Description
Jammie Dodgers
In yet another food-induced fantasy moment, I came up with the idea of making beaded Jammie Dodgers. If you do not live in the UK and haven’t visited this country, then the idea of Jammie Dodgers may be a little confusing.
These are basically a biscuit brand. They look like two biscuits sat on top of one another. However, the top biscuit has a hole in the centre. The hole reveals the layer of jam that ‘glues’ the two biscuits together. The bottom biscuit is solid. Before you ask, yes, I did find a real biscuit to investigate its properties before I created the design! I should add that the real Jammie dodgers often have a heart-shaped hole in the top biscuit. So, then the jam looks like a red heart showing through. Unfortunately, this proved a step too far for my beading talents andI stuck with the circular variation.
Technical Information
In beading terms, the evolution of this project came from the experience of writing ‘Sweet Treats‘ book. When I wrote the book, it took me a long time to work out how to create the shape I needed for donuts. However, once I had mastered this technique, it gave me the tools I needed to go on and make my Jammie Dodgers.
The key lies in mixing together different bead sizes, using circular and tubular Peyote stitch. I used delica beads for the project. You will need sizes 15, 11 and 10, which you can buy in the beading supplies.
I also discovered that I was able to make Jammie Dodgers in two different sizes, so I used this idea to turn my biscuits into a necklace. If you look at the design, it is basically a classic focal V shape on a chain. However, the talking point is the Jammie Dodgers!
The pattern includes instructions for creating the necklace as well as just making the biscuits. I used basic wire-working or jewellery-making techniques to make my necklace. You could just as easily stitch a beaded rope. You do not need to be experienced with the wirwork. However, I would recommend you feel happy working in circular Peyote before attempting this project. You can download a free tutorial to learn this technique.
