Beads Make A Great Addition To Embroidery
You want to embellish something? Add beads. They really have the ability to lift something plain and make it stand out. It’s the same with embroidery as well. Just string them through while you stitch and suddenly you’ll find that you’re adding a whole different dimension of beauty! The wonderful thing is that today, the choice of beads available too is absolutely mind-blowing.
Where do you go to for a choice of beads? Very often you’ll find that there’s a pretty good collection on sale at your corner drugstore. Of course, if you venture farther afield, like to a craft store or maybe even a special bead store, it opens up a whole new world. For those who don’t like to stir out of the house and go looking for stuff, there’s always the comfort of online shopping. There are mail-order catalogues that you could use too. So you just look at which beads you would like from among those many colors, shapes, materials and sizes and go ahead and order them.
Once you’ve bought all the beads you like, don’t just go and stick them all over the piece you are embroidering. You do that and you might just find that the whole thing that should have been a work of art looks like nothing on earth. What you need to do is to follow a few rules and play safe. First of all, keep to a color scheme. This should be consistent. You don’t need to stick to just one color but the colors you choose should be harmonious and not clash with each other. If you keep to this guideline, you will end up with an elegant work.
Sometimes, a contrast might be very effective. For this, experiment with color schemes before you start your embroidery. Put the colors together and try and ascertain they do not clash. You should also be very particular about the color of threads you use. It has to match the fabric you are working with absolutely or else, use a clear thread that won’t disturb. Don’t let the beads overwhelm the design – the embroidery should be seen clearly and the beads should just fill the spaces.
There are a couple of things you need to be careful about and that is the right size of the needle you use. There are special needles for embroidery and there are special ones for beading. Take a look at the beading needles available. Which one you use will depend on the beads you choose. Some beads have really small holes and need thin needles. They also need to be long and strong so the beads can be strung onto them and they don’t break the bead.
The beads too need to be strong so you need to make sure you pick up good beads. The very cheap ones might just crack and break off or the color from them could peel off. Test them at the store by rubbing them together between your palms and seeing if they flake or crack. Colored glass beads are usually the best choice.
When you add beads to your embroidery, suddenly it’s got a whole new look and in fact very often, looks quite professional. You really can go to town you know with just a few beads!