Thursday, August 22, 2013

Crossing the Finish Line!



Hi All! Twyla, from Lady Abeada Designs here. First, I want to take this opportunity to say how thrilled and honored I am to be one of the Bead Mavens this year. Thank you, Mikki, I am having the time of my life!! :) Please be aware that what follows is merely my opinion, not fact, and should be taken in kind. I am certainly not an expert on anything and can only share with you what works for me. :) Having said that, let's get started.

What I would like to talk with you about today is something I feel is of great importance when it comes to bead work, but sometimes seems to get overlooked on the conversational end of things, and that is finish work. You might ask what constitutes finish work?  For me, it basically comes down to three main areas; over-all thread tension throughout the piece, knots and thread ends, and closures or clasps. The finish work one does can make or break a beautiful design. Stop and think about it for a second. Haven't we all, at one time or another, had the experience of being drawn to a piece of bead work, but then upon closer examination of the piece, discovered things about it that weren't quite up to muster?

I know I have, and for me, one of the quickest things that will easily derail the professionalism and natural beauty of a gorgeous piece of bead work is to have an unequal thread tension running throughout the body of the work; too tight in some areas and too lose in others.

Thread tension is largely responsible for the over all drape of your piece, and therefore, extremely important to the success or failure of the work. Maintaining an even balance where thread tension is concerned can prevent puckering, buckling or having gaps in your beading, and while it sounds easy enough, learning to control thread tension in bead work is really a learned process that takes a great deal of practice to achieve lasting success with.

I have found that small steps will accomplish leaps and bounds; try giving your thread a little firm tug after each stitch or making a half hitch knot every so often to maintain the thread tension of the work you have already completed.  Upon occasion, perfecting thread tension can easily translate to something as simple as using a larger or smaller size thread or even a different brand of thread for the project you are working on. It really comes down to experimenting  and finding what works  best for you as an individual beader.

Another thing that will seriously detract from a  breath taking piece of work is to see thread knots or thread ends sticking out or up from the beads.
Fortunately, there are many different methods available that one can use to hide threads and knots, but my own experience has taught me that no matter how closely I trim those thread ends or how many times I change directions while weaving through the bead work,  that over time and with wear, they will almost certainly find a way to wiggle free and poke out their ugly little thread heads just where I don't want them to be. So, what can you do to prevent this from happening?

My solution is to hold the thread taut and put a tiny dot of glue on the thread just above where I intend to cut and trim it, so that when the thread retracts into the bead work, it will glue itself into place within the piece. Remember though, you only want to use this method if you are completely finished with your piece and are 100% sure that you will not be taking the bead work apart. Whatever method you choose, in the end, the desired result is the same; you should have no visible knots or thread. :)

When you have your project completed and all the threads are knotted and tied off, and the ends woven in, it's time to choose a clasp or closure. There are several different types to choose from.  Most of the patterns I have ever seen tell you to add a clasp, but normally they won't say which kind to use or why you should or shouldn't use a particular type. So how do you decide which type of closure to use on your project?




I am certainly no authority on the subject and am not even sure if there are any hard and fast rules on the matter, but I do know that choosing incorrectly can certainly put a damper on the overall ascetic of your work.

When putting that final touch on your bead work, you may want to consider such things as the lines, color, weight, texture, size, drape and perceived value of your piece. All of these things individually or taken as a whole can influence your final decision when it comes to making a choice for a clasp.  

For example,  you wouldn't want to use a lobster clasp that is normally intended for a single strand, light weight necklace on a heavy, fully textured, bead embroidered piece. You would be more inclined to consider  making a choice that is more geared to handling a heavier weighted piece, such as a toggle clasp, S hook, or something along those lines. 



                            
Maybe you prefer to design and bead or create your own clasps. Many designers do and I happen to be one of them.  In the end, it makes little difference whether you purchase clasps or create your own. By taking a little extra care and paying a little extra attention to the details of your finish work, you will end up with a piece of bead work that is not only functional and ascetically pleasing, but high quality, and something you will be proud to put your name on.

I would love to hear about any special techniques or tips that you may use or have discovered along the way when doing your finish work. Please share them with all of us in the comment section below. :) For more on my beading explorations, you can catch me on my personal blog:
http://www.ladyabeada.blogspot.com

Until next time-
Bead True to Yourself!

18 comments:

  1. Wonderful suggestions all, Twyla! You're so right that many an otherwise lovely piece of beadwork has been spoiled by inattention to those final, most important details. It's also true in knitting (and probably many other things as well). You're so right about knotting off and tidying up your work before adding the clasp. I learned to do that from painful past experience when I needed to make a change to a clasp attachment. Removal of those clasp beads took a portion of the finished work with it! Ouch!

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  2. Thank you Callie! I think you are right that those final details probably apply to most creative endeavors and are very important to the finished quality of one's work. I felt for you with the losing of finished work having to take your clasp off. I have been there once or twice myself and are hard lessons to learn. But once learned, never forgotten! :)

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  3. Great post, Twyla! I have seen so many gorgeous works and then you see knots at the clasps and loose threads and wonder what went wrong? It's probably the most challenging part of putting a clasp on for most (knotting to finish the work).

    I must admit I'm horrible with clasps... I finish my work and then I'm just so "over it" that I toss on any old clasp. I need to pay more attention to my clasps and make my own instead of using metal ones. :D Unless I make the metal ones!

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  4. Thanks Val! I think we all have those feelings sometimes where we just want to "be done" with a piece of work and by the time you get to that point the clasp is the last thing on your mind. :) I definitely think you should consider making some metal clasps. I have seen some of your work and its gorgeous. What an outstanding way to set your work apart from others. :)

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  5. I like the idea of putting a bit of glue before cutting the thread...what kind of glue do you suggest?

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    1. Leanne just about any type of glue will work... a good white craft glue, E6000, and on occasion I have even used a bit of Diamond Glaze. I usually use a wooden toothpick to just dab a tiny dot on... that way you don't have to worry about using too much or not being able to control the glue. :)

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  6. I save all my trimming until the end. I want to know where I started and stopped so I do not have a lot of knots together. I have ruined quite a few pieces with glue when it was more than expected. I tie a good knot, then weave back a bit further and tie a second good knot - this pulls the first knot tight and adds extra security. Then I weave back again in an unlikely path for the thread to unravel.

    I find that wax stiffens the threads so they are easier to snip.

    I miss the colors or nymo, which made it easier to hide, but it always frayed on me. I have switched to fireline, which I love but for the lack of color choice.

    One final comment- the camera sees all those knots a lot better than I do.

    It is good to hear alternatives but it is also good to keep in mind that you need to find the technique that works best for you.

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    1. KJ, I am sorry to hear you have ruined pieces by using glue, but it sounds like you have discovered other alternatives that work well for you. :)It really is about each of us discovering the techniques that work for us as individuals. I love all the colors of Nymo also... I learned to bead using Nymo, but I also had fraying issues with it and inevitably sewed through it, which didn't help matters at all. I am told that Nymo on the spool is much better to work with and totally different than Nymo on the little bobbins that you find in most bead stores. I don't know if that's true or not but that is what I have heard. Thank you for sharing your great tips! :)

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  7. Great post Twyla.... and some great suggestions! I also burn the ends of my threads, whether it is Nymo or Fireline. They tend to retract into the bead quite nicely, and having formed a ball from the burn, they don't move anywhere.

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    1. Thank you Neva! :) I have always wanted to try burning the ends, but have never figure out which burners work and which don't. What kind do you use and where can I get one? :)

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  8. Great info Twyla. I have a tendency to love the hard to find, expensive clasps that really don't work when you do tutorials that sell internationally, my customers have to be able to get them too.
    There are some stunning claps out today and I think my fave clasp designer has to be Claspgarten. I would so use their clasps if they were widely available.

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  9. Thanks Mikki! I totally agree about the clasps, but as you say, when you are selling tutorials, it needs to be something that is readily available to all. :) I love the clasps at Claspgarten also... they are beautiful!

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  10. Fantastic post Twyla! I totally agree about the importance of finishing touches. However, I like to make designs which don't need clasps, which roll around themselves, are open, with memory wire or lariats... or I make beaded clasps...

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    1. Thank you Cath! :) I love lariats, yet, for some reason, I have only made one. I love to bead my own clasps as well but don't feel I am as talented in that area as say you or Mikki.... but I am working on it! :)

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  11. Great post Twyla! Lots of good advice here. It is true that the correct makes or breaks a piece...it's an important choice to make. I try to add my clasps as a separate piece so that if they wear or break its easily changeable. Easier than taking an entire piece of beadwork apart simply because of a clasp issue. Nice to see you here. ;)

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  12. Thank you Jacquie! It's very nice to be here! What a great idea to add the clasp as a separate piece! I hadn't thought about that. Thank you for sharing the idea. :)

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  13. Hi I want to do your helix spiral necklace. Can you tell me what size bugles you used? Thank you, Lois Becker

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  14. Hi Lois, you can do the Helix Spiral with any size bugle, you would just need to adjust the ends with an extra row or two of seeds. I used a #2 bugle which is 6mm. You'll find a good selection of them here http://www.caravanbeads.net/ProdList.asp?scat=95

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