Stitch Pro: Breaking Bad...Beads

re: Stitch Pro: Breaking Bad...Beads

ladynocturne — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 02:10:13 GMT

I have to object to your description of "Breaking Bad" as "drivel." It's is actually a fascinating, complicated show; it's part black comedy and part personality study. It's the only TV show where characters grow and change, just like real humans. That's not to say it's not disturbing or sometimes creepy, but it's never drivel. Less-challenging sitcoms are probably better to bead to.

re: Stitch Pro: Breaking Bad...Beads

Carol S@3 — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 20:44:02 GMT

I use this method I read in a magazine years ago. Put your needle into the bead and use the tips of your chain nose pliers to break the bead. Saves the thread and you can select just that offending bead.

re: Stitch Pro: Breaking Bad...Beads

Ruth Bernstein — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 09:38:40 GMT

And now, do we call those things we wear around our wrists, breaklets?

Personally, I enjoyed the whole Breaking Bad series.

re: Stitch Pro: Breaking Bad...Beads

imajewelrymaker — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 06:00:13 GMT

Best tip I ever got for not cutting the thread is to make sure your pliers are grasping the bead you're breaking on its sides (next to the holes, parallel to the stringing direction) rather than squishing it from the top and bottom like in your picture. It takes more pressure but I haven't cut my thread once since switching and it's still quick and easy.

re: Stitch Pro: Breaking Bad...Beads

LynneW@25 — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 17:17:47 GMT

Sometimes the glass shards from crushing a spare bead with chain nose pliers will cut the thread (even with Fireline). Safest way is to insert a beading needle into the seed bead to take the pressure of the "crush" off the thread and you have averted the risk of a fireline (or other type of thread) being cut by the crushed bead fragments.

re: Stitch Pro: Breaking Bad...Beads

Dbraunst — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 13:47:02 GMT

The round notch in a crimping tool works great to break a bead. It puts just enough pressure to break the bead with less chance of smashing the broken pieces of bead against the thread. I learned this tip years ago from a beading magaine.......don't remember which one.

re: Stitch Pro: Breaking Bad...Beads

MagicDragon50 — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 13:32:13 GMT

Thanks for the tips. I did some bead breaking and have a small tip to share. In order to avoid those flying tiny pieces of glasses, I normally squeeze it inside a plastic bag which is big enough for my both hand to work inside. That works perfectly for me to prevent the small particles to spread around. I use this way to trim small piece of wire and button shank too. It helps my work place clean and safe.

re: Stitch Pro: Breaking Bad...Beads

Kelley Zehenderkelley — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 12:39:58 GMT

"The Walking Dead" is a really good show to bead by LOL

re: Stitch Pro: Breaking Bad...Beads

RED_Beads — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 09:46:38 GMT

I love the science fictions shows for beading by. Have you ever tried Chuck? Amusing and fun and the beading goes quickly.

re: Stitch Pro: Breaking Bad...Beads

RED_Beads — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 09:45:13 GMT

I bought my first beading awl recently, and already love it for breaking beads, as well as untangling knots. It breaks the beads so that the shards are pushed outwards away from the thread and thus the thread is less likely to be damaged.

It has found a place amongst my favourite beading tools!

re: Stitch Pro: Breaking Bad...Beads

Jean Campbell — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 04:15:07 GMT

Anni- Usually when you break a bead it's because you added too many in the first place (i.e. 4A instead of 3A, for instance), so there's nothing you need to do. If, though, it's for some other reason, you may need to "fudge" a little in that spot, making a new stitch over the old one, or tightening up a stitch that might be loose now that you've broken the bead out of the work.

re: Stitch Pro: Breaking Bad...Beads

Anni Magpie — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:00:49 GMT

Jean - so loved this advice, BUT ... I sure would love some ideas of what to do with the empty space now?