Beading

[DonaCatalina]

Glass 'pearls' were in commong use for garment beading in the Renaissance and from what I've seen they were not always white, but I can't see why you couldn't use purple. Its pretty close to the look of a real 'black' pearl.

[Lady De Rue Rue]

Does anyone experience aching hands after beading for an hour or so?  I have never experienced this dull aching in my fingers and joints until this winter when hand beading trim.  I put the dress on hold and I am starting the bead work this week because the weather by us is going into the 70's and 80's.

Thanks for any feedback!

[gem]

How are you holding the trim? If you can put it in a frame or hoop of some kind, it will probably be easier on your hands.

You might try some Handeze gloves, which offer gentle compression as you work with your hands. I also like the ones from Mueller, which have a Velcro strap for greater wrist support (although I wish they came in right and left models, so you could reverse the direction of the strap for greater support). They carry Handeze everywhere; you should be able to find them at any craft/fabric store. I bought my Muellers at Walgreens.

[DonaCatalina]

Yes!
I have had arthritis in several fingers for some years since they were broken. When its cold I can bead or do other hand sewing for maybe one hour at a time.
I use the chinese balls to relieve the cramps and work the soreness out.

[Lady De Rue Rue]

Many thanks for the replies.  The handeze gloves look wonderful, I will have to invest in a pair.  I have fibromyalgia and it really becomes hard to deal with in the winter so, I will have to see if the warmer temperatures will help when I start beading this weekend.

I did make the mistake of buying this gown on ebay, and then when it arrived it was too plain.  So instead of taking the trim off and beading first which I was a afraid to do because the gown is silk taffeta, I decided to save time and bead the trim on the gown.  Lesson learned! 

[gem]

Actually, I think that would be easier to deal with, because it's hard to put a thin strip of fabric into any kind of frame/hoop. My hands definitely get sore if I have to stitch in hand (no hoop), although hand sewing doesn't bother them nearly as much, probably because my left hand is not engaged entirely in holding the fabric *taut* enough to stitch on.  So if you're not already using a hoop or Q-snaps or something similar, start that now. I would be inclined to try something gentle, like Q-snaps, and pad them, so you don't dent the silk fabric of the gown (I was hoping to find a tutorial on padding the Q-snaps, but basically you use quilt batting between the frame and your fabric to cushion the work from rolling, beads, etc.).

Another thing is to make sure you're using a good, sharp needle (keep a good supply + an emery nearby), because it will be easier to get the needle through all the layers. You might be limited by the size of the holes in your beads, but on the whole, quilting hand needles tend to be pretty slim *and* nice and sharp.

Good luck!

[Adriana Rose]

beading needles are what you need to use, they are designed to be sharp. Use a hoop it really helps alot, it keeps it still and where you need it.

[Lady De Rue Rue]

I stocked up on beading needles this weekend, placing an order for the handeze gloves and the weather by us should hit 74 degrees with high humidity.  I am ready to start beading!

[DonaCatalina]

You might also want to invest in a needle threader.
Some of those beading needles have tiny eyes.

[gem]

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the beading needles. I find them fragile, floppy, and unwieldy. I much prefer using a small quilting needle; I find I have a lot more control. And I'm talking about beading fine needlework--one layer of lightweight fabric + teeny tiny seed beads. I imagine the beading needles are probably good for bead weaving, but for sewing beads onto things, I like something a little sturdier. YMMV, of course!

[Master James]

As far as what to use when beading I find that silkyon (rayon/silk thread) in a single strand works really well.  Its strong, easy to tie, comes in a multitude of colors, doesn't break and lasts forever.

[Adriana Rose]

Yes a threader is VERY handy with beading needles!


I learned how to bead with a beading needle and it feels weird to use anything else. Leather beading needles are about the size of a quilting needle but thats a different thread all togeather.