Peyote stitch and brick stitch both need a tight tension. The more different techniques you learn, the more you will come to appreciate that each one benefits from a slightly different beading tension. Techniques to Help (or Hinder) Beading Tension However, I hope I can offer a few ideas that you may find helpful to consider. Unhappily, I have yet to find a way of telling my students exactly what this ‘sweet spot’ is or precisely how to achieve it! Much of beading tension is about trial and error and finding your own way through. Happily, there is some flexibility in this, so this desirable mid-ground does still cover a broad range of tensions. To summarise, there is a ‘sweet spot’ where tension is just right. So, if your beads only lock loosely, the whole structure will be loose. The way in which the beads lock together is the only thing giving this stability. Think of a three-dimensional Peyote object. If you are trying to create something that requires a level of stability, then loose tension will get in the way. When it comes to the finished product, loose tension may also have an impact. If your beads sit out of position, it is more difficult to tell which beads you need to enter on each stitch. This makes the actual process of beading a lot trickier. Extreme Loose TensionĪt the other extreme, if your tension is very loose, you will have trouble pulling the beads into their desired position. So, if your beads are locked too tightly together, you restrict their ability to respond to the movement of wear. If you are making jewellery, it is going to flex naturally as it is worn. Whatever kind of weave you are creating, your beads will want some room to ‘breathe’. You can find it tricky to knot between beads to start and finish new threads. At the very least, you will find it difficult to pass through beads that have been locked into place. If your tension is extremely tight, you may find you have problems with thread breaking, or even beads breaking. It is basically a nice mid-point, so nothing too extreme in either direction. Let me start by defining ‘good’ beading tension. So, before we move on to the question of how to get good beading tension, I want to explain why it matters. So, what do you do about it? Does it even matter? I will come on to the question of what to do in a minute. I don’t mean to suggest that your beading tension is another way to psycho-analyse you! The point about this natural level of tension is it can be difficult to change. If you have a more relaxed or laid-back personality, you may find your tension is looser. If you are the type of person who is always busy, perhaps stressed, even ‘tense’, you may find you naturally pull your thread tight on every stitch. Some people believe this may be a reflection of your personality. Everyone who starts beading finds they have a ‘natural’ tension. This, in turn, affects the neatness and the stability of your finished work. To look at it another way, it is the amount of force you use on your materials as you are trying to get them to behave as you wish.īeading tension is important because it affects how your beads lock together. It can also be applicable in knitting, crochet and sewing. If you are familiar with other crafts, you may be familiar with the concept. What is beading tension?īasically, it is how firmly you pull the beads into place as you stitch. So, if you have been wondering how to get good beading tension, I hope this will help. I also want to offer you a few tips regarding materials. So, I want to talk about what beading tension means and how to use it to help you.
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