Beading help, please (not OT)

I think it would be more trouble than it was worth to add single beads by machine, especially if there are tiny. But if you had a string of beads you might be able to couch them on with a zigzag stitch spaced just right.

I think I have a book on MQ with beads...I'll have a look and see if there are any tips.

Allison

I have done this on a VERY limited basis with individual beads. I have a set of three beading feet with different sized arches on the bottom center of the foot. The feet are mandatory for the beads to pass under the foot as you stitch- either single beads or a string of beads. I use a stronger thread- usually to match the background- and a long-ish stitch length. Then very carefully put the bead on the very tip of the needle (Use a tweezers to protect your fingers!) or you can try setting the bead on the fabric where you want it positioned and make a single stitch with the needle passing thru the hole in the bead. It takes some practice and I think I loosened the top tension to accommodate the bulk of the bead. It's the old trial and error thingy! I just had a thought- maybe you can combine FM stitching with the beads???

I'm busy designing and making costumes for an amateur theater production of the Wizard of Oz- what on earth did I get myself into here??? I'm a

*quilter* for heaven's sake! LOL

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

If you are sewing a string of beads on you can use a couching foot, but if you are sewing a bead here, a bead there, all over the quilt, I would suggest just gluing them on with a glue like Gem-tac that dries clear and is permanent and washable. Sewing individuals by machine and having to tuck all those threads in would be worse than actually sewing them on by hand in the first place!

Mickie

What fun! Can I come and do the Tin Man? Polly

"Leslie& The Furbabies in MO." I'm busy designing and making costumes for an amateur theater production of

It's not a string of beads this time, Mickie; it will be individual ones. I hadn't thought of glue, though -- thanks!

Thanks, Leslie. I don't have any beading feet, but I'll see what I can figure out if I don't end up using glue as Mickie suggests.

Quilted costumes? ;)

I did that last year on that challenge quilt, Allison, but these won't be strings of beads.

Thanks! I'd appreciate that. :)

The Tin Man is the one who's really keeping me awake at night! It's going to be a challenge- please come and help me, dear Polly!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

I found the book: Beading with the Sewing Machine and Serger by Susan Beck and Pat Jennings.

Most of what they discuss is attaching strings of beads -different kinds of strings, variations on how to attach them. They do say that single beads 6mm or smaller) can be added if the hole in the bead is larger enough for the needle (duh!). The hitch, by looking at their drawings, is that they don't use a presser foot. So I guess you'd have to put your work in a hoop. Also, ou have to turn the handwheel of your machine by hand to bring the needle down to the bead - don't put the bead onto the needle (personally I'd be afraid of sewing into a finger while doing this). I can't see that it would be any faster than doing it by hand.

All this to say - I bought the book at a second hand store but haven't really put it into practice. It would be useful if I ever do strings of beads. For single beads I do it by hand, threading the needle through the batting from spot to spot.

Sorry I can't be of more help, Allis> >

I have an old book on beading by machine. The fabric/quilt is placed in a hoop, no presser foot, and invisible thread. You take a few stitches to anchor the thread, then use tweezers to hold the bead in place, hole up. Stitch through the bead, then right next to it (this usually turns the bead on its edge. Then you stitch to the next place you want a bead and repeat. It goes very slowly at first, but as you get more comfortable with the technique, it does speed up a bit.

This would work for beading and quilting at the same time. If you were to make a line of individual beads but spaced a bit apart it would be much quicker than hand beading. I'm saving this one- ya never know when you might want a bead-y quilt!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

I have put on beads with my machine. It's a lot like attaching buttons. If you have the spots marked, have beads of a standard size and a good bit of patience, I think it's well worth using the machine. For one thing, I feel like the machine stitching was more secure. For another, it let me use my hands and feet (also knee -- for raising the foot feed) in a way that was faster than hand beading.

The process is just like putting on a button. You will need a pair of reverse tweezers to hold the bead in place. Those are the ones that grab a thing and then don't let go until you squeeze the handle again.

Like I said, ithelps to be putting beads down in a marked spot. After that, just goslow and careful and expect to break a needle or a bead or two. Sunny

Aha! Thanks very much, Susan! That's the sort of thing I needed. :) I think I'll give it a try on some scraps before I decide whether to do it on the challenge quilt.

Thanks very much, Allison! That's quite helpful, though I think I could probably use tweezers in order to save my fingers. ;) I'll test my beads with a size 60 needle to see if they will work.

Also, your hand technique is different from the only one I'd heard, which involved stitching right through to the backing, taking an extra stitch there to anchor and then coming back up. That sounded rather tricky, if I didn't want big stitches showing on the back.

Thanks, Sunny! I do have some reverse tweezers! :) Did you use a hoop, or was the quilt sandwich stable enough?

Or those very pointy pliers (I know they have a name, but I can't think of it). They would be more pointy than tweezers. They would be 'narrow' enough to hold the bead as the needle came down I would think.

Having read all the answers, though, I would definitely go with glue, if you don't want to do them by hand. (By the way don't forget to do the quilting before you put the beads on - in your enthusiasm you might want to get ahead!) . In message , Sandy writes

To make the back look pretty I hide the knot where I start beading (just like for quilting). I poke the needle thru to the top where I want the first bead and take a teeny stitch in place, all the way thru to the back to anchor the thread. Then I add on the first bead and go thru the batting to the next spot. Every few beads I do an extra anchor stitch thru to the back. At the end I hide the tail after a couple of stitches in place. Depending on the size of your quilt you can start and stop on the edges so your knots are hidden under the binding. All you see on the back are the tiny anchor stitches.

Another possibility (which I was told is sometimes done for art quilts) is to quilt and bead the middle of the quilt using just the top and the batting. The backing is added at the very end and held in place with quilting on the border. Makes it easy to hide tails when MQ and of course the beading would be easier too.

I don't do much handwork but I do like beading! Allison

Thanks again, Allison. :) And do you want to come bead my quilt? ;)

Needle-nose pliers, Pat? I have those, too. :)

No, it's all quilted now, so no danger there.