Doll Journey: Techniques

After  teaching at the Texas Bead Retreat, often referred to as "TBR", the beaders reading these posts need to know a simple tip that I often share. I learned the hard way and want you to find the success I did much faster and a heck of a lot easier.

When beading spirals or curves, we often start at the outer most line to set a reference point for the rest of the bead rows. Then we try to bead inside the lines. Sound like something else we were "taught" - to color in the lines? Well let's forget that! When beading spirals it is easier to bead your way bigger then setting your outline around those beads. Don't get me wrong- it can be done either way- and I often do it the hard way but it is good to know that there is an easier way!

Let me try to give you a good mental picture.

If you lay a towel on a bowl that is upside down, it drapes easily taking on the concave curvature of the bowl. However if you lift the bowl and try to tuck the towel up in it covering the inside surface you would need more places to tack it to make it take that inner convex curve.

 AND 

There is some progress I made using a very nice vintage nail head that was inside my goody bag from the retreat. Oops, I see a bead out of place- can you?

Gotta go.... I want to bead some more while it is still quiet!

Blessings.