Tricks of your trade

[MWP]

For the stains on buckskin:

If the stain is on the swede side of the leather, a clay ball works very nicely to remove stains. It's just like using a big eraser. Hope this helps!

[D. Dean]

To make perfactly thread wrapped feathers, if there are small spaces in the thread work that is ok as it can be elimnated by rubbing the thread work with a dowel rod about the size of a pencil after the thread is applied. By rubbing the thread work it evens all the wraps out.
D.Dean

[buckskinlady]

Oh No! Red Pop is the worse stain there is!!
I'm sure you've tried gently rubbing the spot with fine sandpaper and then "powdering" a clay ball (rubbing the sandpaper across the clay ball) over the spot and rubbing it in the powder with the sandpaper. It works with dirt and grease and most makeup, but I really give up with red pop and red snow cone drips. When I make dresses for little girls, I tell them right in front of their Mommas or Grandmas. "NO EATING SNO-CONES WHILE WEARING YOUR BUCKSKIN!".
Good Luck Ehosah! If ou find something else that works, please let me know!

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Cara

[Ehosah]

I was wondering what the best ways ya'll have found to clean commercial white buckskin? I can't keep beading over those red pop spots because I'm about to turn my southern dress into a northern one. But then, if I plan it right, I could turn those red spots into a keen design.

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E

[itokasniye]

fan handles, i swear by BONDO. arrange the feathers, mix the bondo and glop it on and shape it to a handle. be carefull not to get burnt cause the chemical reaction heats it up really good. after it hardens you can shape it really good with sandpaper.

how about that plastic canvas "beadwork"? i love it. mainly because i cant afford beadwork and cant afford the time to do beadwork.

i thought of something else toady while walking my route but cant remember it right now. sorry.

[Czechy]

Here's a tip for an easy handle for a large wing or tail fan. I had been given a wing and was trying to figure out how to make a handle for it. One day I was in a kitchen goods store looking for a gift and got a sudden inspiration. I saw a wedge-shaped jar opener, the kind with a handle made for arthritic folks and thought "Ah ha!" An instant fan handle! I was happy to see that my feathers fit right into the wedge and all I had to do was fill in the back side of it, sand it down and cover with leather. It saved me the work of having to carve the whole handle. This tip will only work well for large feathers otherwise the fan will be too bottom-heavy.

[FancyStar]

Here is a tip or the latest trend out there.
Sewing sequin material!

* To keep your needle from getting gummy get some sewers aid ( available at wal-mart or any fine sewing place) and dab some on your needle and threads. Good Luck!!!

[C.W.Boone]

A painters easel makes a perfect loom. I've got a cedar easel that costs about $40. Make sure you get a wood one that has an ajustable top so you can tack some springs or evenly spaced nails. Perfect for long hours of looming and you can not beat the price.

[Czechy]

Oh yeah, that masking tape thing also works well for the first row of applique beading too.

[Czechy]

This tip has been around a long time but I've found it useful. Whenever you want to bead a straight line of lazy stitch but don't want to mark your leather up with ink or pencil, you can bead along side a strip of masking tape instead. This works great if you are doing lanes of beading with empty space in between like on tipi bags or beaded robes. After your row is compete, just peel the tape off. Ingenious or what?

[tipis]

To avoid taping your feathers for cutting, a little trick I learned years ago has to do with the scissors you use. Get a pair of special "polyestor" or silk cutting types.
One side has very TINY little teeth like the big pinking shears and the other side is the usaull straight sharp edge. These are hard to find and sometimes pricy. But they are the best for cutting any feather without the feather moving on you. Great for cutting fine leather too.

tipis

[powwowbum49]

Dang these are all good one's. Keep'em coming folks!!!

Ok my turn again!

--- When cutting rawhide for drum heads use a large wheel rotary cutter. It zips right through even the thickest hide and when it gets dull the blade changes easily.

--- Use up the left over scraps of rawhide that are too small for cutting into lace by cutting them into little silhouettes like hearts or bears or hands or feathers and then painting designs on them. They can really dress up thing for a dance, like staffs, wheel and roach pins.

I'll see what else I can think of.

[D. Dean]

If you will use two pieces of mending fabric with a piece of paper ironed in between each piece you will not have to use hoops, there is also almost no strech and the beads stand up nicely.
D.Dean

[HaRiNk2u]

n8tivechick...here is some help,your tension is too tight on your material. if your going to use an embroidery hoop,use it just enough to make your material flat,w/out pulling it taunt. or just use a heavier canvas w/out the hoop.

[n8tivechick]

hello,
I have a question. I have to bead a crown and i am using one of those hoops that keeps the fabric tight. I found that once i am done beading and remove the hoop the beads can bunch toghter cause the fabric is no longer tight. Does anyone have any tips on how to bead but not have the beads pop up and bunch? Thanx!
-kelli