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Re: VERY belated Halloween project

kadone — Sun, 12 May 2013 17:16:49 GMT

It's not belated, it's just in time for next Halloween! They look really good!

Re: VERY belated Halloween project

Maxine0802 — Wed, 08 May 2013 08:02:49 GMT

Your are so great, the black mouse pad looks delicate. All of your work need a lot of patient and time, you are really very studious.

Re: VERY belated Halloween project

Valbeads — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 09:16:46 GMT

It's Jack! Hurrah! He looks so cute. The tombstone is cool; it looks as though it was difficult to make. Your hands must be so tired.

Re: VERY belated Halloween project

beadsbeadingbeaded — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 01:54:21 GMT

Emma.J:

Thanks for your advice Erin, I was hoping you would see this post and give me advice lol. When I was warping my loom, every time I wrapped my thread around the spokes I would add a black bead and then beaded the piece without the very edge beads so when I used the 'pull and pray' method, instead of having thread showing at the end, a bead would be pulled into it's place. This would only be every second bead but then I square stitched an edge bead in the gaps.

Emma, this was a great idea! Even using the type of method where you have no warps to weave back in, sometimes referred to as a 'no warp' method, ends up with loops. No matter paper clips or a thin welding rod will keep the loops from being there when finished. They truly distract from the texture of the finished piece. your idea is a great one, to fill those darns loops.

There are even methods where the beads are attached to the end of a warp bar, by wrapping the thread, with a bead, as marking each row, of woven beads. This thread is cut, but the beads are kept on the warp bar. While warping, the needle is run inside each, of the beads, acting as the end warp bar, them selves. You still end up with the dreaded loops, but if the thread is tied well, it can be slipped out so the original beads stay attached, acting as the first row of beads woven. This is how a 'Versa' loom works, but you can do the same method on many looms.

You will also notice a wonderful 'body' to the finished piece, if you warp with Wildfire. There will surely be no more snagging!

Also, I only assume you are using BeadTool for your pattern creations. Are you using graph paper, as others here are mentioning? If you are using BT, then read one of my recent posts on my BLOG. I mention how to make the perfect circle, by sizing your beads in BT. This calibration will also give you what you want in creating a good perspective, if you plan on doing such a 3D structure, in the future.

I can't wait to share more with you! Keep posting!

Re: VERY belated Halloween project

ottercat — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:05:51 GMT

Great work. Can't see the seam; looks all of one piece. Love the barrette -- just fine how it is. Thanks for sharing.

Emma.J:
When I drew the design on my graph paper, he was more circular, but when I beaded it he came out more.. oblong?

Graph paper gauge is set where width equals height; loom gauge is set where width (14 beads/row) equals height (10 rows) (approx.).

graph paper (appx.): width = 10 squares / inch, height = 10 squares / inch (cross-stitch)

loom work (appx.): width = 14 beads / inch, height = 10 rows / inch (loom work, square stitch, knitting)

90DO-L (appx.): width = 10 beads / inch, height = 14 rows / inch

If I don't know how #beads = #rows, I work a sample for those beads (1 inch x 1 inch) to get the gauge before designing a piece. Hope this helps.

Ottercat

02-05-13 (1604 PST)

Re: VERY belated Halloween project

D.M.Z — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:00:35 GMT

Emma, I've seen your tombstone before, so must have been on your blog or in your store. Welcome to the obsessive AND compulsive world of looming..........Ha, ha. At some point you will forgive your loom and come back to it. Your ideas are adventurous, keep up the good work.

I did some 3D stuff before I ever saw Erin's and knew for sure it was feasible. I made a flat loomed piece, Cut the center out of it (and my first ever moment of truth.....the one where you grasp both sides of your head and scream) when I realized that the section I cut didn't have threads long enough for me to tie off. So being very much under educated and grasping at ideas, I glued the whole bunch of warps back together and then made passes back and forth, under and over to make a patch of "material", glued the heck out of the material, then recut the warps and folded the material to the back of the piece..............and allowed myself to breath again. From there on our it was easy peasy, I added a wig, a pond, a water jug, waterfalling out of the jug and hands to hold the jug including red tipped nails. Very humorous.

regarding Jack Skellington, looks like you used delicas.........they measure .0667 ACROSS the hole and about .0500 (sometimes as much as .0550) up the flat side. So if your graph paper wasn't quite on the money, or you held it the wrong direction.............oxo bleepo, squashed Jack.

I like them both anyway.................... keep it up. Donna

Re: VERY belated Halloween project

Emma.J — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:50:32 GMT

Thanks for your advice Erin, I was hoping you would see this post and give me advice lol. When I was warping my loom, every time I wrapped my thread around the spokes I would add a black bead and then beaded the piece without the very edge beads so when I used the 'pull and pray' method, instead of having thread showing at the end, a bead would be pulled into it's place. This would only be every second bead but then I square stitched an edge bead in the gaps.

Thank you for your advice on warp threads. I will give my next one a try with fireline!

Can't wait for your book to come out!

Emma
xXx

Re: VERY belated Halloween project

beadsbeadingbeaded — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:31:10 GMT

They are both awesome Emma!

If you work with the 'pull n pray' method often, consider using a 'non piercing' type thread. They are all marked as such. Nymo is the worse, but Fireline is good, so is Wildfire. You should have more luck with the pulls.

Another idea, if you don't mind me offering, when zipping up two panels together, leave a bead or two out of the pattern. Then, use the two beads to zip up the panels. That way, you are not forcing two end warps, with wrapping wefts, to meet. That only creates bulk, even as small as they look. Using a new bead to zip, sucks the end weft inside so the panels lay nice next to each other. I really can't see where you zipped up the panels, anyway. But thought I would offer some of my thoughts.

Really wonderful pieces.

VERY belated Halloween project

Emma.J — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:48:31 GMT

Hello again!

I am not sure whether I showed you all what I made for halloween last year, but I couldn't find it when I tried searching for it, so I don't think I posted it..

This was my first HUGE project on my beading loom.. I am not sure how long it took me to design that pattern, how many beads it used or how many hours it took, but needless to say by the end of it, I didn't want to look at my loom again!

I had to bead it in 2 sections and then sew them together (you can probably tell where the join is) and to save my time on weaving AAAALLLL the warp threads back in, I tried that technique where you gently pull the thread until it snugs up to the bead? there were a few sections where I had pierced the thread and would work - there is a big section that a shredded in the top right hand corner.

I was going to see if I could make it 3D, by doing another side with no writing and then a strip around the edge connecting them - such a comedian, I know - but I only JUST got this finished in time to put in the shop.. maybe later IF I ever find the determination again

This was also what I made for halloween:

Jack Skellington on a hair barrette. When I drew the design on my graph paper, he was more circular, but when I beaded it he came out more.. oblong? Kinda like someone stepped on his head and smooshed him flat.. Ah well, he still looks good to me! Thanks for looking!

Emma
xXx