A Treasury of Soutache-ery

Soutache. Pronounce it soo-tash. So far as I know, anyway. ;-)

Soutache is a decorative braid, used for embellishing clothing. (Like uniforms, and stuff.) But Soutache Jewelry is somewhere between quilling and beadweaving, with some embroidery thrown in for good measure.

It lends itself very much to sweeping curves, rich looks, lots of texture, and fabulous use of colour! Think Art Nouveau, Paisleys, and Zentangles.

Check out these finished pieces that we have in the store as samples.

Look at how rich this looks!

Here's a close up, so you can see the detail.

This is the back - lined with ultra-suede.

This piece is a little simpler, but still very handsome.

And a close up. Notice the ends are finished with large caps.

The basic idea to use this is you are essentially stacking multiple layers, on it's narrow side, and stitching it into place, and stitching beads into it. Seal the ends with a dab of glue - as it unravels and frays very quickly (Melting the ends does NOT work, btw. Tried it.) Hide the back with a piece of ultra-suede for a nice, clean look.

Here's some links to tutorials to get you started. Most of the instructions that I have found are NOT in English. If your French or Polish is a little rusty, go and download and install the Chrome browser, it has a built-in translate button.

This video is very helpful - no language - just pictures. 



Here's a nice little tutorial - it's all in French - but has very good pictures and you probably don't actually need to read it to figure out what is going on.  Oceanie Creations - Introduction to Soutache

This tutorial is in Polish - again, open the link in Chrome for a translation.
Srebrna a Grafka

For some awesome eye candy, inspiration - or just maybe you want to go shopping for some finished pieces? (If you can't find something in one of these that makes your heart go pitter-pat - check your pulse!)

Dori Csengeri
Anneta Valious and she has a nice pictures-only tutorial here too.
Galery Aurus
There's a nice Pinterest board of Soutache,
and another, and another


Anyway - we have 31-derful colours coming to the website on Wednesday at midnight - so ... be prepared! You'll need some ultrasuede (for the back - not necessary for all designs), glue (to stop the ends from fraying), needles, scissors, thread, and a handful of beads!