bead tatting

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Over the past couple of years I have approached many experienced and expert or domain tatters for some explanation or confirmation and feedback, or even to ask for a pic of their work ... all in the cause of the book/glossary. Not only have I learned a lot, but everybody has been very cooperative!

Late last year I had approached Nina Libin regarding her BEANILe tatting and if she would share a pic of one of her models for the book (I didn't like any of the beaded models I had tatted till then). Despite her ailment, she willingly obliged with both an explanation and a pic. However, she was adamant on one point - do NOT call it Beanile or BEANILe lace! Shocked, I asked her why and she said it was merely her 'arrogance' for wanting her name associated with the term. She told me in no uncertain terms to call it Bead Tatting instead. 

Bead Tatting (formerly known as Beanile lace) is tatted lace decorated with lots of beads that are incorporated during the tatting process itself. Earlier the beads used to be strung on the ball thread so that they would embellish the picots. Nina was instrumental in stringing the beads in the shuttle thread as well, in order to position them in beautiful arrangements. 

I am uncertain about beads being used in single shuttle tatting before the introduction of chains (or 2nd thread). Did they use beads to cover bare thread between rings? Do you have any idea?

Nina differentiated this from Beaded Tatting, where beads are sewn into finished lace, as in ANKARS. 

Tatting with Beads is another common term. This would mean that beads are used in lace either during tatting, pre-strung or free, or stitched in later .... any which way(s). Thus this term encompasses both Bead and Beaded tatting and any other method (for instance pinning down beads on a foam ornament covered with tatted lace).

It would be great if you leave a comment with  your thoughts on the matter or any other input you may have. 

Now despite what Nina says and wishes, it will be difficult to erase the term Beanile lace from our tatting lexicon! And the terms above are not airtight categories! We all use them interchangeably.

Some of my recent bead tatting samples ... all are my own designs applied in different situations or techniques. See if you can guess them!  Since these are all prototypes, mostly tatted on the go, there are minor errors or untidiness. 

1 - Beads On / Over Picot

UPDATE (June2025): Fan Palm Motif/Pendant pattern - https://drive.google.com/file/d/16amEUnVT7ERSySRJqbMsj0af0Xu_MFsP/view

2

3

4

5 - 4-shuttle Interwoven SR braid Barbara Arango's variation -

UPDATE (July 2025): Muskaan's Interwoven Beaded Bracelet pattern.

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/07/interwoven-beaded-bracelet.html

At a future date I will try to share more details about each model, and a pattern wherever possible. At present I'm just relieved to write this post which has been pending for so long.

I have tried to keep in touch with Nina, as she requested, sending out an email every 4 to 6 weeks. However, I haven't heard back from her for several months now. Sending her my best wishes for good, manageable health. 

Read her interview here - http://www.beadsky.com/nina_libin.php

Many many thanks to Nina Libin for her continued help and support through the past 10 years and the inspiration her work continues to provide ! 

updates

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I have often updated a post (highlighted as 'UPDATE') without any separate notification. This time I thought a special post would be good for those interested since there are quite a few. Yet as I list them, I find some should be accompanied with a photo. Hence while I rectify that omission, here is part 1 of the updates in no particular order ....

DAL Celtic Snowflake challenge. Pattern (diagram) for Padma Mandayam's adaptation of Mariola Siwek's version is now uploaded to this Google doc - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pVqM6S5Ng49xk6erSsDyRm3y7SdV2tCIUOCgltze4lM/view for you to enjoy. 

Original post -https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/12/and-more.html 

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I was very impressed with the way Ninetta had started her ring seamlessly without making any 'join' by using the same joining loop as a ring loop. Well, forgetful brain did not put two and two together especially considering I have used this method before. It is basically the Ring on Picot technique which Patty Dowden demonstrated in this video -https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LmMxIBrDpRI 

Original post -  https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/10/awakened.html

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When I wrote about Fringe Tatting and the Tatted Fringe I did not highlight that beads could be used for the fringe, too. Eventually I made a beaded fringe inspired by and following Corina Meyfeldt's directions for Beaded Stem. Nina Libin called it Single File Beaded Picot.  The beads are pre-strung on the shuttle or ball thread depending on the pattern and each fringe or beaded picot is moved in place when needed. 
Original Posts - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/08/on-fringes.html
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/11/soup-catcher.html

Here's an old model from 2017 - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2017/05/rising-month-late.html

This method is fine for a limited number of fringe elements/picots with a limited number of beads on each or if all the beads are on the ball thread. 

One more method is the Floating Beads method but it has severe limitations -https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2017/09/floating-beads-part-4.html

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And finally splocik's Small Decorations 2024 since I won't be participating in her 2025 verion - December gallery (https://splocik2.blogspot.com/2024/12/male-dekoracje-2024-galeria-grudniowa.html ) and collages of entire year's works by some participants (https://splocik2.blogspot.com/2025/01/male-dekoracje-2024-podsumowanie-i-3.html) ... links added to my final post (https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/12/a-no-glass-ceiling.html). I am happy to have been able to submit 13 decorations.

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I had sent the vapour stitch bouquet pic for PICOT Bingo, but couldn't complete the game in the way I had intended and imagined. 5 boxes still left to cross out. Natalie, too, has uploaded a 2025 bingo card, but I won't be participating. See how disciplined I am being this year?! ;-D 

This is it for now. More updates will follow with some exciting revelations/discoveries!

And I still have to update some of the original posts with new links/details. Tomorrow. It's time for bed now.

SOUP catcher

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I haven't touched my shuttles for almost 3 weeks now, but I needed a small decoration for splocik's monthly game. So, I did a quick search in my stash and found motifs I had tatted in September. I hastily put these together to create some kind of ornament. It resembles a dreamcatcher somewhat, but could just as well be a suncatcher, a window decoration or a tree ornament. And overall, it could've been better! This will have to do for now since only a few hours remain of November.

Being made of pieces in my stash and with no clear identity, I was tempted to call it my SOUP* catcher! Remember what SOUP stands for? - Sewing On / Using Pieces of tatting. However a few of my friends say it does look like a dreamcatcher. And these are the component pieces ....

Motif #1 Mituko Ikuta's 1994 book 'Shuttle Lace: Tatting and Beads 1' has several picot effects which became popular as 'Ikuta Picots' through Georgia Seitz's tribute to the designer. The above motif is from Ikuta Picots Diagrams 1  by Georgia Seitz (https://www.theonlinetattingclass.com/technique-tools). Worked in Lizbeth size 20.

Motif #2 And this is from Diagram 2 same link as above. In the first motif the long picots appear like adjoining or continuous picots, being joined at the same distance. These are double picots and the two threads can be arranged to better resemble them - I did not. Worked in Anchor Pearl Cotton size 8.

In this 2nd motif the very long picots are joined to adjoining elements (rings here) and form overlapping layers with careful interweaving.

This time I pinned the long picots in 2nd motif while blocking in order to achieve the points. I like this better since it opened up the picots - what about you?

My pictorials for her overlapping picots effect - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/search?q=Ikuta+picots

Motif #3 I was inspired by Corina Meyfeldt's beautiful Sakura pattern (https://cmhandmade.blogspot.com/2014/11/pattern-sakura.html). I had started out to tat the sakura, but pre-stringing the beaded picots (notice I put 3 yellow beads at the tips?) was quite time-consuming so I went freeform with only 5 stamens. Worked in Anchor Pearl Cotton size 8.

There's a backstory to this. When I did the post about Tatted Fringe (https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/08/on-fringes.html) Stephanie W told me about her beaded fringe which she made using Nina Libin's 'single file beaded picot' and even sent me a pic! It reminded me of Corina's Sakura which had been taught in Georgia's class. The method is exactly the same, though for a fringe the picots would likely be longer.

Motif #4 The large mustard 4-petalled motif in the center of the bangle is an adaptation of Eliz Davis' motif (https://tatknot.blogspot.com/2016/05/mock-ring-by-joining-chain-back-to.html) which I made before in blue (https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2016/05/of-long-chains-large-rings.html). After everything was assembled, I realised I hadn't taken a pic of the motif separately. Worked in Anchor size 20 (¬size 10).

Motif #5 There was a prominent negative space in the 4th motif so I sewed in the Fringe Star 

(pattern https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/08/starburst-fringe.html) 

I wanted to take a short video of the SOUP dreamcatcher but it wasn't to be. 

How fast this year has slipped by! Only one more month left, one last submission left. Do check out the range of October entries in splocik's 'Small Decorations' game - https://splocik2.blogspot.com/2024/11/male-dekoracje-2024-galeria.html

Many many thanks to all mentioned in this post!  

floating beads PART 4

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edited Sep 7, 2017

This floating beads (FB) method I’ve been boring you with, arose out of a specific situational and visual need.

I was working on a 3-row necklace tatted in one pass (Tat Days attendees will get to see it way before I can post it here!). And instead of a bead in the center of a ring attached at both ends, I wanted it to dangle freely from the base.

The Swarovski bead was 4.5mm and the ring was a thrown ring. At least 3 such beads were needed (perhaps even 5) in the very 1^st row itself. And in later rows there were pre-strung seed beads with more tatting and teardrop beads too.

I tried out some established methods and had to reject them because -

pre-stringing – more than 1 bead and too large for a Pony shuttle – they jutted out.  

down picot (2fhs B 2shs) – if made at start or end of ring, bead would not lie in the centre. But more importantly, it also required pre-stringing.

beaded fringe – as in Corina’s beaded stem - again required loading on to shuttle!  OR

Nina’s single file beaded picot using a needled tip/thread. This could work since bead was loaded only when needed. But it required unwinding, loading bead (with stopper bead) & rewinding shuttle every time. Not only would I have to unwind an almost fully loaded shuttle, but there were pre-strung seed beads for other elements in the way.

These alternative methods increase our range of options and each has its benefits and limitations. Specifications of each project and of the individual can determine our choice.

Starting with Nina Libin’s recommended method –

Floating Beads - Beaded Fringe method

My adaptation of Nina Libin’s explanation

I have taken the liberty of using some of Nina’s own words here.

Materials – 2 shuttles, bead

Additional Materials – a stopper bead (tiny seed bead), white glue or clear nail enamel to make a “needled tip”.

Needled Tip/thread – the tail end is sliced diagonally and dipped in diluted white glue and twisted along the grain of thread. Keep repeating till the glue dries and a stiff, pointed tip emerges. This acts as a needle! 

 1. A thrown/floating ring large enough to accommodate bead is made off a chain.

 2. Unwind/unload the shuttle. This thread has a needled tip.

TIP: I use clear nail enamel for a needled tip since it dries much quicker. 

 3. String the large pearl bead and a smaller seed bead …

 4. and go back through the large bead. The green seed bead acts as a stopper.

 5. Move the 2 beads along the thread length, to the base of thrown ring, evenly tensioned.

 6. Rewind the shuttle and continue with the chain.

(Repeat the above procedure if more such thrown rings with floating bead are required).

7. Floating bead in thrown ring using the beaded fringe alternative

Bit of a hassle for the bigger necklace project, but great for small earrings, etc. or if the large bead is needed towards the end or is the last to be added. 

If core thread length is manageable, one can resort to finger tatting – no shuttle hassle.

Undoubtedly, despite reasonable limitations, the method works splendidly with any level of expertise!!!

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Adding a bead with CWJ in split ring

Ninetta Caruso

After seeing the bead under a chain, Ninetta sent me this link to the method she uses - a Catherine Wheel Join on the 2nd half of  split ring, after flipping it over.

Well, I had to try it ! See, one more option and this time in a split ring.

I need lots more practice, though. The last large ring is where I tried to dangle the bead lower – it doesn’t show clearly from this angle.

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Floating Beads - Sequins

If beads, why not sequins, right ?

Exactly the same method and steps – one with 3 sequins on chain and another with a star sequin inside a ring.

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Floating Beads – with Tatted Rings 

You know my preference for beadless tatting. I had been thinking about trying to ‘dangle’ tatted rings within rings. Would the substitution work? Before I could work on it, Ninetta again sent me some links.

This beautiful Berry Wreath pattern uses the same half hitch/overhand/half knot at base of Josephine rings as in Step 2 of the FB method ! This led me down memory lane – I had used the same half hitch to stabilize JR in this 2-colour edging a couple of years back.

In the blue-green one, the inside ring is a 4ds dot. In the larger heart ring, they are Josephines.

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Jane M suggested an idea when she did a quick trial of the FB method – would it work on her lovely Cascade earrings? I’ve been meaning to tat a couple of her earring patterns for ages. Time is ripe !

Started this morning, following her method to get a feel of it. I love it! (No pics yet, though I’m almost through).

The next one will use FB. As I worked it out I my head, the order of working the 9 rings will be completely reversed – instead of bottom to top, we’ll have to move from top to bottom, using SRs! Well, that’s my thought process – tomorrow will tell.

So yet another post (are you keeping count,  Nin ;-P) on FB but this time with earrings.

Many many thanks to all the generous and innovative tatters above

happy tatting as always :-)

Related Posts

Floating Beads search results

(all links to previous posts & pictorials will be updated on the My Tutorials page)

rising a month late

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tatting on a paperclip - free pattern

Radiant Sun Paperclip

designed for Online Tatting Class, April 2017 

download free pdf here

   

This little project was worked in 2 days flat – from ideation to execution to presentation – so that we could have a surprise paperclip pattern before end of April.

You know that I am not proficient with beads or their terminology, etc. So there were many senior moments here. Only later after pdf was made and sent (in record time for me! And this included a quick test tat and valuable feedback from Phyllis), I emailed Nina Libin for info and she graciously explained the correct terms along with links (which helped immensely during class). Georgia also shared links I didn’t know about, in class. I have used those terms & links in this post.

It all started when I saw a jewellery ad in the newspaper and wondered if I could get beads to stay positioned as free-floating rays using a shuttle.

I had an idea and quickly searched for similar projects & tutorials but as often happens, nothing came up close.

Pattern is a simple chain with beads radiating freely around .

To execute my idea I needed the end/stopper bead to be large.

Slip bugle bead and pearl bead on to a picot loop ;

Before tensioning the picot, loop it over the pearl snuggly like a noose (like we do for the SSSR or LTROR);

Pull back the extra length of loop, ensuring that the wrapped thread stays tightly noosed around the bead.

Continue with chain.

Pretty simple, easy, and no extra tools required.

Now to put it to the test, I started to tug at the pearls – 2 stayed in place, but one fell off.

One can use this method only if the piece is going to lie flat – glued or appliqued, and not worn/used.

Back to the drawing board. This time I used a beading needle to thread back through the bugle bead only. Of course it worked. But it has been around for ages – called the beaded fringe*

download complete Radiant Sun Paperclip pattern here 

 pattern is so small, that it can quickly be finger-tatted . Or needle-tatted

A 'luggage tag loop' is used to start. It creates a complete double stitch. 

Care must be taken to keep the shuttle to the right.

I chose a blue clip for sky with the yellow sun emerging. 

For the right shade, I used 3 strands of Anchor embroidery thread.

If I leave tails on both ends, doesn’t it look like a headdress ?!

Many more ideas radiated from this, but the sun is setting for now :-)

* other terms : beaded stem (Corina Meyfeldt prestrings the beads and pulls into place when required) ; single file beaded picots (Nina Libin, Book #18)

this is not my first pattern with bugle beads on a paperclip - I made several trials of another pattern in February (remember, Ninetta? :-P), but have let the final tatting & presentation lapse. Should get back to it ....

Grateful thanks to Georgia, Nina, & Phyllis

hope you enjoy tatting this quick little pattern :-)

a central harmony

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Merry Christmas Snowflake

Sharon Briggs

Some patterns have an inherent harmony. I believe this snowflake is one such – elegance personified.

Clearly, there’s a flower within (remember the flower within series of snowflakes?). But this time I went with pristine white.

Tatted in one pass, in size 40, it measures a tad over 2 inches.

Tatted up so quickly, too - all in one sitting while supervising the AC servicemen ! Errr, I did have pre-loaded shuttles – so that’s a huge time-saver right there :-) 

Entire snowflake is worked clockwise.

If we start the daisy with shuttle 1, and climb out with split rings, then because we are moving clockwise, shuttle 2 becomes the main shuttle for all subsequent tatting (rounds 2 & 3).

With fs/bs tatting, the rings in both outer rounds will be worked backside (RODS) and these are cross-hatched clearly in the diagram !

Sharon’s diagrams are so self-explanatory. There are a couple of symbols (on top right of each pattern) that I am not very sure about, but this is no way hampers the working.
UPDATE : The explanation of symbols used in her patterns can be found here. Thanks Sharon :-)

Techniques :  2 shuttles, CTM, fs/bs tatting, daisy, split ring, mock picot, lock join.

I thoroughly enjoyed working this pattern and the actual result is better than what the lens or scanner captured !

This, and many more of Sharon's patterns can be found here . 

Besides patterns, and the inspiring display on her 25 Motif Challenge blog, I have learned a great deal from the design lessons she posted !

Many many thanks, Sharon :-)

And here’s what I did with the heart I tatted in previous post – made another SOUP ribbon bookmark charm! (tatting SOUP : Sewing On/Using Pieces of tatting)

  I did start reading this book a long time back, but never completed it. Should pick it up again...

Nina Libin's Heart for Kay acting as a ribbon bookmark charm ! All is harmony, all is peace ...

wishing you many stress-free harmonious hours of tatting :-)

back to tatting

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tatted heart, bookmark & kite

I hadn’t been doing much tatting for the past several days, trying to stay focused on completing all the presentations, diagrams and pdfs for the spring garland (hoo boy, it takes way too much time!!!). But the last few days were a bit better. I slowly got back into the tatting mojo and some of the UFOs are turning into WIPs ! While there are a couple of exciting things I cannot show yet, here are a few I can…

Heart for Kay

Nina Libin

The butterfly called out to me ! Just like in Irene Woo’s Heart of the Butterfly. Wish I could've taken a combo pic of the two, except that it has been gifted & happily received. 

This one, too, is tatted in 3 strands of embroidery thread, but I worked the heart in opposite direction to that given in the diagram. If I’d followed the diagrammed sequence, my butterfly would’ve had backside rings.

The 8-ring formation : 

Here I didn’t use any SLT. Instead I tatted the outer (thrown) ring first, then the inner ring, and continued with the chain. It seems to hold up fine even without any blocking.

This is a pretty pattern and quick to tat up. The pattern, to be shared with OTC tomorrow, can be downloaded here. It is scheduled to be shared with the Online Tatting Class tomorrow. 

UPDATE (Apr 18, 2017): see how I used this lovely heart here .

Chinese Coin Bookmark

Jon Yusoff

This free pattern has been with me for ages, ever since I found this teeming tatting world online. Seeing Fox’s work recently, inspired me to finally take it up. What I can do now, I couldn't have done 4 years back, so the delay was good ;-)

After the first few repeats, I felt bored with the single colour (I should’ve chosen something brighter!). More so because I felt I could've tatted alternate halves, then used a different colour to fill in the missing halves - like 2 sinusoidal waves. 

But now the body is happily completed and am working a tail from part of the pattern itself. No pics yet. The first half took a while to get used to, but the return was a breeze. And I'm pretty satisfied with the look.

Kite with Cluny Tail

Mimi Dillman

I started this cute kite, also from the Online Tatting Class, in March, intending it as a bookmark. Now I have some more ideas that need working out. Should I use this as a charm and combine 4 motifs to create a larger diamond for the main body? Decisions !!! Will take it up again after I finish the coin bookmark.  

Many many thanks to all the talented designers for sharing their work :-)