Friday, October 12, 2012

BEADING TIP

At the beginning of the month, this small leaf project was begun....which is still under progress....   As work continued last night, I came to a 'teachable moment' that may be of interest to those of who who add beadwork to your pieces. (Guess that means I really do miss teaching workshops!!)  You can see the start of this quilt here and on posts dated Oct. 2 & 3rd. 

 As mentioned numerous times on this blog, when beading (except for bindings and some edging stitches) I always secure my work in a Q-Snap frame, generally supported by a stablizer of some kind.  In this case it's batting....but the backing is not layered yet. This frame measures 11" x 11".  

Notice the straight pins??  Three sides of the quilt are attached to the frame using the Q-Snap clips, however clips can not be placed over an already beaded area.  The left one in the photo above extends beyond the framework...slightly bothersome when beading but still doable.

Where the fabric doesn't quite reach the frame (lower edge), it's pinned it to a muslin sleeve which is attached to the tube framework.

Got is so far??

Now.....all those preparations above should keep the layers smooth and distortion free when beading.  There's one more trick I utilize that allows for trouble-free finishing of the edges.

Beading is stopped about 1" short of the edge of the fabric, backstitching through the last bead.  The thread end remains.....once the edge of the quilt is finished, whether with traditional binding or a facing, it's easy to rethread and complete each line or motif.  In those cases, I do not travel through all three layers, rather the top two only to avoid visible stitches on the backing.

5 comments:

Laura said...

That looks like a great frame, I've never heard of them before. Beading is one thing I'm just not sure of doing on a quilt, I'm afraid the back will look messy and I'm not sure of how to stitch the actual beads down other than one-by-one. Hope you cover that in some future posts! Can't wait to see this finished, it looks great already.

The Inside Stori said...

This is Mary, responding to Laura's note.....
I've often discussed my beading techniques in this blog....ya, I know, it'd be a pain to go back though all of them to absorb them all.

This sounds very self-serving....but....that's why I teach and write books, did a DVD.....the info is all there to discover. With that said, let me make it clear #1. I only bead WALL quilts...not bed quilts #2. With rare exception, the top is beaded BEFORE the backing is added....thus hiding and protecting all the beading stitches. Hope this help...and yes Laura, I'll try to provide more specifics in future posts!

Thanks for your interest!

Robbie said...

As always...such a good teacher!!!

Eva said...

These frames are excellent, aren't they? I got one and use it for embroidery. Beads have something ritualistic about them, that's what I feel. Connected with leaves in black, this piece seems like a funeral for the past season. A ceremonial and hopeful one.

Nina Marie said...

ohhh what a good tip!! ohh and if you can't self-serve and self-promote on your own blog --- where can ya? (grin) thanks!!