By Keridwen the Mouse
(Pictures by Sir Corin Anderson)
Firstly I must say that I have learnt most of what I know by doing, and the rest by discussion with other needleworkers. I’ve done a good quantity of beadwork, but that doesn’t mean to say it is the highest quality. I am always happy to learn new ways of doing things. And I like to teach many different ways of doing things. This way, you get to experiment and discover the best method for you. Also, some methods might be better than others in a certain situation.
Beading has got to be one of the easiest ways to decorate cloth with needlework. You don’t get to see the final stitching and the beads take up more space on the cloth than any single stitch could. But still so many people avoid beadwork because they aren’t sure of how to do it. Well this article should discuss several ways of getting those beads attached to the cloth.
This has to be the quickest method (apart from glue, which won’t be discussed further because it’s not needlework). Basically you take your beads and thread them onto something strong, like linen thread. You then couch the linen thread onto your garment. (See figure 1).
This method is very quick, but isn’t very strong and therefore should never be used in areas where beads might get torn off. If the linen thread breaks, then you will lose ALL the beads. I’m sure most people have heard of Mistress Marguerite’s lovely dress with pearls on the hem. Of course the hem got stepped on, the linen thread broke, and Mistress Marguerite spent the rest of the evening shedding pearls.
This is my preferred method and I’ve used it in all my beading. Basically all you do is bring the thread up, thread a bead onto the needle, and then take the needle back down through the material. Repeat for each bead. You may have the occasional problem when you bring the needle back up through the same hole. Just keep trying until you find a different spot.
Also you need to think about how long your bead is and make your top stitch the same size. Otherwise your beads will crowd into one another. Don’t try to make your beads sit exactly side by side, with each bead touching its neighbours. Allow a little space between them and they will sit better.
And now the secret to this method. Once to have sewn a section of beads down, you run a second thread through every bead (just through the beads). This will keep all the beads in line and make them sit straight. If you are doing a long section (ie a hem), I run a thread back through each 20cm and overlap the secondary threads. (See figure 2)
This method uses the same sort of idea as the previous one. However it weaves the beads together as you go, rather than adding the secondary thread later.
This may not be easy to describe in print, so if you still need help, ask someone who knows. Many people need to be shown how to do needlework techniques.
Look at figure 3, and I’ll try to talk you through it. Firstly, you bring the needle and thread up through the cloth and thread on a bead. Take the needle down through the material and then back up behind the first bead. Go back through the first bead and then thread on a second bead and sew down. Bring the needle up between beads one and two. Go through bead two, add bead three and go down through the material. Repeat as often as required.
You can make this go faster, I’ve been told, by threading two beads on each time, and then bringing the needle up between the two new beads. This way only every second bead has two threads running through it. It would seem to me that this would be less secure, but you should try it out and see for yourself.
Tambour work is done with a hook and beadwork done this way ends up looking like chain stitch on the back. The evidence I’ve read states that tambour work was developed in the 18th Century and therefore probably shouldn’t be used if you are entering an A&S competition. However, if you never show someone the back of your work, they will never know how the stitching way done. If you are already familiar with this style of work, then you can probably get away with it to work your beading.
You start with all the beads threaded onto your thread. You then use a special tambour hook (if anyone knows where to get one, let me know – I want to try this method!). You push this hook up through the material and grab the thread between two beads and pull a loop down through the material. You then take the hook through this loop and up though the material to grab the thread between the second and third beads. Repeat often.
The needle you will use will depend on the holes in your beads. I usually use fine crewel needles for my work and that will do most of the beads I buy. Even so, you will still find the occasional bead that is unusable with holes that are just too damn small. If you are desperate to use that bead, find someone who owns a tiny drill bit and a pin vice. (Available at Dick Smiths or Hobby Co – these things are usually used to drill holes in printed circuit boards).
You can buy specific beading needles but these are ludicrously thin and fine and don’t look like they would go through any real thickness of material. I own some but I’ve never taken them for a test drive.
Which brings me to a warning… In any needlework, you will prick your finger. It happens. However, the finer the needle, the further you can push it in without noticing it. Lots of blood will occur. However, the wound is also small and therefore should heal quickly. Just be warned that you can do more damage to yourself with a beading needle.
The thread should be the colour of the material you are working on. It will show up against the beads, but the beads will be more noticeable than the thread anyway. This might not be the case in all situations, but you can use your common sense to work it out. As with all needlework, practice makes perfect, so it is probably wise to try out a test section of the beaded design before embarking on the large project.
And a final warning… Particularly with method two, once the beads are sewn down, they are really hard to unpick. Unpicking is annoying at the best of times, but this will actually test your strength as well…
I usually use normal sewing cotton for sewing beads, or occasionally I’ve used DMC embroidery floss to get an exact colour match. And I start and finish the thread with knots! I know for some sewers, this is a shocking practise, but I’ll take the stigma. If no one sees the back of your work, then what is wrong with using real knots. Beading is a form of construction sewing and will by nature be lumpy, so a knot in the back doesn’t hurt anything.
There are lots of things you can bead. I won’t try to mention everything, but here are a few that springs to mind - German Renaissance dresses, especially breastbands, anything Byzantine or Holy Roman Empire, almost anything Elizabethan, or nue, pouches. There are many things that were enhanced with the occasional bead. I’ll leave it to your own research to find out were exactly to use these techniques and what patterns to use.
I’ve used many sorts of beads, but whatever sort of bead you use, you can be sure you will use a lot of them. There are many places that sell large ranges of beads. However, these places tend to be more expensive. There are other wholesale places that sell bulk beads, but their range is very limited. I recommend that if you are buying pearl beads, you should seek out a bulk dealer. I’m always tempted by garnet beads and other stones, but I restrain myself, because I know the sorts of numbers I’d need. There are also purl beads (tubes of metal, usually gold) and spirals of gold and silver.
Beads come in various makes, and you should keep this in mind when buying beads. Beads might be glass, plastic or metal. Some beads are painted, so test them to see if the coating will come off easily. Some metal beads might rust or corrode after washing. Plastic beads probably can’t be drycleaned. Actually, heavily decorated items usually can’t be washed anyway…
Overall, beading is a tremendous way of getting a good effect quickly. Do it lots. Let me know how you go.
Don, Sarah, (1990) Traditional Embroidered Animals, Sally Milner Publishing, Birchgrove
Staniland, Kay, (1991) Medieval Craftsmen, Embroiderers, British Museum Press, London.