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I'm beading for the first time and had a couple of questions. Do most of you bead as you go or wait to do it after all the cross stitch is done? My second question is around ironing. I am working on 28 count linen. Can I iron it with the beads? I use a hoop and have hoop marks so I'm not sure if I should finish the thread, iron, and then do the beading, or if I can complete the project, then wash and iron.

Thanks everyone

I don't do a lot of beading, so others might have better answers, but...unless I am able to see the entire piece at once (so no hoop, for example, would be over the the stitching and beading), I do the beading last. You don't want to try to put your hoop over any beading. When I have to iron a piece with beads, I will lay the fabric right side down on a soft, fluffy towel for padding and iron from the back to protect the beads. If I have to iron the front, I use the point of the iron to carefully go around the beads. I've never washed and ironed a piece and then done the beading, so others will have to talk about that.

I do my beading exactly the same way that Debby does

Thank You! I will post a picture once it's complete.

Raejroch wrote:Thank You! I will post a picture once it's complete.

Looking forward to it. And feel free to post pictures if you want as you go. It's fun to see a WIP "grow" and I know for me it helps keep me focused (well, as focused as I can be on any one WIP).

I bead as I go. I work on scroll rods and use a terry towel to pad the beads that get rolled onto the rod. To iron, I lay the washed piece face down on a terry towel and iron as Debby described.

I only have one large piece right now that will have beads added at the end.

But I'd lilke to ask everyone what beading needles do you use? I bought Mill Hill's beading needles and I hate'em!!! There all corksscrewy and pull the floss from the stitches that are already done! The only thing they have going for them is that they are narrow enough for the seed beads to slip all the way down...

Thanks for your help...

pattiebelle wrote:I only have one large piece right now that will have beads added at the end.

But I'd lilke to ask everyone what beading needles do you use? I bought Mill Hill's beading needles and I hate'em!!! There all corksscrewy and pull the floss from the stitches that are already done! The only thing they have going for them is that they are narrow enough for the seed beads to slip all the way down...

Thanks for your help...

I use these http://www.123stitch.com/item/John-Jame ... 0/123-3304

They work great---threading them is a bit tricky but they work great on even the petite beads

pattiebelle wrote:... But I'd lilke to ask everyone what beading needles do you use?...

I stitch with #28 needles. They're small enough that I can bead with them, too, so I don't use a dedicated beading needle. In each pack, there are a few of the beads that have holes that are too tight to fit over the needle eye, but most of them work.

Thanks so much, folks. I'm going to search my stash because I think I have some size 28's somewhere! Didn't think to use them for beading. If not, I'll probably go on a stash buying spree because a package of beading needles cannot travel alone -lol