going to do a peyote bezel around it, so it doesn't have to be attached with glue.



2. The fossil has a high dome, so it took 4 rounds of peyote stitch using size 11/0 seed beads, plus 2 rounds using size 15/0 seed beads to cinch it in.



3. I added two rows of back stitch around the piece, plus 3 glass pearls in gray on each side, scalloped by black size 15/0s.  I looked at it for awhile, and eventually decided that was enough!



4.  Cut out the piece, leaving a small edge for finishing with edging brick stitch.  I added a small Swarovski crystal rose montee sew on rhinestone through the hole in the fossil top to hide it (and to further secure it to the foundation).



5.  I added a row of edging brick stitch with size 11/0 seed beads, and went around again, adding stacks of 2 size 15/0 beads to each 11/0.



6. Stitch a square stitch bail to the back near the top.



7. Finished, with a rubber necklace cord.

Copyright 2015 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.

Technorati Tags: ,,,,,,,

Comments

Both the fossil and what you did with it are amazing, Cyndi. I love ancient artifacts. Just to touch them and think about where they were and when gives me goosebumps.
Cyndi L said…
Thank you, Eileen. This one will probably be my favorite for quite some time to come. I'm thinking about keeping it :-)
Cherie Burbach said…
Once again, I would have never thought to do that! It looks really cool. I love that you combined an artifact into your bead project like that. You amaze me!
Cyndi L said…
Thank you, Cherie! There's nothing like "specialing up" a souvenir :-)