Beadwork and Soutache Jewellery

Beadwork and Soutache

SOUTACHE EMBROIDERY is an ancient embroidery technique, which was initially used for making decorative elements sewn on clothes. The name comes from the French 'soutache'(pronounced soo - tash), which is a braid used to decorate fabric. Soutache has been around for a long time, especially in the world of fashion.

From military uniforms to haute couture creations, soutache creates amazing texture and design and has relatively recently made a splash in the world of jewellery with the renewed interest in adornments embroidered from beads and braid.

Soutache is a flat braid with a groove down its center, made of two rows of cording. It is added to designs stacked in layers - the edges of the braids are what are visible in the design and they are often sewn on around beads or cabochons.

They are all sewn together with fine threads and since soutache embroidery is very laborious and demanding technique and it requires precision. Jewellery made by this method is very definitely one of a kind.