Best Material to Bead On..

[edmontonnativemommy]

My needles keep breaking!! I have upholstry canvas that i have been using to bead on and yes i am very new to beading and was told to find the sturdiest material. I just dont know what i am doing wrong. If i use a stronger needle the beeds wont fit and if i use my beading needles they break.. The beadds im using are size 11 Charlottes..

Its not so bad when im doing loom work cuz well ur not beading down. But for things like barretts im finding it tough..

Help.. please LOL

[OLChemist]

Brain tanned buckskin is, of course, the best.

However, canvas is perfectly doable. I beaded a dress yoke in 13/0 cuts on canvas. I didn't break too many needles. They did get dull quickly.

I suspect you either have really thick, hard canvas or bad needles.

[Czechy]

Could be your canvas. Some of the stuff sold for outdoor furniture has a waterproof coating on it which makes it stiff. If thats what yu have then that coating is probably what is breaking your needles. The canvas I use for beadig is often called duck cloth. It comes on a bolt and is simply a heavy weight woven unbleached cotton. I use it for things like leggings, Northern dress yokes or fancy shawl capes which will be edge bound with bias tape and fully beaded. For barrettes, I prefer the Pellon or a lightweight iron-on stabilizer on top of a stiff felt. Extra stiffeness can always be added after you finish beading.

But yes, braintan buckskin is fabulous for beading on but I would save it for those top level projects where you want the leather to show.

[edmontonnativemommy]

Could be your canvas. Some of the stuff sold for outdoor furniture has a waterproof coating on it which makes it stiff. If thats what yu have then that coating is probably what is breaking your needles. The canvas I use for beadig is often called duck cloth. It comes on a bolt and is simply a heavy weight woven unbleached cotton. I use it for things like leggings, Northern dress yokes or fancy shawl capes which will be edge bound with bias tape and fully beaded. For barrettes, I prefer the Pellon or a lightweight iron-on stabilizer on top of a stiff felt. Extra stiffeness can always be added after you finish beading.

But yes, braintan buckskin is fabulous for beading on but I would save it for those top level projects where you want the leather to show.

I think your right about the waterproofing "sigh" Thank you very much for your advice... i think im going to finish off this barrette and buy new material. I hate that i am almost done my daughters beadwork and pow wow season (up here) is almost over

[chazziff]

well theres always next year! LOL

ya stiff felt (can find it at micheals craft store .. think theres one on 170th street) and pelon is very good for small projects ....

and even demin and canvas are good for larger projects ... jus remember to prepare it before starting your project .. bias tape on the edge ... and use paper on the backside to help stabilize it. canvas and demin does tend to ... stretch during the beading process and wit use ... so this is important step too.

the people at halford hides are quite helpful (up by yellowhead freeway - but you prolly already know about them LOL) .... and you can get good beading needles there.

[tayoonee]

I know some will disagree with me but...baby lap pads, I got some off of ebay and they are plenty sturdy...not sure why they are categorized as baby lap pads...I wouldn't put my baby on em..but anyway...they work for me...

[tigger]

i would have to agree with the duck cloth..i swear by it for almost all of my beaadwork......

[jmm]

I like duck cloth and now won't use anything else. It also comes in different colors

[Iowa_Boy]

I know some will disagree with me but...baby lap pads, I got some off of ebay and they are plenty sturdy...not sure why they are categorized as baby lap pads...I wouldn't put my baby on em..but anyway...they work for me...

There also known as "puddle pads" or rubberized flannel. I've used them since the 1980s, no stretch, needles go through it like butter. I buy mine in the baby dept at Toys r us.

[cor]

Reply to best beading material

I have been beading for about 40 years and I have used buckskin, canvas but never the puddle pads (learn something new every day.) Myself I usually draw my patterns on typing paper and use it as the backing in between the beads and canvas. I usually use the duck cloth too! I think you might have got a hold of a pack of old needles. They tend to be brittle after a while. Sounds like you have the right size of needles and right equipment to bead with other than that. Make sure you use enough wax on all your thread, it prolongs the life of your beadwork by at least 10 years.

[Eagle Plumes]

what is duck cloth?

[tigger]

what is duck cloth?

it's a light weight form of canvas, it bends with out really creasin, and is a whole lot cheaper.....your area wal-marts (since your's still carries) will have it

[pouaouagan]

Thanks for all of the tips:) I've been beadin on cardstock with interfacing and graph paper all sandwiched together with glue. I seen a lot of beaders using felt or maybe Pelon? (not sure). I'm think they are using pelon or glue filled felt....gonna check it out kinda tired of using the cardstock

[ewoaf]

I sear by puddle pads, lap pads, rubberized flannel, or what i call baby sheeting. It can be a hare expensive so I look around at second hand stores. I used to find it a lot, but not so much anymore. Duck cloth is probably the best all round route. It works and is the cheapest...I've found a thick interfacing to be great for rossettes, not that I do a lot of those...but it is stiff, and needle friendly.

[Tibiki Kinew]

Hey lot of great ideas, for the back ground material I use old t-shirt made of cotton, then I attach a thin layer of plastic, the lid of a plastic margarine container will do great here. Then the buckskin as the main cover. Barrettes look great with the buckskin. I make around 100 a year so I think I have gotten the hang of it, that canvas is way too hard and yes does break needles when you get impatient!

I also do barrettes with total tails from birds and again that one piece of plastic is great to mount the feathers inside and stops the wiggle of them.