Cavandoli Cabochon Setting with Leaves & Flowers

My journey with micro macrame jewelry got started in 1975 in the back of a pickup truck in Arizona while my future-husband-to-be painted en plein air in the middle of the desert… The only craft book we had with us was a small book on macrame I had bought at at the San Francisco Modern Art Museum.  

My first macrame piece was made with waxed linen and seeds found in the desert; the seeds got turned into beads with a nail and hammer to make the beads holes. Macrame was perfect since we had very few tools on hand. When we returned to the San Francisco Bay Area, I continued, switching to other materials such as nylon instead of waxed linen and I started an informal jewelry apprenticeship with a goldsmith in Burlingame. 

The way I set cabochon in Cavandoli knotting was born in 1978, combining macrame with metalsmith technology. Then countless micro macrame cabochon settings and many years later, I came with a system that can be taught to others…

In the class I will be teaching at BABE! 2015 in November 12-13 2015, we will go from concept to creation, first setting the cabochon, then forming stems, leaves and flowers. 

We will be working in Cavandoli style knotting with double half hitches, with C-Lon Bead Cord - bonded 3-ply nylon, Madeira Silk Floss, and Kanagawa 1000 Denier and Fujix Tire #16 Buttonhole Twist Silk Embroidery Thread. 

This class will provide the foundation from which many more pieces can be made, leading to larger neckpieces and designs with gemstone cabochons or combination with more geometrical Cavandoli design.

Class info: 

Thursday - Friday, November 12-13, 2015 Join us for a 2-day class at BABE, the Bay Area Bead Extravaganza at the Marriott Convention Center in Oakland City Center. The Bead Show is Saturday & Sunday, Nov 14-15. This class is almost filled, so sign up now! Visit BABE website for more info & to sign up! or more about this class > Workshop & Class Info