Painting With Beads

I was asked by a few folks  how I start a bead embroidery project.  I had an article in Quilting Arts magazine (October/November 2015) page 68, called  Painting with Beads.  If you have a copy, you'll see my step by step process.  And  if you have that copy, you can go have your breakfast, clean house, etc. and stop reading this post!  HA  Otherwise, please read on!

I like to find copyright free coloring pages on the internet for my subject (or I will  photocopy real leaves my friend, Susan, finds for me!)....there are so many birds, leaves, butterflies...you name it and you'll find it.  Just 'Google' Free _______ coloring pages.  This is how I started Mr. Blue.....I found this coloring page for a squirrel.  

Once I've saved the image, I print it onto either Pellon 808 Craft Fuse (cut to 8 1/2" x 11" to fit your printer) or  a Wash-Away Applique Sheet by C&T.    I like the applique sheets since they are already cut to 8 1/2" x 11" and ready for my printer.  Make sure you print on the non-fusible side!  

You can also print out a color picture (rather than a coloring page of your subject) on the Craft Fuse/Applique sheet.  That's what  I did  for my leaf project.  It helped me in selecting the different shades of beads.  

Once your printed image is dry, trim the printed image but keep at least 1-2" border.  Next, following each manufacturing instrutions, fuse onto a piece of Pellon 70 Peltrex Ultra Firm stabilizer that is cut larger than your trimed image.  Pellon 70  is a good stablilizer that holds up well (if you're slow at beading like I am!  ha) and is easy to sew/bead through.  I will either machine or hand base around the fused image to make sure it remains stable while beading.  

You can see how my squirrel was fused and machine basted (that's the blue outline) onto the Pellon 70.  Because 'he' was so large I didn't trim away any of the printout.  He fit the 8 1/2" x 11" sheet!  

I have also beaded direct onto a quilted background,  in place of the ultra firm stabilizer.  Those were smaller pieces like my butterfly 3"x5".  

Or a  bird(s) which was about 7" long but only 3" at the widest.  I also beaded using a hoop to keep the quilted background stable.  I prefer the stabilizer vs beading direct onto a quilted background...been there...done that!  You don't need a hoop!  




I'll do another post on finishing up your beaded piece in the future.  

 I've learned some tips on bead embroidery through the years!  Here are just two from folks you may or may not know!

Kate Boyan a wonderful beader from Alaska suggested to first outline your image with beads.  It was and is a great tip so I do this every time now.  If you haven't been to Kate's blog, plz do so.  Her beading will amaze you!!

You may see on my squirrel where I didn't outline all of 'him'...for example, around his tail area.   I wanted the beads to be fur like!  Make sense!

And from my Blog Bud, Mary Stori,  who suggested you secure a bead mat in a small wood embroidery hoop.  This tip made it so much easier to keep threads and beads from flying all over!  Mary is a master at beading in addition to her fabulous quilting.  

 My hubby added to Mary's tip by placing cut bead mat pieces in small jar lids and setting those inside the hoop!!!  


And now you're ready to start beading!  Easy! Hope this post helps you start your own 'Painting with Bead" project!  Any questions, please email me or comment and I will respond to you.  And if you do start or finish a piece, please let me know!  I would love to showcase your work!!

Another idea!

Last year when I was writing my Bead Painting article for QA magazine, I included tips...one was a tip on a tray for holding your beads while beading!

 This was a tip that Mary Stori so kindly shared with me, as well as others (and I also acknowledged Mary in the article for the tip).  Mary recommended using an embroidery hoop and place some type of foam or material that your beads will sit quietly on.  At least if they roll together they won't roll on the floor!  Plus, you have a place for your needle and thread.

I love Mary's idea but in working on my Blue Squirrel, because I'm using so many different colors and sizes of beads, they tend to roll together....don't forget I have dogs that jump onto my lap at the most inconvenient times!  I mentioned this to Bob and asked him to think of a way we can divide the area so my beads won't mix with each other.

So this is what my hubby came up with!  

He used four different lids and placed some foam inside each lid.  He's also going to put small tabs of Velcro on the bottom of each lid so they will stay in position in case I tip the embroidery hoop ever so slightly!  Again, do I need to mention my dogs again!  I am really pleased with this idea....so thanks for the starting point, Mary!  And thanks, Bob for your idea!  I'll keep you posted as to any updates to this new bead tray!

Also, I'm starting on another solar print!  Why you say?  Why not I say!

A little of this...a little of that!

I did get to stamp some fabric for the Mary Beckwith inspiration piece I want to make.  This is one of the stamps I made last summer.  It's just a piece of cardboard with pieces of sticky foam I cut out and attached.  I have another stamp using spike(s) cut out the same way but you don't need to see pics of everything..you can see how that stamp printed out on the first few pieces of fabric.

 

This was a fat quarter of fabric I purchased from Laura Kemshall's Fingerprint web site a few years ago.  I have another piece that is more intense that will be included in this project.  This piece was pretty faded and I think the stamping using the spike stamp added some add'l texture it needed.

This picture shows both stamps printed.

I am really happy with the way these turned out and I know they'll be perfect in a patchwork piece but.....






 I think this will have to be put on hold!!  Yea, I decided on another project to work on...back to bead embroidery.  One of my friends from our fiber group is part of  the Spring Needlework Seminar at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island each spring.  Chris is a wonderful machine quilter and she dyes her own fabrics and vends at the conference (she also does samples of quilting for major thread companies!).  Chris approached our small fiber group to put quilts at the conference for sale this coming spring.  We each have several pieces already made that we can give to Chris but she'll need them by the end of April so....I thought I would create another beaded piece and this is "now" what I'm working on!

I jut started outlining the top of his body and part of the wing.  Now I'm stitching his tail and will work my way up.  I'm hoping I have enough brown beads for this piece!  There is a wonderful bead shop here in Ocala (see my sidebar) but I really don't want to have to purchase any more beads.  I'm trying to use up both my bead and fabric stash!  OK, OK, I'm sure I'll head to the bead shop at some point in time!  I'm just like an addict!

I know...I must be nuts...the bird is roughly 9" x 3.5" and is called a cactus wren.  He'll be sitting ontop of a cactus plant that I'll make out of fabric.  Now to get busy so I can finish in time and mail off to Chris for her to take with her!  My bud, Carol T., has some of my older pieces from our last Master's Exhibit that Chris can take to the seminar but I wanted something new.   And now that I've committed to having this piece finished!!!!  I better get off the computer!!!  Beading calls!!!