How to Do Beanile Tatting With Beads
If you are pining over the Beanile tatting technique developed by artist Nina Libin and love the look it creates, consider learning to do it yourself. Creating beautiful lacy tatting and beads is a difficult skill to learn as well as master, but the end result is worth the effort. Here is how to do Beanile tatting with beads so you can display or wear your art.
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Things You'll Need
- Beanile pattern
- Beading thread
- Beads
- Shuttle (optional)
- Stiffening solution
- Two fine-bristled paint brushes
- Heat gun (optional)
Instructions
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Select a Beanile pattern. Start with a small, easy piece and gradually work your way up to more complicated pieces. For example, start with a set of earrings, then do a bracelet, then work a necklace to go with it. You can find Beanile patterns in Nina Libin's book, "Tatted Lace of Beads," or go to your local craft store and get a kit (see Resources below).
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Choose a DMC beading thread, and cut it to the length called out for in the pattern. If you create your own original work, estimate the length you need and add 20 percent. Save the leftover for small projects. Most of the artist's original work is on large diameter thread and works with small beads.
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Dip the ends of your thread in glue and allow to dry. This alleviates the problem with threading. Alternatively, use a beading needle and larger beads.
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Follow the directions to work the pattern that came with the kit or pattern in the book. Be sure to tie knots tightly and close to the beads to hold them in place. If the pattern calls for use of a shuttle or possibly two or more, be sure to wind it as the directions call for.
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Stiffen the piece with sugar water, cornstarch, stiffening glues or embossing powder. The techniques vary depending on the method you choose, but embossing powder works better on metallic thread. Take the tatted piece and brush on the selected solution. Use a clean brush to remove the excess from the beads.
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Tips & Warnings
A kit gives you everything you need and is a great way to get started with Beanile tatting.
If you use the embossing powder, you need a heat source, such as a heat gun, to fix the powder, so this is more suitable for glass beads. Plastic beads may melt with the heat source.
Resources
Comments
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slyviolet
Oct 20, 2008
I think this article may be slightly misleading in its title, as it doesn't actually instruct on how to do the beaded tatting, only tips on how to present the piece after it is completed... I was expecting a more detailed explanation of how beaded tatting is actually created. -
slyviolet
Oct 20, 2008
I think this article may be slightly misleading in its title, as it doesn't actually instruct on how to do the beaded tatting, only tips on how to present the piece after it is completed... I was expecting a more detailed explanation of how beaded tatting is actually created.
