Whether you are planning a holiday project, sewing something appropriate for a princess or just want something shiny and glittery for your embroidery, adding a bead or sequin to your work will give you that decorative sparkle!
Metallic threads are a common way to add a bit of glitter to embroidery, but it's always good to have more options. Especially when you get some extra levels too. Putty and sequins do so well!
Working these embellishments in your embroidery is as easy as slipping them on with your stitches and you can be sure that you can find patterns that are just begging for these types of bubbles.
Most beads have small holes for embroidery, so you need to use a needle with a small eye. Bidding needles are helpful but not required. Find the smallest needle you have (it will still contain a few thread threads). If that still doesn't work, you can buy something special.
Like the needle size issue, not all beads will accommodate too many thread threads. If you are embroidered with more than three strands, you may only need a second stitching with one strand to attach the strands.
Another thing to note is that not all beads will be the same, even if you buy them as packs. If you have trouble sliding a bead over the needle and embroidered thread, remove it and try another bead. If this is a consistent problem, try another needle or a few more strands of thread.
Now, get ready to stitch some sparkle!
Adding Long Beads to Embroidery
Long glass beads, or bugle beads make a great alternative to long straight stitches. They come in many colors and shapes, so you can discover exactly what you need for your project.
When working with armpit beads, stitch them in place with the back stitch. This is especially important if you are connecting more than one line.
As you take each stitch, measure the length of the gem you use. These statues can vary in length, so you need to pay attention to each putty. Bring the needles up through the fabric, through the beads and then back down.
You can do all of your sewing and then add beads, but it is just as easy to work on beads in your embroidery as your sewing.
Adding Seed Beads to Embroidery
Just about any stitch you choose can hold a tiny bead, or sometimes more than one.
The example above shows that a seed bead is added to the stitching stitch of a single discrete chain. You can easily add a bead to other parts of this stitch.
When attaching the seed beads, bring the needle to the front of the fabric, and then simply place a bead and thread on the bottom of the fabric just above your needle. Complete the stitching as usual. If this is a more complicated stitch, you may need to adjust where your beads are.
With a few sections of sewing, you may even want to add multiple beads to a single stitch.
Seed beads are also good for inclusion on the couch. To do this, thread as many beads of the main thread as you want, then add table stitches to the beads. Make a sewing stitch into each bead or a few beads to form a pattern.
Adding Sequins to Embroidery
Sequins are a fun way to add sparkle to your stitching. They create a different effect than the putty and you'll love the way you sew your stitches in place.
A traditional traditional way of sealing sequins on fabric is to bring the needle through the middle hole, thread the needle through the beads of the seed, and then go back down through the sequin. This will also work in the middle of your sewing, but why not achieve this thing with embroidery stitching?
First, you'll find that many sequins have a slight cupping to them. It really doesn't matter which direction faces up, but it's best to keep the direction consistent as you work.
When placing a separate sequin, use a French knot. Thread the sequin on your needle and slide it perfectly so that it lies on the surface of the fabric. Wrap your needle just as you would normally do with a French knot, and then complete the French knot and go back through the hole.
Don't tighten the knot so much that it pulls through the hole, but do make sure that it's secure.
If you want to tie a sequin to a sewing line, simply slide the sequin over the thread before completing any stitch, then finish the stitch as usual. It works especially well with back stitching. You can see the sewing line on one side of the sequin.
And to make it even further, try adding more straight stitches to hold the sequin and align it with an additional thread.
Choose a sparkly embellishment or use them in your next embroidery!
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