Four Beading How-Tos You Need to Know

re: Four Beading How-Tos You Need to Know

kimbead@hotmail.com — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:04:16 GMT

My biggest suggestion for a beginning beader is to look to nature if you're stuck on what colors go together, and go for a walk when your project is making you feel like giving up! Take time to eat, get enough sleep, and stretch every once in a while so that your body doesnt get too stiff from sitting in one place too long!

re: Four Beading How-Tos You Need to Know

padali30 — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 21:53:48 GMT

Learning how to do really good tie offs is probably a really good skill to learn in the beginning. Reinforcing and securing beads should be at the top of your list for creating a good piece!

re: Four Beading How-Tos You Need to Know

Kat West — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 15:08:19 GMT

Although the general quality of seed beads has improved, really LOOK at the beads you are buying. Japanese beads tend to be very uniform. When buying other beads examine them closely. Are they fairly uniform? A little fatter or thinner is expected, but if the basic shape is irregular, or uneven, your work will be too.

When making the upswing to gemstone beads, my advice is to go to a few shows, and again REALLY LOOK at the beads. Not all gemstones are created equal. Uniformity, depth of color, centered, even holes,lack of cracking are just a few things that indicate quality.

And, yes, buy a bead reamer.

re: Four Beading How-Tos You Need to Know

Kat West — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 15:08:03 GMT

And, yes, buy a bead reamer.

re: Four Beading How-Tos You Need to Know

knittingrammycjr — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 13:18:13 GMT

I love the button clasp how to in the new issue. I re designed a necklace and finished it with a beaded clasp and heart shaped bead.

re: Four Beading How-Tos You Need to Know

Nameda — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:32:13 GMT

Well .. I would recommend to a beginner to learn which thread is the best!(for the project)!

Saves a lot of headaches! I started with nylon thread like fishing lines etc, and boy did I curse when the thread curled like goldilocks curls for the umpteenth time.

Finding the perfect thread for yourself, can save tons of headache and time when the fringe doesn't hang down but curls up and you have to redo a project just because of a curling thread or because its to thick to fit through the beads several times.

Oh and a good beading mat /tablet its nice when the beads don't jump/roll all over the place :)

Happy beading :)

re: Four Beading How-Tos You Need to Know

Nancy Smeltzer — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:34:12 GMT

For those of us who cover our art quilts with beads, push the needle through several of the beads BEFORE threading it and tying the knot. It will save you a lot of headaches, especially if you're beading at night...:)

Nancy Smeltzer