RitzyToo! June- July 2015 | Page 39

Tidbit: During the 17th century, pearls were actually woven into women’s hair. Even aristocratic men found pearls fashionable—many of them wore large pear-shaped pearls in their ears. WhatYou Do 1 Thread eight freshwater pearls onto the nylon line, positioning them in the center. Separate three pearls from the others on one side, then take one end of the nylon line and thread it through these three pearls. Pull the nylon line until it’s tight, making sure you keep the pearls centered on the strand so that they form a small oval. 2 Add one pearl to each side of the nylon line and position it so that it adjoins the pearls from step 1. Slide three more pearls onto one side of the nylon line, then thread the other end of the nylon line through these three pearls and pull the line tightly to form another oval (see figure 1). Figure 1 3 Repeat step 2 until one inch of nylon remains at each end (35 to 40 repetitions, or until no more pearls remain). The beaded area should measure 8 inches. Slide the crimp bead onto one end of the nylon line, then thread the opposite end of the line through it as well. Pull the line until it’s tight, so that no gaps remain in between the beads, then crush the crimp bead and trim any excess nylon line. 4 Apply the fray retardant to each end of the organza ribbon. Let the ribbon dry according to manufacturer’s instructions, then gently thread it in between the lines of pearls. Make sure that the ribbon emerging from each end is the same length. To wear this piece, simply tie the ends in a secure bow. 31 RitzyToo.com | RitzyToo! | June-July | 39