First, I make the silver or gold components for the piece of jewelry. These might be squares or circles, depending on the design. While the shapes are still flat, I drill the holes that will eventually hold my fine silver or 22k gold stitches. After the holes are drilled, I form the components, transforming them from flat to curved.

I could consider the piece finished at this point, but by now, you know me, and I LOVE my stitches, and they're my signature design element!

The photo below shows pieces of jewelry before stitching.

Next, using either fine silver or 22k gold, I’ll begin to stitch.  I’m very intentional with my choices, using different thicknesses of wire, depending on the piece and the look I want to create. For some pieces, I develop a set pattern as you can see in the photo below.

Unlike stitching with thread, when I’m stitching with wire, I must be careful not to bend it too much, causing unwanted ugly creases. Too much bending can also cause the wire to break. Not fun!

When I stitch, it’s essential that I make the stitches tight enough to hold their shape without disrupting the crisp line while also not breaking the wire. I use the pliers to pull on the wire to achieve the desired tautness. 

Next, I carefully check to ensure all the ends are smooth and the stitches are tight and secure.  It’s important to note that my stitching is a signature design element, but the stitches do not hold the pieces together. Instead, I use various soldering techniques to ensure many years of durable wearability.

You might be surprised to learn how much wire goes into a piece. It’s probably way more than you’d think.