Easier fabric necklace

I often wonder if pattern designers sit in their offices and plot against me.

Is it their intention to make steps more complicated and confusing than they need to be?

Do they secretly hope that I overbuy and waste precious fabric?

Because that is not cool.

Last week I followed this pattern, 

wasted a ton of time, 

pulled out my hair and 

needlessly cut TONS of fabric.  

(Make bias strips?  Really?  For what?)

Let me save you from the same fate.

Meet the much easier,

fabric conserving,

time saving,

chunky fabric necklace.

This is a really easy and inexpensive project.

The fabric combinations are limitless and it is a great use for scraps.

Supplies:

1 inch wood beads

(I found mine at Michaels.  They can have holes or no holes, it doesn't matter.

12-20 depending on the length you want the necklace to be.)

Three to five different fabrics

(you will need five 4 x 18 strips of fabric.)

Coordinating thread

Cut your fabric into 4 x 18 inch strips.

You need five total.

Sew all of the short ends together in your desired pattern

using a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

You can snip the threads and press the seams, but I'm too lazy.

That's how I roll.

On one end fold down the fabric 1/2 inch and sew.

Fold in half right sides together.

Sew down entire length using a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

Feel free to pin sides together if this is too scary.

Once again, I'm too lazy.

Stick a big old safety pin on one end and turn it inside out.

These next steps are boring, so I usually watch something mindless on the Tivo.

Today it was The Fashion Show.

Which is awful.

Project Runway, please come back quickly!

 

Find the center of the long fabric snake and tie a knot.

Push a bead through the tube until it hits the knot.

Tie another knot. 

Repeat on both sides until necklace is desired length.

I used 18 beads on mine and it fits easily over my head.

Here is how I finished it.

I tucked one side into itself,

then clipped off the extra length off of the polka dot side.

Then I stuffed the polka dot side into the other side, 

pinned it and did my best attempt at hand sewing.

It came out crazy and bunchy, but then again, 

it looks as though a bead is in that part of the necklace too.

If you want a shorter necklace, instead of sewing both sides together, 

sew a ribbon on each end so you can tie and untie the cuteness.

My assistant has taken on a part time job in the Quality Control department.

It passed her very stringent standards.