Well folks, we now have a squeaky-clean new board for all things to do with seed beads and stringing ;D
If anybody has any questions, tips, links, or ideas, feel free to add them here. Or if there's anything you'd like to see a post about (bead sizes? threads and stringing materials? stitches? techniques? tools? suppliers? book reviews?) feel free to ask, or put up a post yourself. I am happy to ramble on about seed beads until the cows come home and I know we have other seedy beaders plus several expert stringers on FH, so between us we should be able to tackle just about anything ;D
Well one comment I will make, don't use magnetic clasps on bracelets unless you use a safety chain. I left my bracelet on the car door, the supermarket trolley...!!
Hope this is OK. Delete if not.
I will start with a couple of links for patterns.
Around the beading table
http://www.aroundthebeadingtable.com/ (http://www.aroundthebeadingtable.com/)
Sandra Halpenny
http://www.sandradhalpenny.com/ (http://www.sandradhalpenny.com/)
And another with free ones. Not weaving patterns.
http://www.eebeads.com/ideas.html (http://www.eebeads.com/ideas.html)
Jenny
Julia, often the easiest way is to string the whole tube on tigertail wire (with a biggish bead at either end and/or some seedies up the middle to keep the shape if necessary) and crimp the clasp bits in place.
Or taper each end of the tube and stitch a ring of seed beads through a jump ring to attach the clasp - but that isn't as strong, especially for a bracelet.
Or use a magnetic clasp and stitch an extra bit of tube round the sides of the clasp so that they don't show and the clasp disappears when you stick it together ;) OR even stitch a press-stud to either end of the tube, and again it'll more or less disappear when you snap it shut.
Does that help? ;D
If it's a big enough tube, put a small round bead on a headpin, form a loop in it, and pop the bead into the tube. Stitch the tube firmly round the end so the loop sticks out and the bead is trapped. Then simply add the clasp with a jumpring.
This will be a lovely section to keep an eye on.
Thank you
I'm having a go at a crochet rope from an old Bead and Button at the moment. Has taken lots of attempts to get the colours sort of right and I'm not totally confident I will like what it looks like when it's done but this is it so far:
(http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee34/SallyB_photo/2010__06_12_066.jpg)
It will go from light to dark with some fringing - that's the plan anyway.
Since it's a work in progress I thought I'd put a picture here since I know people (me included) like to see photos. Take it out if it doesn't fit in though.
In terms of closures I like to bead something so that it flows in the context of the piece I've beaded. I spent a long time making a necklace that included a big cabochon. It had a twist on closure and it fell off on the way to work without me realising until I was sat at my desk. Hours of work went into it so that taught me a valuable lesson.
Sally
xxx
I haven't done any seed beading for a long while but thought I'd show these.
I started off with this one from a kit
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3212/3141618115_d77023b319_m.jpg)
and it led to all these that I designed myself
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3291/3142447380_667c15ebb2_m.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3039/3142449142_e9df26605d_m.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3221/3141623211_e1d518f787_m.jpg)
and my favourite which I made whilst I was out in Oz
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3102/3141557459_60f0a46e85_m.jpg)
These are all done by making a basic string with tiger tail and size 8s and then stitching the shaggy bits with needle and nymo in and out of the size 8s. I kinda made up the coral bits!
Kazx
Looking forward to this side of things just getting back to stringing I have already showed the bracelet in finished jewellery - here is the full set
(http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k329/Blueflamebeads_photos/2010%20Beads/June/nljpg.jpg)
(http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k329/Blueflamebeads_photos/2010%20Beads/June/nljpg2.jpg)
(http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k329/Blueflamebeads_photos/2010%20Beads/June/Bracelet.jpg)