Beading threads

If you've ever stood in a bead shop (or scrolled through an online bead shop) staring at the thread options wondering which one to pick, you're not alone. Thread choice can feel overwhelming at first, but once you understand what each one does well, it starts to make a lot of sense. Let's walk through the main types I have experience with and when I reach for each one.

Nymo

Nymo is probably the most widely known beading thread, and for good reason — it's affordable, widely available, and comes in a huge range of colours. It's a nylon thread that works well for loom work and off-loom stitches like peyote and brick stitch. The one thing to know about Nymo is that it can be prone to twisting, tangling and fraying so I'd recommend running it through beeswax or thread conditioner before you start. This was the thread I learnt to bead with. 

KO Thread

KO is a Japanese nylon thread that I have a  soft spot for. It's finer and smoother than Nymo, which means it passes through small bead holes easily — brilliant for anything requiring multiple thread passes. It has a lovely drape and doesn't tangle or fray as much as Nymo in my experience. If you're doing intricate work with size 15 seed beads, KO is worth trying. It's a little pricier, but for the right project it's absolutely worth it.

One-G

One-G is another Japanese nylon thread, similar to KO but with a slightly different texture and feel. Where KO is very smooth, One-G has a subtle grip to it, which some beaders find helps keep tension more consistent. I find the two fairly interchangeable for most projects, but I tend to prefer One-G for beading which requires a bit of structure — that gentle grip seems to help the beads sit just right.

Fireline

Fireline is a braided fishing line that was adopted by the beading community, and honestly, it's easy to see why. It's incredibly strong, resistant to fraying, and holds its shape well — which makes it a great choice for more structural work or anything using heavier beads. It doesn't need conditioning and it's very resistant to abrasion which makes it perfect for working with crystals and pearls which can have sharp edges. The trade-off is that it has a bit less drape than a nylon thread, so for delicate or flexible pieces it can feel a little stiff. 

Fireline mainly comes in two colours - crystal (white) and smoke (black). It also comes in different thicknesses or weights - depending on what size fish you want to catch!  If you buy Beadsmith branded Fireline, 4lb is fine, and good for multiple thread paths, 6lb is good for everyday beading and 8lb is sturdy and really only suitable if you're not using size 15 seed beads. 
I tend to buy my fireline from a fishing supply shop, and my preferred thread is Fireline Thermally Fused Tough 0.10mm, and honestly this is my favourite go to thread. 

So Which Should You Choose?

Here's a quick rule of thumb I go by:

For everyday seed bead stitching without many crystals or bead embroidery: KO or One-G

For heavy beads, structural pieces or anything with a lot of crystals: Fireline

For loom work or when you're on a budget: Nymo

For tiny beads with tight holes: KO or a fine fireline

There are lots of other threads out there, wildfire, SoNo, durathread, S-lon to name but a few, but I don't have experience working with these, so I can't give an honest review of them. 

Honestly, the best thing you can do is try them all on a small project and see which one feels right in your hands. Every beader ends up with their own preferences, and yours might be completely different from mine — and that's totally fine!

For years, KO and One-G were my favourites, and now I almost exclusively use Fireline. Do you have a favourite thread I haven't mentioned? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

Pixie Earrings

 These earrings are named after my lovely kitty-cat and beading companion, Pixie. I came up with the design while I was trying to work out new ways to use up some of the two-hole beads in my stash.  As they’re component based, it’s easy to make smaller earrings using either just the rivoli or chaton elements, or bead a bunch of the elements and join them together to make a bracelet or necklace. 

I chose a very smoky, sultry colour scheme for my earrings, but these would look beautiful in pearl tones for a bride or pastel colours for a spring look, or even black and silver to complement a little black dress! If you love this colour scheme, I've listed the bead colours I used at the end.

What you'll need to make this:

A. Size 11 seed beads (2g)
B. 40 half tila beads
C. Size 15 seed beads (3g) (to match A)
D. Size 15 seed beads (3g)
E. 20 quarter tila beads

2 14mm rivolis
2 ss39 chatons (8mm)
ear wires

Anything else? 

Beading thread (I use fireline 0.10mm)
Beading needles (I use Miyuki brand)
Bead mat
Scissors or thread zap
Pliers for opening and closing ear wires

1.     Pick up 1(A),1(B) 10 times and tie in a circle with a double knot. Thread through a few beads until you are exiting a (B), and then thread through the top hole of the (B). 

2.     Pick up 1(B) and thread through the top hole of the next (B) in the circle from step 1. Repeat around the circle, go through the first (B) you added in this step and then through the top hole.

 

3.     Pick up 1(A) and go through the top hole of the next (B) in the circle from step 2. Repeat this around the circle but do not pull tightly yet. Go through the first (A) added in this step, keeping the tension very loose, then add the 14mm Rivoli with the front facing up. Pull your thread tight and reinforce the thread path. Go back through the outer hole of one of the (B) beads.

 

4.     Pick up 4(D), go through the corresponding hole on the next (B) on the front side of the bezel. Repeat a further 9 times all the way around the bezel. Step up by going up the first 2(D) added in this step.

 

5.     Pick up 1(D), go through 2(D),1(B),2(D). Repeat this around the bezel. Adding the 5th bead to the picot in this way makes them more pointy.
Step up by exiting from a (B) bead with your thread coming out towards the front of the bezel.

 

6.     Pick up 3(C). Go though the next (B). Repeat this around the bezel. Step up by exiting from the first (C) added in this step. To make these picots more pointy, we will: skip the middle (C), go through the third (C) and the next (B). Repeat around the bezel; go through 1(C), skip 1(C), go though 1(C),1(B). Thread through to the outer hole of a (B) on the back of the bezel.

 

7.     To make the loop for the earwire: Pick up 7(C), go though the next (B). To reinforce this loop, go down through the lower hole in the (B),1(A),1(B), up through the top hole in the (B) and through the 7(C) again.  Weave in your thread ends and tie off.

 

8.     To make the chaton element: Pick up 10(E) and tie in a circle with a double knot. Go through a few of the (E) beads again, the up to the top hole of the (E) your thread is exiting.

 

9.     Pick up 1(A), go though the next (E) in the ring. Repeat this around the ring and step up by exiting from the first (A) you added in this step.

 

10.  Pick up 3(D), go back though the (A) your  thread was exiting, and thread through 1(E), 1(A).

 

11.  Pick up 2(D), thread down through the first (D) added in step 11, the (A) your thread started from in this step and 1(E),1(A) (this is a modified Right Angle Weave). Repeat this 7 more times (total of 8 times).

 

12.  With your thread exiting the last (A), thread up through the 3^rd (D) added in step 11, pick up 1(D), and thread down through the 1^st (D) on the opposite side. Then thread back through 1(A), 2(D). Before pulling everything tight, pop the chaton into the bezel. This will not hold the chaton in place yet.

 

13.  Pick up 1(C), go through 1(D). Repeat all the way around the bezel. Getting the chaton to sit square in the bezel can be a little tricky, but with a little patience and manipulation, you will get there. Once it’s how you’d like it, pull your thread tight, then reinforce this thread path several times.  Step up to exit from an (A) bead.

 

14.  Pick up 4(D), go through 1(A). Repeat a further 9 times all the way around the bezel. Step up by going up the first 2(D) added in this step.

 

15.  Pick up 1(D), go through 2(D),1(A),2(D). Repeat this around the bezel. Adding the 5^th bead to the picot in this way makes them more pointy.
Step up by exiting from a (A) bead with your thread coming out towards the front of the bezel.

 

16.  Pick up 3(C), go though the next (A). Repeat this around the bezel. There is no need to repeat step 7 on this bezel as it is smaller and the picots are naturally very pointy.

 

17.  Thread through your work so that your thread exits the middle (3^rd) (D) on one of the outer picots. Pick up 2(D), thread through 3(D) on the bottom of larger, rivoli bezel.  Thread through the outer hole on the (B), (A), and the outer hole on the next (B). Thread down though 3(D), pick up 2(D) and down through 3(D) on the corresponding picot of the chaton bezel. Reinforce this thread path, then weave in and trim the thread ends.

 

18.  Add the earwire to the loop at the top and repeat steps 1-18 to make the second earring.

I'd love to see what you make using this design. Please feel free to tag me on Instagram or Facebook @BeadsbyBecs or use the hashtag #beadsbybecs

A. size 11 seed beads - Miyuki California black violet

B. half tila beads - Miyuki dark bronze

C. size 15 seed beads - Miyuki California black violet

D. size 15 seed beads - Miyuki matte metallic khaki iris
E quarter tila beads - Miyuki dark bronze

14mm rivolis - Preciosa venus

ss39 chatons - Preciosa lava 

Beaded Bag - the final instalment!

It is around 10 months since I started making my beaded bag - for the express purpose of using on my wedding day.  I finished it two weeks ago.

I didn't spend the whole 10 months working on it... I've guesstimated that it has taken me around 300 hours. So, 300 hours, about £200 of beads and I'm left with something I'm immensely proud of.  I can't wait to walk down the aisle to marry my wonderful man, and I can't wait to show off my sparkly bag, either!
This has been the largest project I've attempted, it's been challenging, and I now know I wouldn't attempt a project like this in the same way again... I won't go through the ins and outs of what I'd do differently, but there are a few things that would have made it easier.  

I think the most surprising part of this project was how much thread it consumed... 5 whole reels of KO!

The really special piece on this bag is a cab made by my good friend, and wonderful artist/designer Donna Sanders with our names, and the date of our wedding on.
The bag is predominantly stitched in boucle stitch, which gives the depth to the bag.  It also adds to the weight!  This little beauty weighs well over half a pound.

The strap for the bag is made with bead crochet - which gives it real flexibility and strength, it can also be tucked into the bag to use it just as a clutch bag.

I'm looking forward to sharing pictures of the big day with you all, so you can see all the little beaded accessories I have made.

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