Basic Beading Supplies and Materials

by Lisa Ashton

Beads

Beads can be made of many materials, of which glass and acrylic plastic are the most common. The two types of beads I will be concerned with are seed and bugle beads, which are made of glass. They are the most appropriate and easiest to embroider onto fabric.

Seed beads are small, disc-like, and rounded-edge.
Bugle beads are long tubes.

Both types are designated by numbers representing sizes.

For seed beads, the larger the number, the smaller the bead. Seed standard size is about 10-0, with 11-0 being smaller. For beaded embroidery, the larger seeds are easier unless you are filling in tiny areas of great detail. The ultimate seed beads come from Japan which have more consistent size and shape, which is important for weaving. The Japanese seed beads are more expensive, however.
For bugle beads, the larger the number, the longer the bead. Bugle standard lengths are 3 mm, 5 mm, 7 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, and 20 mm. They are indicated by size #2, #3, etc. Long bugle beads with twists can add interesting texture, and fused beads are more expensive but gorgeous.

Bead size is important to consider to achieve a consistent look to a large piece - especially when doing woven or loomed work.

All of these beads are glass, and there are weight and pull considerations that depend on the fabric thickness, and how many beads are attached. Glass beads are heavy! Glass beads have a tremendous variety of:

Colors of the glass itself.
Surface finishes called coatings or washes, which are added to the glass after the bead is made. Coatings can be:
- Rainbow-like - called "Iris" or "AB" for aurora borealis.
- Matte
- Frosted
- Pearlized
Lining colors which coat the central hole, often silver-lined for its reflective qualities.
Transparent or opaque colors.

Here in the States, we have Bead Expositions, and it's easy to find a variety of beads at art stores, craft stores, and mail-order catalogs.

Fabric

Any fabric can be embroidered with beads. Having said that, there are limiting considerations upon which bead and fabric decisions are made. For many costumes or projects, the completed impression of the garment is the most important decision. Viewing considerations include:

Are the beads being applied to sparkle at a distance or in low light?
Are there delicate beaded designs requiring close-up view?

Fabric considerations include:

Thin versus heavy or draping versus more rigid structure.
Use of support fabrics (next subsection).
Shiny versus flat or matte-look fabrics or satin versus velvet or fine woolens.
Color.
Contrast.
Unusual materials such as leather, suede, plastic, spandex, etc.

Every fabric, from chiffon to leather, has its own beading advantages.

Support Fabrics (Stabilizers)
Support fabrics are an absolute necessity, and if you have little experience with regular sewing, might not be well understood. Stabilizers range from actual paper (kitchen parchment works well) which can be torn away, tissue-thin interfacings, to thick, almost cardboard-like fabrics. These materials help:

A garment hold a particular shape and stabilize areas, edges, and details of the garment, such as a stand-up or pointed corner collar.
Makes it so that the material does not slide around or stretch while you are working on it.

Types of support fabrics include:

Fusibles. Non-woven fabrics in various thicknesses that iron onto the back of your fabric to add stability. Also known as Pellon. Non-woven does not fray.
Interfacings. Woven or non-woven support fabrics that are more papery, which can be glued or sewn on to add structure (rigidity) to the fabric.
Linings. Slippery fabrics used for jackets and skirts to make it easier to slide on and off. They can be adhered with two-sided iron-on webbed fusible such as Wonder-Under, depending on the need.

The weight and density of your fabric determines how strong a stabilizer to use underneath it.

Medium to heavy-weight denim needs none.
Leather or suede needs none.
If you are planning to do much beaded embroidery on leather or suede, you may need psychiatric evaluation.
Silk, chiffon, or gauze probably require a tear-away stabilizer and some experimentation if the goal is to retain the lovely draping qualities.

The main point is, how much weight are the beads going to exert upon your fabric? A large beaded medallion is quite heavy and needs to be supported with either batting or heavy stabilizer. Generally, this is not a problem since these medallions are usually placed on the chest or back where the fabric is intended to lie flat. For quilted garments, Ashton uses "dress batting" which is soft paper-thin batting. She likes iron-on fusibles because they:

Tend to keep the fabric flat.
Don't change the fabric texture.
Are permanently adhered and will protect from wear.
Are easy to sew on the machine.

Thread

Standard issue sewing thread is not useful for beaded embroidery because it tangles and breaks too easily. Bugle beads made of glass have razor sharp ends, and if the thread scrapes on the ends too much, the thread breaks. Recommended threads are:

The stiffer quilting thread that has a shiny finish works well and comes in many colors.
A special type of thread made for bead loom weaving.
Very thin nylon thread.

Two recommended items that you will want to use:

Beeswax is used to strengthen thread for sewing, and reduces the tendency to tangle and knot. Use beeswax to prepare your thread before sewing with it. It is available in the Notions area of most fabric stores in a little plastic container. After the wax gets broken up, warm it under a light and press it back together.
Fray-Check or fabric glue is used to stop the ends and edges from fraying, and "set" knots. Use a drop of glue if you are just working front and back to set the knot. Fray-Check is an alcohol-based liquid that dries stiff on the fabric or threads.

Once your thread is ready, make at least two knots in the end. When completing a piece of thread:

Use two knots spaced a quarter-inch away from the completed work.
Bury the knots in the fabric. This is thought of as a quilting technique.

Needles

Beading needles are needed to work with almost all bugle and seed beads. These needles are about the same thickness throughout, instead of being tapered like sewing needles. Beading needles come in:

Long. These tend to bend, but are useful for making beaded fringe.
Medium. The length I like to use, as thick as I can find that still goes through the beads without difficulty for the simple reason that it is easier to thread the eye.
Short.

Scissors

Scissors, especially tiny scissors with very pointed ends, and seam rippers are very handy to have. The seam ripper, which looks like a forked device, is wonderful for reaching into tiny crevices.

Miscellaneous Supplies

Some supplies that can make your beading life easier are:

Frames, such as cross-stitch hoops, can help hold the fabric and stabilizer layers in place and keep even tension throughout the working surface.
Fray-Check, as previously mentioned, is a liquid that prevents fraying of a tidy edge, ends of thread, and fabric edges such as patching worn spots.
Clear nail polish can also be used like Fray-Check.
Triangular files, also called "Jeweler's Files," come in various sizes to cut bugle beads to the needed size.
Small jewelers pliers.
Graph or beading paper.
Looms, which are not covered in this discussion.
Fabric adhesives such as Aileen's Fabric Glue or Fabri-tac. These adhesives are also used to coat the back of the beaded area to secure all the knots and loose ends. Most keep the fabric relatively flexible and can be washed.

Storage of Beads and Supplies

It is nice to have plastic sectional organizers once you start collecting beads. The best prices on these are often at hardware or sports stores, look in the fishing supplies section or the area where they have all the tool boxes displayed. Buy one that is reasonably priced. Crafts stores have embroidery thread boxes. These are good too, except that they don't have enough compartments and each compartment is too big. I also store beads in plastic tubes.

It is a good idea to label the sections with the source, so you know where to find a particular type or color when you need more.

For working in front of the television, small saucer-like dishes are helpful. I use plastic artist palettes with concave paintwells - it is easier to pick up the beads with the needle tip if the containers are shallow.