More of this Feature • Part 1: The Basics • Part 2: The Beads

Related Resources • Bead Shops On Line • Beads and Fiber Arts • Color and Art Theory

Book Reviews • Robin Atkins - One Bead at a Time • Sadie Starr - Beading with Seed Beads, Gemstones and Cabochons

Unlike conventional thread embroidery or crewel work, there are few actual stitches used in bead embroidery.  In most cases, the beads speak for themselves by the way we stitch them to the fabric. 

The first stitch I leaned in fabric embellishment was couching, which we used to stitch down sequins. Bring your needle up through your fabric from the back. Then, add beads to the thread (seed beads or other small beads work best for this stitch) then lay the beads down and stitch back through the fabric, making a loose row of beads.  Then, bring your needle back up through the material and sew the row of beads down to the material by stitching over the thread between the beads. This will hold the beads in place.

Back Stitch is also very popular and is used a great deal in bead embroidery.  Start like you were going to do couching, and add three beads (five if you're using 15/0's or smaller beads) to your thread.  Stitch these three (or five) beads to the surface of the fabric then bring the needle back up through the material near the second bead.  Run the needle through the second and third bead, pulling them taunt. After exiting the third bead, add three more beads to the thread, and stitch these down to the fabric and repeat by bringing the needle up next to the second bead of the second set of beads. Continue the stitch for the desired length. This makes for a very strong stitch that will hold up well over time. 

Lazy Stitch, also called Squaw Stitch (although some find this name offensive) is reminiscent of "brush strokes with beads" and is used to fill large spaces.  The beads sit in parallel columns next to one another and take on a very uniform appearance.  Lazy Stitch is used extensively in Native American beadwork. Simply bring the needle up through the fabric, add the number of beads for your row and stitch them down.  The hard part is keeping the rows even and not bunched up or puckered up at the ends.  As with anything, practice makes perfect!

Other stitches are "single bead" - adding a bead at a time by stitching it to the fabric and what I call "bead knots".  These are made by brining your thread up from the back of the fabric through the hole of a single beads (usually something larger than a seed bead) then stitching it to the fabric by adding a single seed bead to the thread, then stitching back through the larger bead.  The smaller seed bead sits on top of the larger bead, and makes for a wonderful surface embellishment. 

Of course, any bead embroidery can be further embellished with fringe, charms, decorative fabrics, transfer pictures and anything your imagination can attach to fabric!