Second try: 28 Ga. wire:
Comparison shot:
I have some 8lb test Fireline that has been sitting around here for a while, waiting for me to try it. I thought this French pendant tutorial would be a good thing to learn on, but I wanted to use only materials available in my bowl, so mine ended up being quite a bit different.
Here's the tutorial in PDF format. It's in French, but very easy to follow:
After making this piece, I have mixed feelings about Fireline. It is very easy to work with, and mistakes can be ripped back quickly without hurting the thread that I can tell. I wish I had 6lb instead of 8 lb, because I can't thread it on the beading needles I have. It would've been faster and easier to string this with a needle, but it did work without one; it just took me longer. At first, I was delighted, until I got further out in the design, then it got floppy. I like the tactile feel of the beadwork on Fireline, but the loss of shape really bothered me on this pendant.
I was determined to make a pendant this morning, so I tried it again, but this time I used the 28 ga. wire I favor for my star projects. It was a lot more difficult to make, but it holds its shape nicely. I wish there were a way to combine the tactile niceness of the Fireline beadwork with the rigidity of the wire-based beadwork. I do like how the wire one looks and I will make more, just not when I'm tired. Kinking wire was a huge problem on this piece.
I think I will try Fireline again with bicones, which the pattern called for in the first place. :)
2 comments:
Well, I tihnk the 28 Ga wire worked out better. Probably because it is more springy than the Fireline.
Which to use, probably depends on the beading work.
I just googled the patterns. They are so pretty. What about nylon coated stringing wire? That's what I use for beaded rings. Easier to handle than plain wire.
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