Daily Blogs : beadweaving

4 Ideas for Necklace Extensions

Erin Carey — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:23:00 GMT

How do you deal with a necklace design that's perfect but too short?

Like most of you, when I design a new necklace I make it to my favorite length. I happen to prefer 16" necklaces because the focal bead sits just perfectly above my “Great Plains.” But if I’m making a necklace as a gift or to teach, I need to be sure that women of all different shapes and sizes can wear it. Not everyone’s got the Great Plains. Actually, most women I hang around with are more the, well…Grand Teton variety. So I usually make my necklace designs so they can easily be extended, either by the person that’s making it or by the person that’s receiving it.

Here are 4 ways to extend the length of a necklace:

Lisa Kan's
Autumn Bouquet

Jennifer Van Benschoten's
Back to Byzantium

1. Add more beadwork. If you’re stitching a beadwoven necklace, simply extend the strap or rope design to your desired length with the same or a different type of beaded strap. If the rope is too plain, incorporate other beads or embellishments to jazz it up a bit. Check out stitched necklaces like Lisa Kan’s Autumn Bouquet and Jennifer Van Benschoten’s Back to Byzantium to see the type of necklaces I’m talking about. See how they could easily be extended at the ends?

2. String extensions. You can easily transition from stitched beadwork to strung beads, like my example here. Just crimp a short length of flexible beading wire to one end of one strap, string enough beads to reach the back center of your neck, and crimp on half of the clasp. Do the same with the other side and you’re golden.

Jean Campbell's Fiori Necklace	Julia Zaccaria’s Delicious Donuts	Lindsay Burke's From the East

3. Attach extender chain. This is the simplest way to lengthen a necklace, as I’ve done with my Fiori Necklace. Just add a chain to one end of the strap and a lobster clasp to the other end. For some extra pizzazz, hang a little dangle at the end of the chain that incorporates a bead from the main necklace. You can also see this technique in Delicious Donuts by Julia Zaccaria and From the East by Lindsay Burke.

Anne Timmons'
Freshwater Pearl
Bridal Set

Katie Hacker's
Great Lengths Necklace
and Bracelet

4. Use a detachable extension. Use a bracelet with the same type of clasp and beads as your necklace to act as an extension. Just attach the bracelet clasp ends to their corresponding necklace clasp ends, and voilà! That’s at least 7" of extra length. Necklace/bracelet sets like Anne Timmons’ Freshwater Pearl Bridal Set and Katie Hacker’s Great Lengths Necklace and Bracelet work well for this concept.

Do you have other ideas for extending necklaces, or, for that matter, shortening them?
Please share them here and on the Beading Daily forums!

New Beading Daily editor!

Leslie — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:01:00 GMT

Hi! I'm so happy to be your new Beading Daily editor!

First and foremost I want to thank Michelle Mach, the founding Beading Daily editor, who has moved on. Michelle helped create an astounding online bead and jewelry community for all of us. We’ll miss her easy writing style and creativity from the past two years. Big cheers for Michelle! The good news is that she told me she'd be delighted to contribute from time to time. Share your wishes for Michelle on the forums!

Magazine scene

I’m thrilled to take up where Michelle left off as the new Beading Daily editor, and lots of you already know me. Perhaps you recognize my face from my photo in Step by Step Beads, for whom I’ve been the editor in chief for almost five years.

You may have taken one of my Bead Fest classes. Maybe you've seen my designs published in Beadwork, Step by Step Beads, Creative Jewelry, Easy Wire, or in a few Interweave books. I even did some technical illustrations for Beadwork.

A short history of an editor

Since getting my BFA in illustration from UArts in Philly, I’ve done a lot of things, and Interweave allows me to finally bring everything together! I was a copywriter and product designer for The Franklin Mint, wrote script cards for QVC, had art features published in Niche, American Style and The Surface Design Journal. I had my own business making wearable art, fabric sculptures and jewelry, selling at the American Craft Council shows and the Buyers Markets of American Crafts. I made my own blog web site and also sell on Etsy. I’ve even been a movie and TV extra. But mostly I love to bead!

Leslie's bead health tip for today:
Wear lots of jewelry as weight-bearing exercise!

Doodlebeads

Maybe because my dad was in the computer biz since they filled rooms, I’ve always loved the tech world. I was on the internet the second it was invented! I started making videos for my daughter’s school assemblies, then my personal blog, then as an Interweave editor. Next came video tutorials for Beading Daily. Called Doodlebeads because I draw out the thread paths as a teaching aid, these tutorials for beginner bead stitchers are already on Beading Daily in the How To section.

Beads, Baubles & Jewels

I love making jewelry, but mostly I love inspiring other people to make jewelry. I have experience in almost every medium and technique but my passion is seed beads. I was asked to teach Doodlebeads on Beads, Baubles & Jewels, the PBS TV show which Interweave sponsors. I just completed taping 12 episodes for the TV show, but a new Doodlebeads DVD with all 12 basic stitches will be in the Interweave store by the end of October of this year!

Beading Daily is yours, mine and ours!

Old friends or new, share what inspires you, what you want to learn, and what your most (or least) favorite posts are. One of the best things about beadingdaily.com is that we are so connected, you with me, me to you, you with each other. We have post comments to share, lively forums, galleries, contests, lessons, videos, Bead Fest bead show events-- so many ways to have a bead-in going all the time. So it’s your turn to tell me about yourselves. Beading Daily is ours! There is an amazing wealth of experience and humor being shared on Beading Daily, being tweeted and blogged and facebooked. So find a forum and let everyone know your wish list for Beading Daily. Who are you and what do you want? More videos? More projects? Which medium? Fewer, bigger, easier, more challenging? Bring it on! Please share your comments. It takes a village, right? Together, we’re making Beading Daily the best jewelry-making neighborhood around!

Happy beading!

How to Attach Metal Clasps to Beadwork

Michelle M. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:13:00 GMT

Between working more than a full-time job, slinging hash several times a day for the family, and geez, just simple personal hygiene, I have a hard time keeping up with what’s going on in the outside world. I usually get to the newspaper a day late and don’t think I’ve watched television for months. So it’s no wonder why I don’t know who Jon and Kate are and why they’re breaking up. ...(read more)

New Right-Angle Weave eBook: 5 Free Projects

Michelle M. — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:33:00 GMT

One of the fascinating things about beading is that just by changing the beads you can make a project look completely different. Take the Triple Quatrefoil by Tina Koyama, one of the featured projects in our latest free ebook, Right Angle Weave: Beading Daily Presents 5 Free Beadweaving Patterns. In her original version, Tina used a base of 4mm fire-polished rounds with size 10, 11, and 13 Czech charlottes for the edging and embellishment. I loved her fun, summery version, but I didn't have any beads like that in my stash and I didn't want to wait until I had time to shop. ...(read more)

How to Add Thread Mid-Project: Tips and Video

Michelle M. — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 06:43:00 GMT

Though many beaders do it, I don’t like working with long thread. It tangles, it knots, it snags under the casters on my chair, or reels in my cat as she plays with the nest of excess at my feet....(read more)

Learn St. Petersburg Chain

Michelle M. — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:12:00 GMT

I woke up this morning quite aware that more than half of 2009 is already finished! It was hard for me to believe, especially since we haven’t had much of a summer here in the Midwest, and I count on those hot mid-summer days to get me through the rest of the year here on the tundra. Anyway, the realization made me do a mental check on my New Year’s resolutions....(read more)

Which Stitch Are You?

Michelle M. — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:33:00 GMT

Beading Daily is a social network, so, like many other online communities, I’ve determined we need to have a ridiculous quiz. Normally this might require all kinds of in-depth questions in order to come to its conclusion, but why not just jump ahead to the answers, so you can pick for yourself? Then you can make the accompanying seed bead projects from the store to show off your inner stitch! ...(read more)

The Secret to Perfect Thread Tension

Michelle M. — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:03:00 GMT

“It has been taped, cut short, knotted, stuffed into a baggie, wrapped on a spool, and just plain ignored.” In the August/September issue of Beadwork, Master Class author Nancy Cain urges us not to forget about our little ol’ tail thread. In fact, Nancy teaches that utilizing our tail thread is the key to keeping thread tension tight. We all know how frustrating it can be to finish a design and see thread showing between beads or, even worse, end up with floppy, loose beadwork. ...(read more)

Learn Bead Speak with This Free Crossword Puzzle

Michelle M. — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:36:00 GMT

“Pass through 5B; *square-stitch 1E to 3B. Weave through 7B; add 3B picots to the next 2B and the following 2B. Repeat from * fifteen times.” Am I speaking another language here? Yes; Beaderese. Does it give you a headache to read? Of course. Want to know why? The synapses in your brain are getting the workout of their lives! ...(read more)

Odd-Count vs Even-Count Peyote: What's the Difference?

Michelle M. — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:38:00 GMT

What’s the big deal about flat odd-count vs flat even-count peyote stitch? As I see it, the hubbub pretty much boils down to this: even-count is simple; odd-count is complicated. How can one thing be so diametrically opposed to itself? Easy/hard; clear/confusing; straightforward/perplexing? After just returning from a week’s road trip through South Dakota with a couple of hormone-demented teenagers, I know such things are possible. ...(read more)

Reader Gallery: Beadweaving + Stringing Projects

Michelle M. — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:40:00 GMT

I love combining bits of beadweaving with small bits of stringing or wirework. Check out my Lazy-B Ranch (ladder stitch and stringing) or Love Birds Necklace (daisy chain and wirework) as examples. ...(read more)

7 Steps to the Perfect Crimp

Michelle M. — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:15:00 GMT

When channel surfing the other day I came across a show featuring a home built by its owner. The guy had used recycled materials and industrial cast-offs to create a very modern, fresh space. One of the best features was the staircase, which employed thick steel cable and eye screws as balusters. The owner showed how he used a huge tool and a fist-sized tube to crimp the cables in place....(read more)

Thread is Cheaper Than Frustration and 4 More Thread Tips

Michelle M. — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:07:00 GMT

"Thread is cheaper than frustration." That was some recent advice I received from Bead Expo Philadelphia instructor Liz Smith. I laughed when I read her email because it reminded me of when I started to learn beadweaving. Coming from the world of expensive beading wire, I was afraid of wasting thread so I used these ridiculously short pieces two and three inches long. I struggled to learn the various stitches until one day I used the exact amount of thread (something like 4 feet!) that a project recommended. I couldn't believe how much easier that made everything! That was a big lesson for me: don't be so afraid of wasting thread that you waste a lot of time!

Here are four more thread tips from Bead Fest Philadelphia instructors. Click on the instructor names for more information about them and their classes.

Preparing Your Thread

Many problems with thread can be avoided with a little preparation.

"Easy, breezy, quick and clean way to prepare your beading thread--simply take your working length and PULL it at full strength for a short moment. This slight stretching removes the thread "memory" to curl and provides a straighter fiber, causing far fewer tangles while you work. For those us who dislike the sensation of beeswax or thread conditioners on our fingers, this simple trick can reduce the potential for tangles significantly!"--Christina Vandervlist

At left: Triangles Bracelet by Debi Keir-Nicholson and Christina Vandervlist is being taught at Bead Expo Philadelphia.

Knotting

Dottie's tip on knotting is useful for any type of stringing material whether you're knotting pearls on silk thread or stringing chunky plastic beads on ribbon. I use this tip all the time!

"To get that knot right next to the bead when stringing pearls or doing macrame, try this: Tie a loose overhand knot close to the bead. Insert a T pin or the point of an awl through the center of that knot. Grasp the cord and use the awl to push the loose knot down against the bead. Pull the knot tight around the awl point and pull the point out. Then give it one final push, holding it between your fingers, against the bead. Works every time!"--Dottie Hoeschen

Avoiding "Whiskers"

If you've ever had little bits of thread stick out of your beadwork instead of staying neatly tucked inside the beads, you'll want to try Liz's advice. Start by watching where you cut your thread. Liz recommends that you try not to cut the thread at the knot as "that is a weak spot where the thread could pull out."

"When nearing the end of your thread (and leave at least six inches to play with because thread is cheaper than frustration), make a few half-hitch knots between beads. You can also weave an X as you normally would end a thread. Then string three or four beads next to your last knot (following the thread path), dab a little clear nail polish on the thread, and pull the thread slowly through the beads. The idea is that the glue holds the thread inside the beads so that the whiskers don't pop out. After a few moments, zap the remaining thread. Later, if whiskers do emerge, just pat them gently with your zapper to melt them down."--Liz Smith

Double Crystal Cuff by Liz Smith is being taught at Bead Expo Philadelphia.

Keep Pets Safe

When you've finished beading, make your cleanup quick and safe.

"Make sure to keep needles and all forms of beading thread away from your pets. Even a short length of a few inches of thread can be deadly. I always wrap leftover lengths of thread around two fingers and then cut the coil so the thread becomes harmless. It only takes a moment and can save your pet's life."--Judy Walker

How do you keep thread from tangling or fraying? What kind of thread works best? Share your tips on the website.

Coming This Week: On Wednesday, Jean Campbell will share the special meaning behind gemstones and on Friday, I'll share a free bead embroidery project.

Free Project Library Update: It's spring cleaning time! We will be moving some of the older free projects (May 2007 and earlier) into the Project Store so that designers will be able to earn royalties on those designs in the future. Please take some time this week to download your favorite older projects from the Free Project Library.

Michelle Mach shares beading news, contests, reader galleries, and other beady stuff every Monday on Beading Daily. If you have comments or questions for Michelle, please post them on the website.

Tips for New Beadweavers

Michelle M. — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:09:00 GMT

Beading Daily reader Christine K. wrote, "I am a brand-new beginner now attempting to learn the off-loom stitches. Although I am generally skilled with crafts that use one's hands (e.g., I can both crochet and knit), my learning of beading stitches is SLOW. My major question now is: what is the main difference between right-angle weave stitch and peyote stitch? Also, when I try to work in peyote stitch, I find it difficult to make the beads lay correctly. After figuring out the main difference between peyote stitch and right-angle stitch, is the "trick" to making the beads lay correctly to just relax and continue to thread the beads as required by peyote/right-angle stitch?"

When I read this one I had to smile. I pictured my first run-in with peyote stitch: The first few rows looked like a tangled fisherman's net. And doing right-angle weave felt like driving down the wrong side of the road. It's amazing any of us beaders get past those first brushes with needle and thread!

How to "See" Beadwork

First off, I'll make a suggestion about how to "see" beadwork. This one's kind of subtle, but was helpful for me. Keep in mind that in beadweaving the focus is on the bead placement, not the thread path. The thread path is key, of course, but it's invisible and should stay that way. While knitting and crochet are all about the fuzz, beading is about the firmness of the glass. It's a more planar technique. So when you're beading, if you can imagine your job is to build the beads into a certain formation--your thread acting as the magical cement--then you might more easily imagine locking the beads into place. Seeing the beadwork as a sort of Lego exercise will help you understand where your need to put up the next wall or window. That may sound a little David Carradine, Grasshopper, but there it is.


Peyote Stitch	Right-Angle Weave

Photos from The Beader's Companion by Judith Durant and Jean Campbell

Peyote Stitch vs Right-Angle Weave

In regard to peyote stitch vs right-angle weave, keep in mind that the shapes of these two stitches are very different. Peyote stitch produces a beaded fabric that looks like a brick wall; the beads sit side-by-side. Right-angle weave makes a fabric that looks like a series of little crosses; the beads sit at right angles to one another. The thread paths of these stitches are very different, too--in peyote stitch the path moves straight back and forth across the work; in right-angle weave the path moves back and forth, but by one little circle at a time.

Some basic stitch tips:

Counting Rows. When you string the first strand of beads for an even-count flat peyote-stitched project, keep in mind that these beads will make up your first two rows. Peyote stitch rows are counted on the diagonal, not along the side of the work. For right-angle weave, you can count the rows by counting the outside edge beads. Note that each little circle of beads that makes up the row is called a "unit" in most printed instructions.

Subsequent Rows. The third row in peyote stitch is a bear. If you can get past the third row, you're sailing. I've seen lots of clever techniques to make that third row, including passing another needle through the odd-numbered beads to separate them from the second-row ones. This will automatically reveal which are the "up beads" to work the third row. I've also seen someone put a little dab of Wite-Out on every-other bead to distinguish the rows and then scrape the stuff off after the work is established. You could also start the work by creating several false rows in alternating bead colors to differentiate them. Then, once you're rolling on the proper beads, remove those first couple false rows by sliding them off the tail thread.

For the second right-angle weave row, I think it helps to take a T pin or toothpick and poke it through the center of each first-row unit. This makes the work fall into formation, revealing the up beads very clearly.

Tension. Thread tension is really important for all the off-loom stitches. It's best to keep it tight as possible from the get-go, again making your job of forcing those little glass lovelies into formation. It may help to use a tension bead to start off (just remember to remove it!). I don't like extra steps, so I just use my fingers to keep the thread tight on those first few rows. If I keep the beads of the first several rows pinched tightly between my thumb and forefinger, it usually does the trick to keep the beads in place until I'm able to yank hard on the thread to tighten the beads into position.

NEW Free Peyote Stitch Pattern eBook: Our first free beadweaving pattern e-book features 5 peyote stitch projects, plus two full pages of step-by-step illustrated instructions on even- and odd-count peyote, and a sheet of peyote stitch graph paper for creating original jewelry designs. Download Peyote Stitch Projects with BeadingDaily: 5 Free Peyote Stitch Patterns

Jean Campbell writes about beading and life every Wednesday on Beading Daily. If you have comments or questions for Jean, please post them on the website. Thanks!

Ideas for Using Fringe, Plus Free Fringed Necklace Project

Michelle M. — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:12:00 GMT

On the Fringe

Fringe is a fun way to add a little pizzazz to a project. At least, that's what I've been told. I'm not much into fringe myself--it feels too fussy for my designs. But a recent discovery has had me thinking about fringe a lot lately. I'd love to say it was because I've seen the light and been converted to a fringe-lovin' fool, but in truth, it's all because of the color brown.

When organizing my box of seed beads recently, I discovered that I had no less than 10 tubes of brown seed beads. If you have a huge seed bead collection, that's not a big deal. But for me, that's maybe 20% of my little collection. (I actually wrote on my last bead shopping list "NO BROWN BEADS" just in case I had a sudden case of amnesia once I entered the bead shop.) How can I start using these brown beads up and making room for some other colors? My logical brain came up with: brown = tree branches = branch fringe. Yes, not the most creative leap of beading genius that I've ever had, but there you go.

This Week's Free Project

The Beader's Companion lists six different types of fringe: plain knotted fringe, simple fringe, branch fringe, looped fringed, netted fringe, and twisted fringe. Simple fringe and branch fringe seem to be used the most often. This week's free project, Dragonfly's Garden by Julia Watt, uses simple fringe near the pendant as well as to embellish some flowers. You can see an illustration of simple fringe in the techniques section of Beading Daily.

Download This Free Project: Dragonfly's Garden by Julia Watt

This free project is courtesy Beadwork magazine. Check out the preview of the June/July 2008 issue!

More Projects with Fringe

Here are a few more fringed projects to inspire you. Of course, using pink or blue beads is not a requirement for fringe! It just happened that all the examples I pulled were in those two colors. Isn't that odd?


Plus de Rouge Merle Berelowitz		Fringed Peyote Bottle Jean Campbell

Cherry Blossom Earrings (free) JoAnn Allard		Twigs and Branches (free) Pat Wexelblat

Instructor Tip: Creative Uses for Fringe

Beading Instructor Perie Brown has used fringe in a number of her designs. I asked Perie for some creative ideas on how to use fringe and she had these great suggestions:

Use fringe selectively on your design. "I have used fringe on a bracelet with a colorblock design, placing fringe only in selected blocks, rather than all over. This adds interest and texture."
Use fringe in a different color than the background. "This makes the fringe less dense, so that the background color shows too. Beautiful effect."

Perie will be teaching at Bead Expo Phoenix this weekend and Bead Expo Philadelphia in August.

What do you think?

What types of fringe do you like best? Or you an anti-fringe person? I have heard that fringe takes a long time--and may or may not be worth the effort. What do you think? Share your thoughts on the website.

Michelle Mach shares free beading projects and tips every Friday on Beading Daily. If you have questions or comments for Michelle (including suggestions for future free projects), please post them here on the website. Thanks!