Banjara - A bead necklace inspired by the tribals of India .

      Recently a friend asked me what my favourite beadwork stitch was and I quickly replied - Brick stitch , without a thought . Since that was the first stitch I had learned way back in 1990`s when I got an issue of Bead and Button magazine . But later , pondering over my answer , I realized , that over the years ,  I had experimented with a variety of  techniques ,  depending on what I wanted to create .
 And much to my amusement . I didnt have a particular style that I could call my own ! I`m a  wanderer in the world of beads , or a banjara , if I may say so ! 

   Banjara - meaning people who wander from place to place , or in other words gypsies as they are called in the western world are colorful and funloving people . Their culture is an electic mix of the places they have camped and the traditions they follow are imbibed from the regions they have camped in . The costumes they wear  and crafts they create are a sight to behold.

      My necklace is inspired by these Banjaras of India . Using black and white seed beads I created the strip using a braided black woolen cord as the foundation . This cord has been extended to form the closure , which has a black bead.
 

 The necklace has brick stitch as the main weave ,(creating the pattern graph was quick as  here my textile weaving knowledge came in handy ) , and at the base I added the fringe in each of the gaps . The center pendant is actually an old  vintage button which I stitched later to give it some spice .

  Do drop in a line as to how you found this necklace , I would love to hear from you  , and keep dropping by to view more of my creations .

beading forever,

motidana