beading in x-stitch designs

By: LHBanchik

Sure, glad to help out. Just a couple of hints to get you started in the

right direction.

1) Do all the Xstitching first, steam block the piece (if waterfast

materials are used) and then place the beading. The high pressures and

temps used for blocking may damage the beads either by cracking them or by

damaging the finish.

2) I use cotton sewing thread to fix my beads in place. Get it in the

same color as the background material. I find that it frays less than

floss on some of the rough edges of the beads.

3) This is a little hard to explain without pictures but, here goes. Be

sure that your beads lay so that they are pointing in the same direction

as the top thread of your cross stitch. That means that if you go from

left to right and then right to left on your stitches the long axis of the

bead should go from right to left. This means that when you sew on the

beads the attaching thread will go from left to right.

d ||____|| b

|| ||

||____|| The thread will from a to b and the bead from

c to d

a || || c

4) If you are doing a long row of beads or just single beads secure the

last bead in the area by taking two stitches through the hole before

securing the thread. This wil prevent the bead from being "Floppy"

Hope this helps.

Strange Texts