ABC's of Creativity - T is Texture

Colourful chicklets are stitched onto a zigzagging netted base.
By Sofiya Fedyna and Tetiana Chyhovetz, Lviv, 2008

Texture has many definitions, but the sum of pulling together of different elements creates an interesting look, a dynamic art piece and adornment.

Here are a few defiinitions http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/texture

Texture is a :  something composed of closely interwoven elements;specifically :  a woven cloth

textile texture - patched linen

Since interwoven elements are mentioned, beadweaving and loom weaving qualify for my presentation about texture in the bead world.

Elastic bracelet with three sections of fine seed bead mosaic (Peyote)  and strung pony beads between. 

Loomwoven 'gerdan' uses two different sizes  of seed beads. Fine seed are the connectors between loomwoven design and back strap. A combination of pony and fine seed bead form a swag front.

Contemporary Hutsul region 'gerdan' purchased in Ivano Frankivsk, Ukraine, 2008

A combination of pony and fine seed beads form a swag front.
Contemporary Hutsul region 'gerdan' purchased in Ivano Frankivsk, Ukraine, 2008

Texture is b :  the structure formed by the threads of a fabric

fragment of tapestry http://www.texturepalace.com

Netting and other stitches are created by beadweaving threads strung with beads into a netted fabric.You start with nothing and create a net one row at a time by passing through mesh points.

Texture Net with Saucers or Lanterns. The colour and size of bead create the pattern.
from Maria's narrated Netting Primer by CraftArtEdu.com

 Instead of using colour placement to create a pattern, use different sizes of beads to create the pattern. This works well in the understated monochromatic look which goes with today's fashion. 

Textured Net in an subtle analogous palette. Beadweaving is best done in hand for good tension and to make all the different sized beads mesh together .
from Maria's narrated Netting Primer by CraftArtEdu.com

Textured Saucer Net sampler
from Maria's narrated Netting Primer by CraftArtEdu.com

Netted Chic Chevrons with mini rondelles inside silver zigzag.
NZ25 -Chic Chevron Collar kit, 2013
"Chic Chevron Collar", BEADWORK, Aug/Sep 2013, pgs. 66-68

Original extra wide netted collar with 2-cut green iris beads between metallic gold
Roey's Zigzag Gold by M. Rypan, 1994

Novel cubes and beads create picots as you vertically beadweave the netted base.
Note how flat the base is because it's all in one size seed bead.
 Triple 'V' Jewel kit, 2008
"Gerdany: Triple 'V' Jewel", ANPT, Festive 2008, pgs. 70-77

4mm jewel-tone facetted cubes are stitched on top of net.
 Triple 'V' Jewel kit, 2008
"Gerdany: Triple 'V' Jewel", ANPT, Festive,2008, pgs. 70-77

Same gold-tone cubes and crystals on two different netted bases.
Scythian Gold 'V' kit, 2009
"Scythian Gold", BEADWORK, Oct/Nov 2009. pgs 63-65 

"Kalyna" bead clusters on netted 'V'
by Nadia Kuzmych Emenalyova, Lviv, 2011

Berry cluster has mosaic-stitched (Peyote) leaves. Berried are opaque with a few transparent ones.

"Kalyna 'V" by Nadia Kuzmych Emenalyova, Lviv, 2011

 Texture is the visual or tactile surface characteristics and appearance of something. Bead Embroidery qualifies here since bead are stitched onto a fabric.

Beaded icon with a netted halo. Faces and hands are painted.
"Madonna & Child" by Oksana Ivanochko, Lviv 2010 

Unusual shapes and objects are embroidered with bead  into this new series.
"Beaded Body Adornment" by Sherry Serafini, 2012

Texture is a:  essential part :  substance

b :  identifying quality :  character

texture  - broken dry soil www.123rt.com

Texture also means a: basic scheme or structure
  

b :  overall structure

By combining different sizes of seed bead sizes and other types of beads in the same project, you create more interesting, dimensional objects of beauty.
By using different shapes and sizes of beads in place of contrasting and accent beads of the same size, you can created interesting monochromatic palettes.

Fringes of random color and size come down from a randomly woven Diagonal Weave band.
By Sofiya Fedyna and Tetiana Chyhovetz, Lviv, 2008

Strings of random color and size beads are suspended from Diagonal Weave bands.
"Trypilian Pottery" by Sofiya Fedyna and Tetiana Chyhovetz, Lviv, 2008

Detail of two variation of Diagonal Weaves. One with strings of bead. Other trimmed with random fringes .
By Sofiya Fedyna and Tetiana Chyhovetz, Lviv, 2008

Diagoanl Weaves with contrast pony bead edges. Since there are two different sizes, working in hand is essential to lock the beads into place and let the band take shape.
Diagonal weave kits, 2009

The Bag of Beads Challenge included all sort of pressed glass shapes, bugles, sequins and buttons.
These make a very fun fringe to my netted kilim medallion.
"Sedona Kilim" TBS Challenge, 2000, by Maria Rypan

This brooch started with gluing down the bigger stones. Beads were then wrapped and stitched.
"Sea Breeze" Brooch by Maria Rypan 
created in a workshop with  Marla Gassner's, AZ, 2004

Hope you're inspired to try and add a few larger or unique beads or gemstones into your next beadwork. Would love to hear back with photos of you newest textured beadwork.

Happy beading! 

Maria

ABCs of Creativity - S is Seed Beads

There are two type of seed beads, the natural ones and glass drawn ones. Seed beads are small uniformly shaped beads that come in an enormous range of shapes, sizes, colours and finishes.

Czech seed beads with iris, silver-lined, matte painted stripe and opaque finishes.
From "Beader's Paint Box", 2013 seminar

I'm concentrating on the plethora of round seed beads made of drawn glass though there are many other styles, i.e. bugles, created by the described process. In the 15th century on the island of Murano near Venice, a hollow mass of glass was literally drawn or pulled into a long tube like taffy. This glass cane tube was then cut into small pieces to produce seed beads which were then tumbled to soften the edges and graded. The secret made its way out of Murano and a glass industry developed in the Bohemian forest and mountains of todays's Czech Republic.

A section from an engraving showing glass being drawn.
The plate is from Grands Hommes and Grands Faites de L'industrie, 1880.
courtesy of www.bigbeadlittlebead.com

New processes and machines were invented in the 1860s and bead makers were able to achieve uniformity of colors and size in beads. Since the end of the 17th century, Czech beads became a major production item. Bead became more accessible to the people in Europe and beadweaving and bead embroidery exploded. They also became a trade item to Africa and the Americas.

Chieftan's headdress with seed bead birds on beaded base. Yoruba, Africa
Seen at African Village Show in Tuscon, 2013 

Beadwork on souvenir items by Iroquois, Mohawks, Tuscarora. Note seed bead card.
Naomi Smith Collection, ON, 2005

"Gerdany" reproductions and original designs for sale at a Festival in Ukraine, 2013
 Netting and loomworked bracelets, chokers and a stylish "V'
courtesy of  Irena Halaschak on FB

In the early 20th century a machine was invented which automatically drew glass tubes. The Japanese seed beads industry developed in the mid 20th century and boasts a great variety of high quality seed bead styles and finishes. They created a cylindrical bead, i.e. Delica®, which has oversized holes for thread. These work well in mosaic-like (Peyote) stitching and generally are not interchangeable with round seed beads within the same piece. 

Round and cylindrical beads are sized by aughts, a number based on how many beads fit within a given measurement. The aught numbering system ranges from a larger 1/ to a very fine grain of sand 24/. 

Aught # on left. Note how many beads fit in a centimeter.
courtesy of Lisa on FB

Here is my Aught Bead Guide with historical names and modern uses:

1/ or 2/ = crow bead

3/ or 4/ = trade bead

5/ or 6/ = pony bead

6/ is a larger bead used for modern beadweaving and knitting

8/ = called “medium” bead in Rypan tutorials

8/ is a midway between the 6/ and 10/ or 11/ and used for modern  

             beadweaving and knitting

10/ or 11/ = fine beads used for beadweaving, knitting and embroidery

10/ seed is commonly used in First Nations beadwork and 'gerdany'-making
            10/ Czech is interchangeable with 11/ Japanese in Rypan patterns

11/ Japanese is a very common fine seed bead

11/ Czech seed bead is smaller than 10/

13/ = Charlotte bead has an additional facet to reflect light

15/ = very fine bead 

15/ is the smallest bead in modern production

18/, 20/, 22/ = very tiny beads which are no longer in production.

The higher the aught #, the tinier the bead. 

              These tiny seed beads are only in old beadwork in museums and collections worldwide

Czech 8/ medium sized; 6/ purple-lined pony; 2/ purple-lined crow;
Japanese 11/ silver-lined fine seed bead
 Wisteria Textured Net for narrated Netting Primer 

Rocailles are round seed beads with a lining inside the bead creating in Venice. These used to have a silver lining (s/l), but today refer to any type of color or metallic lining. Preciosa®, the largest Czech manufacturer still refers to the round seed beads as rocailles and divides them in uncoated and coated categories. Many undergo further finishes.

10/ s/l gold and brown rocailles with a touch of s/l blue on navy iris were used in M Rypan's netted kllim
This kilim was my first article,"Ukrainian Netting'', Bead and Button, Jun 2003
 Indigo Kilim kit or pattern, 2004

The round seed bead has two distinctly different shapes depending on manufacturer. The Czech seed beads are more donut-shaped and tend to stretch out a charted design within certain techniques, i.e. loomwork and pictorial mosaic. They are sold loose or strung in hanks. The Japanese beads are more square-ish with rounded corners. Never mix the two seed bead types within a beadwoven or loomwoven pattern because the shapes are distinctly different. Mixing different shapes and sizes is fine in stringing, some netting and herringbone styles.

Cylindrical beads are flat and fit nicely together in pictorial type of stitching, i.e. mosaic or loomwork. Because of their shape, they then to flatten out a charted pattern so you need to make many more repeats to reach your desired length.

Iva's Daisies  using Delica cylinder beads by M Rypan, 2003

Mosaic Daisies using 8/ seed beads by M Rypan
Mosaic Daisies kit, 2004

Innovations never cease. Now we have hybrid beads which where some Japanese beads are sent to the Czech Republic for their traditional finishes. This collaboration yields unique brilliant beads.Today’s description are lengthy because they makers are constantly experimenting with new finishes. Even transparent beads have AB coatings.

Start of a textured Herringbone with hybrid Picassa olive (Sour Apple) 6/,
#2 s/l amethyst, rainbow rosaline/op. purple-lined 11/, deep magenta-lined AB hex beads

The Sour Apple 6/ hybrid beads really give this herringbone zing
Beaded Soutache Herringbone kit, 2012

Finishes affect the perception of the bead especially when they are placed amongst other beads or backgrounds. Matte beads recede. The opaque color seem to come forward. Silver-lined beads reflect light. Transparent beads look great in windows with light behind them, but change drastically when against skin color or used in small doses within a beadwoven pattern.

Iris beads have and Aurora Borealis finish and no longer are limited to a few classic metallic finishes. 

Color placement of seed beads can totally alter the look and mood of a piece.

Netting with silver-lined red on green iris background by M Rypan
 Red Green Kilim kit, 2004

Same netting pattern with metallic gold on green iris. Note s/l red beads
Mediterranean Kilim kit, 2004

Making samplers to test best effect for Netted X's and O's using French 8/ seed beads
for Millefiori Netting X's and O's in ANPT, Summer 2012
Blue Chevron X's and O's kit, 2013

Lustered finishes reflect light. Ceylon pearls are more transparent and are affected by what’s around them. Op. white pearl is a brighter amongst other bead types.

Pearl-tipped Twig Cascade commissioned for Katrusia's wedding, 2012
Twig Chip Cascade Netting Pattern - downloadable 

Seed beads are brought to life by various techniques:

Bead embroidery on a sheep skin 'kyptar' vest from Bukovyna, Ukraine, 1950's
 Maria Rypan Collection, 2008

Bead embroider and 'tsyrka' whitework trim on 'sorochka' chemise
from Kitsman, Bukovyna region, 1950s
Nastasiya Marusyk Collection, IL 2007

Bead embroideed 'sorochka' using cut and round seed beads
from Kitsman, Bikovyna region, 1950's
Nastasiya Marusyk Collection, IL, 2007

Loomwork using colors of seed beads to recreate traditional embroidery pattern on left.
Stylized interpretations for contemporary medallion styles and swag finished 'gerdany'
Master Craftartist Maria Chulak, Pyadyky, Kolomyya region, Ukraine, 2006

Vanessa reinterprets the rose in the Diagonal weave, Bead Fx April 13
Top: 3-color Rhombic Medallion Pattern
Mid: Diagonal Rose Medallion Pattern

Color placement of the seed beads create a dynamic pattern
beaded by Barbara Glennon, NJ, 2011
based on M Rypan pattern in Netted Mesh Collars: Lessons #1

Original Zigzag netted collar with a three step increase with design created bicolour placement seed beads
Created for workshop at ROM in conduction with "Legacy of Scythian Gold" exhibit
Netted Zigzags downloadable pattern 

Netted Triple V's with silver-lined accent and contrast beads creating the design
 done in a vintage black iris bead by M Rypan
Triple V kit, 2000
Triple V pattern included in Jagged Mesh Net: Lessons #2 book

Beaded pysanky beadwoven with a variety of techniques. Several start off with netting. Some are squarestitched and tapered on ends with mosaic (Peyote)stitches
by Luba Frankevych, at Vernissage, Lviv, 2013

Color and beadweaving technique creates this style.
Start beading in the center. Add swags last.
 Deep V Cascade kit or pattern, 2001

Seed beads are donut-shaped and fall with the hole up making it easy to peck them and slide up onto needle when using a Chinet® paper plate surface. These plates enable beading to be a very portable activity when tucked into a ziplock bag along with a mini kit of beads, clippers, needle and thread.

Picking up bead tips in "Beadweaving Basics"on Maria's narrated Netting Primer 

Great guides for all types of beading: BigBeadLittleBead Find out how many beads you get per hank or gram.. What type of thread to use with different bead sizes.

It all starts with two or three different beads colours, a little beadweaving or embroidery and a touch of creativity... 

Happy beading!
Maria

ABC's of Creativity - R is Right Angle Weave

Right angle weave (RAW) is an off-loom beadweaving technique that can be done with either two-needles or one-needle.  The beads form a square by sitting at 90 degrees to each other. RAW is very good as a structural stitch.

Here is a good tutorial for right angle weave.

Here are some wonderful Youtube video tutorials.







Here is a wonderful project from Marcia DeCoster's Beaded Opulence. The use of different sizes beads creates a undulation that gives shape to the design. The ends are zipped together, it is then embellished with Swarovski crystals.

Base strip using various size beads

Zipped together

Finished Sea Urchin Beaded Bead (beaded by J. Woolverton)

Here tubular RAW is the base for a variety of surface embellishments to form a beaded bead.

Base tube

Finished Beaded Bead (bead by J. Woolverton)

Layers of RAW form the structure for this Quetzal ring, from Marcia DeCoster's Bead Opulence.

 This is a variation of the Cascading Swags, the pillars of RAW hold the swags.

Reversable Swags (beaded by J. Woolverton)

This design, String Quartet, by Melanie Potter combines netting and RAW.

beaded by J. Woolverton

Hope that you give this different off-loom stitch a try.

Happy Beading!