Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Bead Sizes for Needlepoint
Labels:
beads,
painted canvases
Fireside Stitchery used to have a list of the recommended sizes of beads for various sizes of NP canvas. Now that they have revamped their website, I can't find it any more. I decided it might be useful to have such a list here so you can look it up to help you pick the correct size. Please remember that the "right" size depends to a certain extent on your tastes and the effect you want, however.
Beads are sized in millimeters or in numbers that look like this--11/0 or 14/0. As with needles, the larger the /0 number, the smaller the bead.
18 count canvas: 14/0 or 1.25mm
13-14 count canvas: 11/0 or 1.33mm
12 count canvas: 10/0 or 1.35mm
10 count canvas: 8/0 or 6/0; 3-3.5mm
7 count plastic canvas: 5/0 or 4mm
Many beads don't have sizes on them. Some are called "seed beads." These are generally smaller than 14/0.
UPDATE: Judy Harper says that seed beads come in many sizes, some quite large. All of the seed beads I've seen are tiny but she says they can be of any size, so be careful when doing mail order. Don't assume that seed beads are necessarily tiny.
Mill Hill beads are usually not sized on the package so I looked them up on the Mill Hill website. Magnifica beads are sized 12/0. They work beautifully on 18 count canvas.
Mill Hill's Frosted Beads are size 11/0, making them a good match for either 13 or 18 count canvas. Mill Hill's Seed Beads and Antique Seed Beads are size 11/0 also.
Mill Hills Petite Seed Beads are size 15/0, making them the smallest beads in their line.
If the beads you have are smaler than the recommended size, it may not matter. It all depends on your effect. You can also cluster beads, attaching thee little beads in a group with a fourth bead attached on top to make up the size you want.
Many thanks to Fireside Stitchery for providing the basis of this information!
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow
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4 comments:
i see the photo of the Barred owl on the Canvas of the day on the left but no posting blog about it... am i missing something?
No, Monica, you aren't missing anything. I've been posting a photo of a Canvas of the Day for months now, but only recently did I do stitch ideas for it. I've rapidly found it is more work than I can put in except occasionally. Expect 1-2 a month of these at most as I don't have the time to write them each morning, not and post anything about my current project, that is.
Jane,
Your Geisha is beautiful. The colors are wonderful. Don't forget about the Colonial knot. It isn't hard to do once you get the wrap of the needle down.
Also, may I have permission to post your bead size for canvas on my guild's Yahoo account? I am the editor for my group and try to put useful information up for the members. I've already put your website in the newsletter.
Judy of SFSunset
Of course you can put this in your newsletter, Judy. Just credit Fireside Stitchery for the information. It all came from them except for the Mill Hill bead sizes that I looked up on the Mill Hill website.
Also, you'd better note that seed beads may come in any size. All the ones I've seen are very small but Judy Harper The Bead Queen says seed beads can be quite large, too. So be careful ordering them online. Don't assume that anything called "seed beads" will be little.
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