Magdalena

Project by Kate Richbourg
Sample by Drea Carbone

Kate's Trail of Stars has been a favorite...but what if we updated it with new materials and theming? Here comes the hemp! With rich colors and Frida Kahlo-esque bead and charm choices, this three-strand necklace is a great summer accessory. Whip up a stack of hemp Bollywood Bracelets to go with! Born Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón, Frida's life and art has long been a strong inspiration to us all.

Select a variety of Hemp colors, charms, and beads that you love...just make sure the bead holes are large enough to fit (more on this below)! Hemp is a natural fiber and thickness can vary even on the same spool.

Start with one base cord per strand, cut each 6-8" inches longer than you want the final strand's length to be. Remember, your pendants will hang below and add length, too! For the macramé cords, cut a length you are comfortable working with. I do a "wingspan" (hand to hand, outstretched arms) to err on the side of caution, but that is a lot to work with! If that's not manageable for you, be sure to cut a shorter length and simply add more cord as needed.

Orient your pendants and charms depending on their bails. I used Lark's Head Knots on mine because the bails faced the right direction. You can always use jump rings or string right through the bail (like on the Palmettes) if they aren't facing the right way to lay flat. I started each strand at the center with the charm, and built off from there.

Making the ends of your base cords into glue-needles will help immensely. Miyuki 8/0s with a hole size of 1.1mm fit perfectly, some of my Wild Roses (IHD 0.8mm) were tight! The Palmette Charms with a 1.25mm IHD did fit three strands through--it's not an exact science. String your beads on, then secure to a project tray and macramé away. Have fun! Experiment with different macramé techniques, add beading along the edges, pattern your main beads with or without symmetry...make it you!
To keep the Wild Rose beads flat, simple string directly on your base cord and bring both macramé cords around the back of the bead and continue to knot below it. The cords will sit behind the bead, and the face of the flower will show without a string over it.

To end, bring your base cord through a jump ring and turn back on itself, leaving about 0.5" of bare base cord. I used a bit of extra hemp to secure the jump ring to the tray, and a piece of tape to temporarily secure the hemp back to itself. You'll want to finish both ends at the same time to compare them...you don't want one end longer than the other. Use your macramé cords to tie ONE HALF hitch knot (one P or one Q) over your TWO base cords...now take your base cord that's been captured with that half hitch and use it with one of your macramé cords to macramé the rest of the way towards the jump ring. This will create a slightly thicker section of macramé but I find the difference hardly noticeable. Use GS Hypo Cement to secure the final knots, trim when cured, then attach the jump rings to your link/connector.

Depending on the connector you chose, you may need only a jump ring and clasp to close. In my case, I needed to add an additional connection. I used jump rings, figaro chain, and a lobster claw. Larger chains like Endless Love or Simplicity are good choices if you'd like to make an extender to adjust your necklace's length. You can also attach to a multi-strand clasp and forego the connector. Alternatively, you can create single necklaces with no connector at all, and they simply end right on chain or jump rings and a clasp. Up to you! I just did it the way I did because I thought it looks cool!

Please join us as our worldwide community gathers onFacebook and YouTube at 10:30am Pacific Time on July 12th, 2023. It’s so much fun to go live with us and bead together! After the live broadcast the video will be available above.

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