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Looking lovely. Good luck with the beads - I agree with Debby and use a size 28 but maybe your beads are too small for that.

I tried a size 28 but it won't go through the hole as the bit the thread goes through is a fraction too wide and these beads are glass so they will crack if forced. The needle must be less than 0.5mm wide. The ones I have ordered are not due for another week.

I can continue to avoid starting the beading for a while long and get on with the couching and the scales .

Jo

The trials of a TW design are so worth it in the end! in the meantime.

I do hope so Serinde.

Today's frustration: the scales. These are put on with a single strand of Kreinik blending filament and I have unpicked these three times so far ... The first time I let the thread do what it wanted and that looked messy, the second time I tried laying it flat and found that tricky so having looked at someone else's piece I thought they had twisted the filament so I tried twisting it and that just ended up with the thread getting knotted up. Time to look again at that other person's work:



That is not the blending filament that is the very fine braid that is supposed to be used for the couching

I've decided I will continue with the blending filament and treat it as gold work and will be attempting to get it to lay flat:



There is no risk of finishing this by the time the beading needles turn up.

Jo

Serinde wrote: Fri Oct 14, 2022 9:07 am The trials of a TW design are so worth it in the end! in the meantime.

Absolutely agree! Including the and maybe a when the day's stitching is finished?

Carole

TW designs are beautiful but require so much thought and patience.

This is coming together so well!
Don't be too hard on yourself, Jo!

You're looking at it so closely. When it's finished and hung on the wall, step back and it will look fantastic. Only you will notice the teeny tiny little unevenness of a very few of the stitches. Everyone else will gasp in admiration. Me included.

wendywombat wrote: Sat Oct 15, 2022 12:18 pm This is coming together so well!
Don't be too hard on yourself, Jo!

You're looking at it so closely. When it's finished and hung on the wall, step back and it will look fantastic. Only you will notice the teeny tiny little unevenness of a very few of the stitches. Everyone else will gasp in admiration. Me included.

Couldn't say this any better!

Carole

Sorry I am late posting my Sunday morning update - we had a power cut

I was finding doing the scales so wonderful that I am avoiding doing it and have finished off the couching:



And started adding some beads but neither are easy to see



Of the 56 beads put on so far I found 4 that were miss-shaped and the needle could not go through. The sticky pad is doing a good job of keeping all of the beads on it until required but it is important to lift it off of the piece before turning it over - I lost count how many times I dropped the reel of metallic braid on the floor while I was doing the couching

Jo

Beautiful, beautiful update!

The couching is really effective. Well done.

Beautiful.

Carole

Thank you Ladies

I am finding putting these beads on very therapeutic. You can see how important it is to put a full cross stitch through each bead by the one arrowed here:



I did another 1/2 thread of the scales but the beading is less stressful

And yes there are 6 holding stitches on that couching at the bottom.

Jo

This is beautiful. I admire your tenacity.

mags wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 9:46 pm This is beautiful. I admire your tenacity.

I agree completely. I can't remember what stitching the scales requires, though I'm sure you told us. It's hard for me to imagine anything more stressful than beading.

Carole

rcperryls wrote: Tue Oct 18, 2022 3:02 pm
I agree completely. I can't remember what stitching the scales requires, though I'm sure you told us. It's hard for me to imagine anything more stressful than beading.

Carole

I also find beading relaxing, especially after I discovered Tacky Bob. It might be because by the time the beads go on, it’s pretty obvious where they go, so it’s an easy process. The exception to the relaxing nature of beading is when I am forced to use a beading needle, which thankfully isn’t often. I’m afraid of poking myself with their tiny, pointy, very sharp ends. The danger is real, folks.

Pretty beads.

Sharp beading needles need

It's looking fantastic so very well done

Thank you Ladies

I am pleased to report I have just finished the first packet of the Mill Hill Petite Glass beads and I am just under 1/2 of the way towards finishing the beading. Only a couple tried the great escape and because I roll my work under they were caught before they made their own way in life (and my robot vacuum cleaner took a fancy to them )

I have not had any problem with needled fingers from the bead needle. The needle slides through because it is so thin and long enough that there is plenty to get hold of.

As penance for getting carried away with the beading I am now back on stitching the scales.

Jo

You're flying through the beads. I'm slightly jealous that your beading needle doesn't attack you as mine does me. I've never mistreated it, and have always been kind to it, so I'm not sure why it hates me.

I am also trying to get these scales done so everything else is cancelled while I force myself to do them. The good news is that it is raining today but not cold so I could move my CD out into the conservatory to make the most of the natural light to get some of the scales done:



That is just enough of the scales so that I can scroll it onto the bottom roller and can still get at all of the top. But of course there are now beads all over it so I need to protect both them and the material so some plastic packing foam to the rescue:



Roll it round (not as tightly as normal) and ready to do the top:



My aim is to finish off this section of scales before I am allowed to do any more of the beading .

Jo