The Seamless Herringbone Horse Medallion Necklace
Design, Flow, and Symmetry: Turning a Graphic Design Eye to Beadwork
As a former graphic designer, my brain is naturally wired to think about layout, negative space, and visual harmony. When you look at a digital canvas, every element has to earn its place, and anything that doesn't add to the story gets stripped away.
Recently, I decided to bring that exact same philosophy to my beadwork bench.
The story of this piece actually started last year. For Christmas, I wanted to make something special and earthy for my sister who loves horses. I ordered these incredible stoneware horsehead medallions and fell in love with the rustic, natural color palette. After finishing her gift, I had exactly one horsehead pendant left over, just waiting for the right moment and the right design layout.
Here is how my design background helped me bring this final piece to life.
The Layout Challenge: Solving the Small Hole
In graphic design, if a logo or image doesn't fit the layout, you don't force it with clunky borders—you redesign the framework. This stoneware medallion presented a similar puzzle. Having worked with hand-painted porcelain and stoneware myself, I immediately appreciated the clean crispness of this ceramic equestrian illustration and its gorgeous autumn leaf border, but the piece had an incredibly small drilled hole. The visual weight of the medallion demanded a thick, substantial chain, but a thick rope simply wouldn't fit through the opening.
Instead of adding a clunky metal bail or a jarring jump ring that would clutter the visual field, I let the beads do the heavy lifting. I intricately hand-woven a custom, minimalist hanging piece using tiny 15/0 glass seed beads. This delicate bail loops seamlessly through the pendant's small opening and slides cleanly onto the main rope. The medallion cradles naturally and floats beautifully on its strand without any mechanical distractions.
The Typography of Beads: The Herringbone Stitch
If the pendant is the main imagery, the chain is the typography - it sets the tone. I hand-wove a 16.5-inch chain using a classic herringbone stitch.
The Drape: The distinct V-shaped pattern gives the seed beads a fluid, fabric-like flexibility that contours perfectly around the collarbone.
The Palette: As someone who loves rich, earthy colors, I chose a deep matte black foundation punctuated by rhythmic bands of copper and terracotta. This color story frames the horse portrait, pulling out the warm tones of the background foliage.
360-Degree Design: The All-Bead Toggle
A good design doesn't fall apart at the margins. To maintain an unbroken visual flow, I completely eliminated metal hardware from the closure, too. The back of the necklace features a custom-woven beaded toggle and loop system crafted from the exact same black seed beads.
The result is a completely hypoallergenic, lightweight, and fluid piece of wearable art that looks intentional from every single angle. It is amazing how a leftover piece from a Christmas gift can turn into a perfect exercise in design and flow.
Designed & Woven By: Robin Harley, Threaded Flair
Stoneware Pendant Artist: IndigoDesignsByRonda on Etsy