Part 3 went over tall and short stacks. Here is a video demonstrating a diamond-tipped stack, a variation of a tall stack. Click on the previous post to see the stacks videos if you missed them. I’ll also be showing a demonstration of the lazy stitch and basket weave.
Diamond-Tipped Stacks
Diamond-Tipped Stacks are a variation of tall stacks, and they can be a lot of fun to add to your bead embroidery projects. If you haven’t seen the page on how to do Tall Stacks, I recommend watching that one first.
For tall stacks you string beads onto your needle, skip the top bead and then put your needle back down the remaining stack and through the fabric. The top bead is what anchors yours stack. To practice a Diamond-Tipped Stack, you will string 5 beads of color #1, then add 1 bead of color #2, 1 bead of color #3 and then one more bead of color #2. So you will have 5 beads of one color (in the video I used green), then a bead of a 2nd color (I used yellow), one bead of a 3rd color (I used red) and in my example one more yellow bead. Instead of skipping just the top bead like in a Tall Stack, you will skip the top 3 beads, and then place your needle down through the remaining beads in the stack and through the fabric. To make the Diamond-Tipped Stack in Example 3 you will string: 4 green, 2 yellow, 1 red, 1 yellow. You will skip the top 3 beads and go down through the remaining stack that consists of 1 yellow and 4 green. You can use any color combinations and any number in the base of the stack as you choose. This stitch makes great little flowers to make a garden, a border, or just fill an area where you want more texture and dimension.
The Lazy Stitch
The lazy stitch is similar to the backstitch. The difference is that the lazy stitch is not anchored down in the middle of the strand of beads. You will put 3-5 beads on the thread at a time, cinch them snug up against the fabric, lay them down in a line and put the needle down through the fabric at the end of the beads. Unlike the backstitch, your row is done. Now what you do is bring the needle up through the fabric back at the beginning and just below the first row and repeat. The lazy stitch is perfect for making columns and also for filling in small areas. The video will show you exactly how to do it. Making columns with the lazy stitch does take a little practice to get the feel on just where to place the needle when starting new rows, but with just a little time I’m sure you will have it down great.
The Basket Weave Stitch
The basket weave stitch is built upon the lazy stitch. The basket weave is a pattern that alternates colors as well as the direction of the bead. When several rows like this are made you will get a nice basket weave pattern. You can use this to cover large or small areas of your work. I recommend using 3-5 beads at a time, but you probably won’t want to use more than that. Your lines of beads will be too loose and won’t look as nice. It’s also helpful to use beads of two colors that are uniform in size.
Continuing on with my bead embroidery video series…So far I’ve gone over some basics, types of supplies, etc. and the backstitch. If you’ve missed those, look through the previous posts.
Short Stacks
Short stacks are just what they sound like…2 beads stacked on top of each other. In another video you saw that the backstitch is used a lot for outlining. Short stacks can be used for outlining as well, but the line will have more emphasis. You can use two beads of the same color to be more subtle, you can use highly contrasting colors for a statement, or anywhere in between.
You start by adding a larger bead to your needle first, for example a size 6/0 seed bead. Then add a smaller bead, say a tiny 15/0. You pull them down your thread to your fabric. Next, skip the top bead and put your needle back down through the top side of the larger, bottom bead through the backside of your fabric. That’s it…a small stack!
In addition to seed beads, you can use a wide variety of other types of beads to make small stacks as well. You can use disc beads, flower beads, sequins, etc. The smaller bead on top will anchor them to the fabric. Below are some photos of examples of short stacks. In the first example, the short stacks are dark green with the gold bead on top surrounding the center stone. The second example shows a larger golden color bead with green beads on top. Next, the photo shows a little different stack. The bottom beads are little pieces of odd shaped shell, and they are anchored down with a small silver bead on top. Finally, the last photo shows some flower beads held in by smaller beads on top. So, as you can see, you can get a lot of mileage out of a small stack just by being a little creative with the types of beads you use.
Tall Stacks
Tall stacks are almost the same as short stacks…just a few more beads. Tall stacks will add a lot of texture and dimension to your projects. They can be used to fill in areas or to make rows; they can be placed together close or farther apart depending on if you want them to stand up more straight, dense and rigid or if you want them to be more shaggy looking. They can be any height you want, just remember that the taller they are the more they will fall to the side.
To make a tall stack, try the most common way fist. Start with a larger bead on your needle first, such as a 6/0, then about 5 or so medium size (probably an 11/0), and then the smallest on top…try a 15/0. Pull them down your thread so they are sitting right up to the fabric. Next, take you needle, skipping the top smallest bead, and put it back down through the center of the beads of the entire stack and through the fabric. Pull your needle out the back tight and you have a tall stack. For a variation, try using 5 or so 11/0 beads on your needle, a size 6/0 next and then the tiny 15/0 last. Pull them to your fabric. Take your needle, skipping the top smallest bead, and put it down through the center of the rest of the stack of beads and through the fabric. Pull the thread tight. Now you have more of a mushroom shaped stack.
Below are some examples of tall stacks. The first example shows stacks varying from 6-8 beads each relatively loosely placed. The beads are all the same size in these stacks, and the different shades of green add more interest to my “grassy” border that went all the way around the piece. The second example shows talk stacks that are again the same size, but these are tightly placed and stand up rigid. My son, 9 at the time, says that if you put your finger on top of them and wiggle it, it feels like broccoli. The final example shows tall stacks that have a ball shaped bead on the top of the stacks. This was added to my Snowdrifts and Christmas piece at the top…I wanted it to look like Christmas tree branches with glass ball ornaments on them.
So play with different sizes of beads and variations of stacking order to see the many looks you can achieve.
The backstitch is probably the stitch you will use most often in your bead embroidery projects, so it is important to learn how to master this skill. This stitch is used mostly for outlining and for filling in areas on your project.
Things to remember about the backstitch:
First, I don’t recommend putting more than 4, 5 at the most, of the beads on your needle at one time. You will lose control of your bead placement if you use too many. You may only need 2 or 3 beads at a time when going into curves, depending on how tight the area is.
Also, to learn how to master this skill, draw a light line on your fabric with a pencil (for light-colored fabrics) or a white pencil (for dark-colored fabrics) in both straight lines and in curved lines. It can get kind of tricky learning how to cinch up the beads to the end of the thread just right so the beads lay flat and don’t pucker. It just takes practice! Watch the video below to see a demonstration of the backstitch.
One of the hardest things to do with the backstitch is learning how to go in a circle around a disc or other round shaped bead. Practice this…you’ll be glad you did!
*TIP: If you finish some backstitch lines and they look a little crooked try this…the thread will end by coming out of the last bead in your line. Put the thread down through and back up through the fabric or backing to make a little stitch. Now run your thread back through all the beads in the row. This should help straighten them out.
I had a bunch of videos on a “shall not be named” video site (not youtube…i love youtube), but I have since taken them down. I had a message from someone wanting to know where to find my videos elsewhere, so I decided that I would put them up here on my blog. These videos are mainly for the beginning bead embroiderer, but there may be a tip or two here and there that more experienced people can pick up too. The videos are short, but I think they are very informative. Please leave comments. Is there something in particular you would like to see? Let me know! I’ll get started with an introduction to Improvisational Bead Embroidery. There will be a couple videos at the end.
Introduction to “Improvisational” Bead Embroidery
Improvisational bead embroidery is the art of stitching beads to fabric into a decorative piece that can be used in a multitude of ways…as artwork for your walls, as appliques for clothing or for example throw pillows, it can be used to decorate little fabric boxes (which I love)…the possibilities go on and on.
A wonderful teacher, mentor and friend, Robin Atkins, introduced this concept to me at a workshop I took from her. If you’ve done any type of handwork, you are probably familiar with looking at a pattern and creating a pre-designed piece of work. The idea of improvisational bead embroidery is that you have no pattern…you simply create. This may sound completely foreign and scary to you, but it is very freeing and awakens your inner artist. The best part about improvisational bead embroidery is that there are no rules. Forget what traditional artists may think about color and composition. Your works are anything you want them to be. You put beads to fabric in any color combination and in any style simply because you like it that way.
Think about when you were a child. Or you may have children or grandchildren. They draw pictures in the colors they like and they put things where they want them, simply because they like it that way. That is what you need to do…become a child again and let yourself create. Some people like to encrust the fabric, which means there is no fabric showing. Others like to use beads sparsely and let the fabric show through to tell part of the story. Some like to bead abstract images and some like to go for a more realistic looking piece. The choices are yours to make. Whatever you like is always the right thing to do.
The other thing I need to mention about improvisational bead embroidery is that I challenge you to bead from your heart. Put beads on the fabric that really speak to you. This can be a very meditative past time. Most of the time when I bead, I have a thought in my mind that I let myself think about. It is amazing how the beads can interpret your thoughts. Sometimes you may not know what you are feeling about something, but you tuck the thought in the back of your mind and keep beading. When you are done it is interesting to see how the beads can speak what you were thinking about. It can be very eye-opening and also very healing.
Materials To Get Started
The best type of fabric to start with is going to be a basic cotton that you would find in the quilting department of your local fabric store. You can find a huge variety of colors and patterns in the quilting area that would be perfect for you to start a project with. I don’t recommend stretchy fabric. I also don’t recommend starting with silks or velvets. They are very unforgiving and if you need to take your stitches out, they will show the holes. I learned from the beginning that the fabric is an important starting point. You want the fabric to inspire you in some way. Whether it is the colors, the patterns, or the mood or feeling of the fabric…don’t settle for something just because it’s on sale. It is difficult to create art with something that doesn’t inspire you.
The next thing you will need is a backing for your fabric. The backing is important because it stabilizes your fabric and helps to prevent the fabric and your stitches from puckering. In some of the videos you will see me using acid-free interleaving from Robin Atkins. If you don’t want to go the route of fabric and backing, a really fabulous product is Nicole’s Beadbacking. It is wonderful to work with and comes in a variety of colors. You can choose other backings such as Lacy’s Stiff Stuff or Pellon. Although the interleaving seems like paper, keep in mind that it is acid-free. If you use regular paper, over time the acid will destroy your fabric and thread, causing it to fall apart. That would be tragic after your hard work! Nicole’s Beadbacking is also acid-free!
It is important to have a good needle. You’ll want one that is strong and straight and holds up to lots of use. I have found that the John James brand works best for me, and I use size 11 short needles. One thing to note, though, is that the size 11 short is just that…short. If you are using large beads, it may be too short to go through the bead. In that case you may want to use a longer needle. In my aresenal I also have size 12 longs. They are much thinner and bend easily, but they are perfect for getting through those larger beads as well as some of the very tiny ones that a size 11 won’t fit through.
The last thing you’ll need to start is beading thread. You don’t want to use regular sewing thread. It is not conducive to bead work. I always use Nymo size D. It is very strong and doesn’t knot up like some threads might. Also, while you are learning to do bead embroidery, you may hear of some people who wax their thread. Do not do this! The wax will collect dust and will make your work look dirty.
So let’s get started! In future videos I will be going over many different bead embroidery stitches, from easy to advanced, so keep watching for new videos. If you ever have any questions, you can always get in touch with me through my blog or directly by email at indigosbeads@live.com.
Types of Beads
There are seemingly endless sizes and types of beads you can use for bead embroidery. The materials you can use for your project are only limited by your imagination.
The most common beads that are used are glass seed beads. They are usually (but not always) round and come in set sizes. The smallest ones you will usually find are the 15/0 (pronounced 15 ought, but I just say “15′s”). Don’t be intimidated by their small size. I use mine all the time, and actually they are necessary for doing bugle pathways, a stitch I will show you in a later video. I prefer to use Toho brand, but beads by any manufacturer will do. The smaller the number, the bigger the bead. Seed beads go in the following sizes: 15/0, 11/0, 8/0, 6/0 and 3/0. You may occasionally come across an even smaller bead, the 13/0, but they are not very common. It seems I never have enough seed beads! I have bins full, and for each project I am buying even more. It’s just an excuse to buy more beads…I don’t have the right color! I don’t have the right size! Seed beads also come in shapes other than round such as triangular, cube and hexagon. And, just to make it even more confusing, they come in a variety of finishes and styles such as transparent, metallic, and color-lined (to name a few). Don’t let the choices overwhelm you…simply pick what you love at that moment. That’s the best way to start.
This video also shows a variety of other types of beads from flowers to tear drop shapes, wood, metallite (an inexpensive alternative to metal beads. They are plastic with a metal coating.), nuts, and more. Beads are made out of just about any material you can possibly think of. From precious metals to plastic to bone…the choices are mind-boggling. You will want a good selection of what I call “doodads” in your stash. Doodads are more for focal points in your design, or that extra special “oomph” that your project needs. Don’t let anything stop you from using anything you can think of for your design. I’ve seen people use hardware, shells, pieces of wood, shisha mirrors, even a small spoon. And of course cabochons! Let your imagination go wild when you are shopping and gathering your beads! I’ve seen a washer on the ground in a parking lot and picked it up thinking that I can use it someday.
Hi! My name is Lisa, and I have been blogging on Blogspot for quite some time, but I decided to start one here on WordPress, too, to see if I can meet some more new interesting people. Once in a while I’ll throw in some personal things about my kids or my life, but for the most part it’s all about beads. Beads and family…that’s my life in a nutshell. The interesting thing about beads for me though is that so much of my life is represented through my work. My moods often dictate what I buy and work with. That is also why I’m participating again in the 2011 Bead Journal Project. With the BJP, instead of using pen and paper, you use beads to depict aspects of your life. It’s a lot of fun. This year is already in progress, but follow along with them and see what people are creating on their blogs and sign up for next year if they do it again.
I started with looming, which I really loved at the time. I loved using Bead Creator to design patterns for loom and peyote, and I still sell patterns on The Bead Coop. You can click here to see my patterns if those are the types of stitches that you do. Here is a photo I did of one my looming designs all beaded up…
After a while, though, I got very tired of the regimented counting and following the patterns. I saw a workshop coming to Phoenix by an incredible woman named Robin Atkins in October of 2009 on bead embroidery. I was soooo excited to learn something freeform without rules and guidelines. After that weekend I was in love with bead embroidery. I have done quite a lot of pieces, from art pieces to jewelry, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Here is a pic of one of the first bead embroidery pieces I did that I call “Tranquility”.
Unfortunately, after a while my carpal tunnel got the better of me and my hands could not take the needlework anymore. I was sad and devastated. But I was determined to find some kind of bead work I can do that doesn’t hurt my hands so much. That’s when I started beadweaving and making jewelry pieces. I am totally in love with this, too, and it doesn’t hurt my hands nearly as much. I have made it my goal this year as I am working through the Bead Journal Project to learn at least one new beadweaving stitch per month. So far I am on track! Here are a few things I have done this year…
The first necklace was what I did for January. It is done with wire crochet. The 2nd and 3rd photos are of a set I did using the flat spiral stitch that I call “Dragonfly at Midnight”. The last photo is a necklace I call “Flow of Tides” and it uses the Cellini Spiral stitch. I think I have been very successful so far this year in learning my new stitches every month.
That’s all I’m going to post for now, but I will be back shortly. Leave me a comment so I can come visit your blog too! I hope you come back to visit me again!
The final example shows tall stacks that have a ball shaped bead on the top of the stacks. This was added to my Snowdrifts and Christmas piece at the top…I wanted it to look like Christmas tree branches with glass ball ornaments on them.
