Please feel free to contact me, anytime, for questions or comments.
I'll probably be working in my studio!!
erin@simonetti.com
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'Bead Looming Confidential'
I am putting together my notes, so I can include alot of my personal techniques and tips, about looming, (I have experienced, explored and tested). It will be exciting to share many new things about 'Bead Looming', and I will include all the information, from my personal journel titled, 'Bead Looming Confidential'. You will notice additions and changes to this page, from time to time, because of this. We may 'never find the end of the internet', but can we find the end of 'frustration over dealing with the warp strings'!
Erin Simonetti
Copywrite 2010; All rights reserved
"No part of this site is to be reproduced for sale, or otherwise, without
the prior written permission of the artist."
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I share my looming thoughts frequently on my Blog,
"A Bead Looming Intervention"
The right 'Intervention' can help,
so commenting, on my blog posts, will help us all learn more about bead looming!
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"Proper Tension is the 'First Importance' to consider!"
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"Checking the Warps!"
After stringing the loom, with every pass having extra tension, double check your warps, for the proper 'bounce back'. The picture above, shows the actual measurement,
from 'warps to loom base' or
"Warps in the Relaxed Position".
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When I apply pressure to the warps, the second picture shows how much 'bounce back' would be correct. If you find there is more 'bounce back', restring the loom. Too much means there is not enough tension to acquire the necessary traits for a proper looming. The second picture shows the "Warps with Proper Tension".
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"Zebra Tension!"
The 'zebra stripes' are caused by the warps being strung 'too taught'.
This is what I call 'Zebra Tension'. You notice the beads are 'leaning' from the tension, causing the light to play off the bead, differently, causing a 'striped' design. Release the tension, when you notice this happening, depending on the type of loom you are using. If your loom won't allow it, I suggest starting over with proper 'warp tension'.
Leaving the looming with this much tension, causes the finished beading to 'ripple', after being cut, from the loom. When the warps are cut, keeping the 'overly taught warp tension', the warp strings will 'shrink', forcing the beads to bulk over each other. This is hard to straighten, especially if you happened to have 'picked up' a sliver of a warp while running your needle/weft.
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My "E-Decrease Method"!
Not pictured on my web site, at this time, but soon, is my 'E-Decrease Method'. This method will take you far enough, where you will only deal with a minimal number of warp strings. The finalization, of the left over warp strings, is another Method I hope to share.
Every technique I created, varies in use, depending on how your piece is to be finished, i.e., fringes, no fringing, etc. For years, I have been keeping a 'personal journel' titled "Bead Looming Confidential". This method of finishing the warps, 'The E-Decrease Method' is one of many techniques that are secure and easy to accomplish. My drive was to create means of 'not getting overwhelmed' with warp strings!!
I will add a few more techniques, from my journel, but look forward to including 'all' of them in a book!
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"Use Your Loom to Hold Your Work!"
If you use a sturdy warp thread,
for the outer most warp, on each side,
you can be very creative,
in how you complete your piece.
Details of this method, again,
are something I want to include in a book,
but can suggest that you are
able to be more 'creative',
with the finishing of your loomed work,
then just a 'fringe'.
This sample is the 'snow', from my
'Seasoned Beads: WINTER' 'Picture This' cuff.
I hand wove a 'brick stitch' snow shelf,
using Toho Permanent, metallic,
11/0, glass seed beads.
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"Each Bead Color Needs ;The Other Bead Color'!"
You may been reading, throughout my website, the number of colors I use to create my patterns. This can be considered, 'extreme beading'! I like making use of the colors. I am always ordering more 11/0 Delicas colors, inparticular, because of the number of different color and finishes they offer. These selections give me the wides aray for good depth and dimension in my beaded paintings.
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"Strengthen The Edges!"
I talked about the 'edging' and how using a strong end warp is beneficial, here is the example of that. My outer most warp, on each side, is a different thread then the center warps. The loomed beads will hold themselves together throughout the looming, so I reinforce the end warps. This is also a more affordable means to warp your loom, as opposed to using a more expensive, durable thread throughout the warps! If you prefer to use only 'one kind of thread', double the outer two warps strings!
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"Warp Thread Color is Important"
Selecting the proper color, for your loomed work, is as important as selecting the bead colors. Dark looming requires a dark warp or the warp threads will show up in the finished piece. To make the lighter beads 'pop', use a light weft thread. It is very rare that I would use the same color thread, for my warps and wefts,
in any given creation.
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"Be sure to calculate how many Delicas you'll need"
Another reason I prefer to buy and loom with Delicas, is more can be ordered if needed, should I under estimate how many, of a given color, I'll need. Using beads purchased in a discount bin, or even using Antique/Vintage beads, I suggest calculating how many beads you'll need to complete a piece. This equation will also be helpful to determine a 'bead cost'.
I base my bead supply and cost, of the beads used, this way: There are approximately 175 to 200 beads in one gram of Delica Beads, depending on the color of the bead. There are approximately 17-22 Delica beads per linear inch. One square inch of flat woven beads would be approximately 285 beads, or approximately 1 1/2 grams. For every new creation, I use these variables, to get a cost of the beads in the pattern.
If you are using Antique/Vintage beads, pour them into an empty vile so your can account for a number of beads per gram, then this will relate to how many you'll need.
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I own over 467 colors of the 897 11/0 Delica Color Line. How they are stored is important, for not only storage but use. I utilize 'twist top' containers, that can be swapped out in stacks for each project, easily seen for grabbing to use in a particular color pallete and are wide enough for my needle to 'dip' out a selected number of beads. It is important to purchase the same brand of twist cannisters, for your complete inventory so there is no mis-hap with them not twisting properly. Each supplier offers a different 'twist' for their cannisters.
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