Beading the Veil Edge - 1,064 Beads Worth!

I am trying to bead at least 30 minutes each week night, or until I finish the length of thread I pulled out. I can't make the thread too long or it gets tangled too much. Actually for some reason the nylon thread has begun turning into a curlicue (is that really a word?) which makes it very cumbersome to pull the thread through the bead and the tulle. Tonight's beading session took 53 and a half minutes, and I got 20.5 inches completed. I have 24.5 inches remaining on the edging! [Update: The next night I figured out what was causing the curlicue effect. I was very careful when I pulled the thread through the needle and the thread stayed straight. Normally I pull the thread through the needle, using the needle. This was creating the problem! The remaining beading went MUCH faster with the thread being straight, instead of a tight curl to get easily tangled!]

Dear honey and I just figured out that the edging of the two tiers comes to 342 inches. The entire length will contain ~266 pearls, ~570 flutes, and ~228 glass balls.

That's an estimated 1,064 beads stitched onto this veil's edging. Is that awesome!? Wow. And I won't be done at the edging. I'm planning to scatter single and 3-pearl clusters throughout the top and bottom layer. Scatter meaning, sewing each bead individually. 8:-)

After completing about 3/4ths of the edging, I finally came up with a secure way to knot the thread at the end of each row. What I did was when I had about 5" of thread left I would knot the thread three times at the end to secure it there. I learned to sew the thread close to the end of the flute bead and then knot into one little thread of tulle. Otherwise the tulle would pucker. Knot the thread and then pull each piece of thread one piece at a time to tighten the thread securely. Three knots. Then feed the needle through the flute bead going to the other side and tie three more knots. I feel satisfied those beads will not come undone. Now I'm just hoping and praying I knotted the first 3/4ths well enough to hold up without coming undone. When I got the lower tier finished and was at the beginning of where I started beading, the thread was already loosening and beads were starting to dangle! I will have to examine the beginning eventually and make sure the beads are well connected.

I realized when I had dh and ds2 pick up the second packages that the iridescent beads are actually real glass. Uh, my first clue should have been when the very first flute shattered when I tried to force a needle through it that was a bit too big. When it happened I thought, "Hmm, that's odd for plastic to shatter like that." In addition to working with nylon thread, I've been working with the tiniest needle I own. Okay, it's not teeny-tiny, but it's very skinny and shorter than normal. Nylon thread is nearly invisible. What I'm trying to say is this has been a real labor of love and I have really loved doing it! I love the feeling of accomplishment and determination for sticking with a tedious project such as this!


And now it's my bed time.

Until next time.