Gilded Lagoon Class - Carrie Tahquechi
At least one additional colorway will be available at the class.
Carrie Tahquechi - Instructor
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Carrie Tahquechi is a lifelong creative and experienced instructor who is passionate about helping others discover the meditative joy of beadwork. Her approachable teaching style helps students build confidence through technique while encouraging personal expression and artistic instinct. She has taught at Rocky Mountain Bead Society, Enchanted Bead Retreat, Beader’s Dream Retreat 2025, and the Bead Cruise 2026.
Carrie brings a thoughtful balance of structure and intuition to her beadwork. She often begins with a sketch, then allows the beads themselves to shape the rhythm and flow of the design as it evolves. This interplay of planning and spontaneity gives each piece a distinctive, refined, and expressive voice full of creative life.
A distinctive part of Carrie’s work is her use of custom 3d printed frames that give her bead embroidery added structure and dimensionality. She combines these forms with traditional bead embroidery techniques and Native American stitches to create the final piece. The result is work that feels both sculptural and detailed, with a strong sense of form, texture, and movement.
Class Description:
Gilded Lagoon invites students to create a richly detailed statement necklace centered around a one-of-a-kind hand-poured paint cabochon. In this class, students will explore bead embroidery techniques to build a beautiful focal piece featuring a peyote stitch cabochon setting, beaded backstitch, sparkling cup chain accents, and flowing fringe. The project is finished with a handmade neckband that brings the entire design together into a cohesive and wearable work of art.
This intermediate-level, half-day class is ideal for students who enjoy detailed beadwork and want to expand their skills while creating a dramatic focal necklace. Each finished piece will reflect the individuality of the hand-poured cabochon and chosen colorway, making every necklace unique.
Additional Information:
For Gilded lagoon intermediate - Peyote bezel experience is very helpful but not a strict requirement. Those that do not have some peyote experience will be well behind others by the halfway point of class, but they will again see and discuss all steps. In this class we will need to move fairly quickly from one step to another to cover the full project and give fringe and finishing the time it needs for demos. Beaders will need to be able to step away from their project to watch demos and discuss next steps. Especially with the neckband beading at the end.
Students should bring needles, thread of choice, scissors, a work surface, task light, magnification if needed, and adhesive.
Skill Level: Intermediate
An Intermediate learner has a knowledge and some practice with basic bead embroidery skills such as backstitch, peyote, and brick stitch edging.
Class Costs:
- Kit fee $85 (Your kit choice will be purchased from Carrie at the class.)
- Class Fee $40 (paid at registration)
Maximum Students: 15
Note: Complimentary beverages and snacks will be provided courtesy of The Bead Society of New Mexico.
The Range is open from 7:30am to 8:30. Feel free to enjoy a full breakfast or dinner before or after class with friends or family.
