You have done a fantastic job on the beading. Sandi in FL

You are right they did cry out for beads. I always quilt my works before I start beading. I am not a fan of "quilt it till it's stiff" because the quilt is then too hard to needle. I do minimal quilting and then bead. The weight of the beads is supported by this process. I love the sparkle beads add. Betty Ann in Fl

I found a fabric panel from Laurel Burch and it just cried out for beads. I'm hoping to get it done soon-ish, put borders on it and just hang it. I'm not planning on quilting it, but who knows?

I've used a lot of Delicas and Swarovski crystals - and even some funkier seed beads. The fabric is getting heavy and I hate to think how much I've spent on it...

I'll put some pictures in my profile. Of course, the pictures do not convey the rich colors of the panel - nor the sparkle of the crystals.

Will get around to that, Carla, but have 6!!! more to finish before 4 August for a show I am doing with some artist friends! Then leave for three weeks in Africa with my wildlife photographer husband on the 11th (Life is SO hard ) Keep watching, hope to get them uploaded before leaving. Jackie

Jackie,

U really MUST post a pic of ur quilt.... would love to see the glitz!

Carla

Just finished beading my first quilt project and loved it! Also had the problem of deciding when to stop. This was a wall hanging using Rosemary Eichhorn's raw edge applique technique and I used seed (16-0) as well as larger rounds, pony's and bugles. Now I have gone on to add natural stone beads as well as seeds to landscape thread-paintings as rocky elements. I AM HAVING SOOOO MUCH FUN

Thanx much!

Think of the beads as the sparkly candles on a birthday cake. You would not put them on before you put the cake in the oven. Wait till the end then add the sparkle. Betty Ann

Good question Sherry! I would like to know that too! I have only used beads a couple of times and I put them on when the quilt was all done. But it was only a few beads. I don't think I would like to try and run my longarm around beads.

Question: At what point of the construction process do you add the beads? Before bastinq? After finishing? Whenever?
Thanx!
Sherry

Hi, Marlene, Quilting in the Desert runs the week of Jan.20-26 in Phoenix. It is a lot of fun and there are many classes to take. There are several classes taught by Nancy Eha all week long. To find out more about the week and registration, you can go to http://www.quiltcamp.com. I am taking her class on Friday which is Crazy Beading. Wear your TQS pin and I'll look for you. Let me know if you are going to attend. Judy

jbtaz36 wrote:
Hi Judy,
I live in Canada, and my husband and I are coming to Phoenix in a few weeks, staying into January. Can you please tell me when Nancy Eha will be there, and where she will be? Maybe I could get in on the class too. Thanks. Marlene

Beading can be both time and labor intensive. I love beading but too often deadlines determine if or how much beading is on a quilt. It also largely depends on the condition of my wrist at any given moment.

Ann, I have signed up to take a beading class with Nancy Eha in January '08 when she comes to Quilting in the Desert in Phoenix.
About 3 years ago, I started a wall hanging that I had seen on a calendar of a mermaid and I began to put beads to outline her tail. Of course, it still is in the basket but I might just take it out and bead the whole tail.

Judy in AZ where the nights have finally cooled off.