Bead Sizes for Needlepoint

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

Beads Equal French Knots (And Vice Versa)

This morning's math lesson is how French Knots=Beads. Or vice versa.  The geisha in the original painting has nine little buttons (or possibly beaded decoration) along the edge of her kimono above her obi and at the hem of her over tunic.  In the original canvas these are red but I already knew I wanted to change the color to something else.  My Western sensibilities wanted repeats of the main colors.  So I pulled out my blue and gold beads and put a few of each shade on the canvas.  The best match (the same blue beads I used for the sleeves) were turned into a much lighter blue by the tan and gold background of the kimono.  Gold beads just disappeared as there is too much gold on the kimono already and the beads visually became more of the gold pattern.  They did not stand out.

You want Stand Out?  I'll give you STAND OUT!

Sorry, got carried away a bit there.  I have quite a few pink and green beads and those are the accent colors on this canvas, so I tried to match the pink and green ribbon colors and came up with size 11/0 pink beads by Gick in rose pink #4-136.   I don't know if you can see them well in the picture but in person they give a small shot of color to the decorative trim on the kimono over coat.  My green beads were not such a good color match to the ribbons but I'm happy with the accent the beads give.

I was a bit afraid that I would not have the right beads in my stash, so I also pulled out metallic threads in the right shades of pink and green.  If you need to do something that looks like buttons on a canvas, French knots and beads will give the same effect.  If you can't get the shade of metallic you want for French knots, substitute beads in the right color.  And vice versa.

I love metallic "buttons" on NP canvases.  You can obtain many sizes and colors in metallic threads to give you just the right sized button in a French knot.

If you hate making French knots, substitute beads.  If you have access to a good bead shop, or even a crafts emporium that sells a lot of items for making jewelry, you can pick up a nice selection of beads.  Many NP shops also carry beads.  I particularly like the hexagon-shaped beads from Sundance and the Magnifica line of beads from Mill Hill but you can substitute beads, or a mix of beads and French knots, on any canvas where you need a button.

By the way, ordinarily I would put the beads on after the squiggles that make up the trim, but I wanted the beads in place so I can properly position the squiggles that help make up the trim.  Therefore,  I added the beads now.

Sorry this is late showing up this morning, but the Internet connection was down briefly.  We have a fabulous wireless provider that gives us a solid and reasonably fast connection, but even they have problems occasionally.  At least it wasn't an owl sitting on the dish that caused a problem this time!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow