The importance of bead stoppers

As a beadweaver, when starting any piece of work it is a good idea for the first thing you put on your thread is a stop bead. I always do - until today..

I was starting a project in square stitch that was only 19 beads long, so I thought that I would forget about the stopper bead because I didn't want to use one of the same colour beads in my project.. that and I couldn't be bothered to get up and find a stray seed bead to use as a stopper bead (I was comfortable)!
So I strung on the first row and as I was beading the second row I let go of the loose end of beads.. all over the table - smooth move Emma!
I restrung the beads back onto the thread and was about to keep going but I wanted to make sure that I had them in the right order so I lifted the project to my eye level.. and let go of the loose end of beads AGAIN!

I am so used to having a stop bead on the end that it was automatic reaction to assume the beads wouldn't go anywhere, so I lost them not only once, but twice! Luckily for me though it was only a small project so it didn't matter all that much.

When I am doing a beadweaving project, I like to get a larger bead (say a size 8 seed bead if the project is using size 11s) in an obviously different colour and put that on the end of the thread. Using the needle I pass the thread through the bead again - in the same direction, twice to reinforce it. This can then be pulled off after the profect is finished (or after the first few rows if it irritates you like it does me..)

When stringing, I put a bead stopper onto one end of my string, these look like a little spring with two circles at either end for easy grip. Once closed ont the wire they shouldn't move (see pictured). They cost about $2 from bead shops.

If you don't have one of these however, it is just as easy to find other resources. Another tip I learnt was to get a heavy duty paper clip and pop that onto the end of your wire and viola! A make-shift bead stopper ;)

So as a wise person once said.. "DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO!" - if you want to get as irritated as I do then go ahead and skip adding a stop bead to your work! Have fun!

Emma
xXx