Visit My Website, A Personal Gallery!


Click on Logo Bar Below, to visit my website!


Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Zipping Up the Needle Case

Continuing on, from my last post, sharing how I was adding the accent 'liquid silver' bugle beads to the outside panel, I'll show how I secure my accent beads. In the photo below, I centered the bugle bead, between two rows of looming. This way, the bugle bead is very secure and won't 'roll' as it would if I only used one thread and one attach point, to secure. Always think in terms of your bead looming being well used, even under normal handling. Work out ways, in your designs, to secure the accents with more then one thread.


Once the decorations were complete, which is my favorite part..., I cut the beading from the loom, completed my finishing techniques for managing the warps, attached two snaps for a closure and will now begin the 'zip' process.


I want to create a wider case, not so much an 'envelope', to hold my needles. Therefore, I planned, during the looming process, to allow four rows of looming for the base of my case. At this stage, I edge with three beads, 11/0 Toho Permanent Silver Metallic, across the base I want to create. I planned four rows across the base, so this means I can add three edging beads.


Now I can begin the zipping of the sides. I can't use the same 11/0 beads for this because of the size difference with the Delicas I used to loom the case. If I use the Toho beads on the sides, as I did on the edging of the base, they would buckle. The shape and size difference in the Toho and Delicas I used would create this buckling. Therefore, I am using Delicas, in a Metallic Silver. The four loomed rows for the base and the three edge beads on the bottom will equate to using 'five Delica beads' for zipping up the sides.


As I continue up the side, from the base, I will also add a 'stop bead' for each turn of the needle, moving up the next row of loomed beads. I like to use a stop bead because I think it gives the thread a more secure way of holding the sides together. It also hides the turned thread, between the loomed rows.


I'll be wrapping this up and show the finished photos next!

7 comments:

  1. Beautiful! I gotta start and finish my clasp class first :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looking gorgeous! I really like the accent beads!

    ReplyDelete
  3. As usual something stunning and simply explained, maybe I will make a loomed needlecase too, just to take out my loom from my drawer!!
    Which are the dimensions in delica?

    ReplyDelete
  4. It is wonderful to receive replies! I enjoy being able to share and talk about bead looming!

    Chiara, I loomed this 35 Delcas wide. The number of rows total: 65 rows for each side, then four rows loomed as the base, when folded. Explaining it this way will give you a format for a design area, 35 x 65, for each side then four rows as base. That makes the total number of rows loomed 134.

    Since I loom with longer needles, I made the case long. It may be too long for regular length beading needles, only because you would need to reach down deep for the shorter packs of needles.

    I keep my scissors secured into a wine cork, which works perfectly so I am thinking of beading around a wine cork to make a matching tool set!

    Now, go get that loom out of the drawer! I would love to help you get started!

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is so neat Erin! I make a lot sewing accessories but they're all hand embroidered pieces. I would love to start making them in beads soon (or whenever time permits... LOL).

    Thanks for the inspiration! As always, you ROCK!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh wow - look at how you finish things off, everything is always perfection! Simply stunning Erin!

    ReplyDelete
  7. That's so fascinating to just watch. Almost feeling on my fingers how you add beads...

    ReplyDelete