Starting a Bead n Fibre Cuff

Good morning

This is the first of my attempts at an online workshop.  I beg forgiveness if some of the video or photos are not quite up to scratch.  This is my first foray into the world of online media and although I knew it would be a bit clumsy at first I hadn't anticipated the problems involved in working around the camera - not to mention I need a better stand for the wee frame as it kept trying to jump off.

Hopefully I will get better as we go along and any hints or tips would be welcome.


This first workshop will get you started on a piece of tapestry weaving, including beads, which we will put on to a leather strap to make a cuff.  I have used one of my kits and will use photos to explain how to get started.  I will also post some videos and,although they have no sound, I hope you will be able to follow them. Do remember I am right handed so if you are left handed you may find it easier to mirror my actions.

Here is the frame put together. There are two needles.  The thinner one for use with the beads and the bigger one for using with fibre and threads.  On the card bobbin are two threads.  The thicker one is cotton perle which we will use for the warp and the thinner one is for use with the beads.

I have put some beads on the needle to see how many I will need to make a piece wide enough to cover the leather strap.  In this case it is 10 beads.  This means I will need 11 warps.



Tying the warp thread to the frame



 Here you can see the warped frame.  I have wrapped the cotton around the frame 11 times ending at the bottom right and tying it to the frame.
 We will weave on the front set of threads.  When you have finished you can turn the frame over and weave another on the back set of threads.

 To make it easier for you to see I have slipped a piece of card into the frame to hide the back warps.  You can only see the front ones which we will be working on.


Start with a piece of bead thread about 24 inches long.  Thread it into the smaller beading needle and tie it to the left hand warp about three quarters of an inch above the frame.

Pass the needle and thread around behind the warps.






Now pick up the 10 beads.












Let them slip down the thread until they are behind the warps.

Using your finger as support space them out between the warps and press lightly so that they pop through.  This can be a bit tricky for the first row.  You may need to use your nedle to lift the warp threads into the correct place.  Take a look at the video to see what I mean.





 Now pass the needle back through the beads making sure it is in front of the warps.

You should be able to see the needle and not the warp thread between each bead.





Pull the thread through until the beads are all snugged up against each other.  I find it useful to tie a half hitch around the left hand warp on this first row to keep them snug.

Add a few more rows of beads then let the bead needle and thread drop down at the left hand side.  Again I like to tie a half hitch on the last row to keep the thread in place.





Thread the bigger needle with any of the threads or fibres in the kit and fasten them to the left hand warp.
Now use the needle to weave over and under from left to right.

When you turn to weave back just make sure that you go over threads you went under on the last row and under the ones you went over.


It is important not to pull the fibre you are weaving with (the weft) too tight as it will make the sides of your weaving pull in.  Let it lie in a little bubble before pushing it down evenly.  (You can see this on the video clips or in the pictures in your instruction leaflet).

Once you have woven this strip as high as you like fasten the thread off on one of the warps and cut it leaving a tail between 2 and 3 inches long.


 To use the bead thread again without leaving a loop on the edge of your weaving simply run the needle up inside the left hand warp. Make a half hitch round the left hand wrap and you are ready to add more beads.






 

 I hope this helps.  Please post any questions and I will do my best to help.  I will also upload the video clips in another post today.

Over the next couple of days I will post about the tapestry weaving methods of using colour and about how you can finish your cuffs and bracelets.