Bead embroidery techniques

Welcome to another Technique Tuesday!

I will be bringing you tips, techniques, and tutorials each Tuesday on Jewelry & Beading. Some of these posts will be what I call The Basics, which we will refer back to from time to time in the intermediate and more advanced tutorials. Some of the posts will be techniques that I’ve developed and written myself…my own opinion, in other words!…and others will be links to online tutorials that others have shared.

So today is going to be one of those “my own opinion” posts! Please feel free to leave comments that share your favorite materials and methods for today’s topic.

Orinoco Flow

I am frequently asked for the specifics of how I make these necklaces and bracelets. You can see lots of examples of my bead embroidered jewelry here.I’m totally sold on using buckram for my foundation beading layer, rather than some of the more expensive products marketed specifically for beading. The exceptions to this are very heavy necklaces, for which I often use the same fabric as used for the backing – some sort of ultra-suede type of fabric. The other exception is when I’m actually doing the beading directly on something like a heavy felt hat. Even then I sometimes use buckram or another lighter weight interfacing behind the felt.

Buckram is a heavily starched woven cotton interfacing, used in millinery and belts. It’s very thin, but holds its shape well and practically never unravels. It can be painted or dyed and heat-set before beading, which is what I do in some of my work. Here’s an example, a non-wearable piece, where the painting on the fabric is fairly obvious.

Each according to their kinds

I buy buckram at Joann’s, in the interfacing section, and is very inexpensive! Once it is thorougly beaded, it becomes softer under the weight of the beads so that it will drape around a neckline, but it still doesn’t tend to lose shape. Nymo thread is my choice for almost all bead embroidery. Occasionally with very heavy beads, a heavier carpet thread may be called for, but I’ve found Nymo comes in enough sizes to suit my projects. I buy large spools of black and of white Nymo in size 0, which is one of the thinner sizes. I don’t bother with colors…if I want a colored thread, I use a permanent marker and run the white nymo over it. My needles of choice are English beading needles, and I usually buy those packets that have 6 or so needles ranging from #10 through #12 or #13. The number of the needle needs to be smaller than the size of the bead, so #12s are great for beading with 11/0 seed beads. You’ll need finer needles (with higher numbers) to work with smaller beads.For the backing, I use an ultra-suede type material. I am very fussy about the looks of the entire piece, so the backing is glued lightly to the buckram, and all the raw edges are beaded together to cover them completely.So, that’s my run-down! What do you like to use the best?