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We have seen some really beautiful and intricate bead decoration on cross stitch projects. This is not difficult to do, but you need to use the appropriate needle and to make sure that the beads are firmly and correctly secured, so that they do not move around and can be seen standing out from the background.A beading needle (which is very thin with a small eye) is needed so that it can pass through the beads. If it is not specified by the designer, some consideration should be given to the colour of the thread used to attach the beads. The thread used should match the colour of the bead in unstitched areas; or should match the colour of the background thread in stitched areas.Thread your needle and bring it up through the fabric at the location for the bead. Then pass the needle through the bead and complete the first half of the cross stitch. When you stitch the second half of the cross stitch, separate the two strands of the thread – so that one strand lies on each side of the bead, before passing the needle down through the fabric again, to complete the stitch in the normal way. This helps to anchor the bead prominently in its correct place. Remember to keep the first half of the cross stitches all slanting in the same direction. In this way the beads will all lie uniformly and look professional.It is normal to add the beads after the cross stitch and any backstitch have been completed.
French knots are another way to add interest and texture to your cross stitching. For example in floral designs, they can be used as the centres of the flowers. They are normally shown on cross stitch charts as solid dots of colour.
Bring your threaded needle up through the fabric. Then holding the needle with one hand and the thread with the other hand, wrap the thread around the needle twice. Keeping tension on the thread so that it stays closely looped around the needle, pass the needle down through the fabric, just to one side of the spot where it came up. As you pull the needle gently through, the knot will form on the surface of the fabric, but be careful not to pull too hard.You can produce a larger knot by using more strands of thread, or by wrapping the thread around the needle more than twice. It is a good idea to practise this stitch several times on a scrap of fabric first, as it does take a little time to master. | |
