Best needle & thread for beading?

[Zahrah65]

I need to do some surgery on one of my belts which will require the application of small bugle and seed beads. I haven't got a clue as to which thread is the best or size of needle.w.: Suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[damiena]

I bought beading needles from Joann Fabrics. They are very thin and very sharp and have a small eye that fits through the small seed beads. They were with all the regular needles, labeled beading needles. I hope this info helps!

[helenhelwa]

I use button & carpet thread and large eye beading needles made by Western Trimming, which you used to be able to get at Michael's. The thread I prefer to use is Gutermann, instead of a cotton covered polyester. The Gutermann is 100% polyester and doesn't fray as much as the cotton covered.

To make it easier for the thread to go through the fabric, get some beeswax to coat the thread; this also makes it a bit easier to get the thick thread through the eye. I find it help to "flatten" the thread to get it through.

[Zahrah65]

Great ladies, thanks for the tips...now I've got no excuse to get the darn thing finished

[Azhia]

I often find upholstery thread and the needles that can fit them will not fit through bugles and seeds.

There are beading needs as mentioned above. Threads such as Silamide (super strong and thin) work really well, wax them as suggested above for easier "pass through" and strength.

[kim sakkara]

Try to find the largest upholstery needle you can that will fit through the beads. If you've got an Egyptian costume covered in glass cut seed beads and bugles you should be able to get pretty thick with the needle. The holes on the glass cut beads are wider than the Japanese-made seed beads. Trial and error is your best bet concerning sizes...you many find a needle that will fit through your beads perfectly but then it will be hard to thread the needle. Make sure you get some beeswax too, as other people mentioned.

If you're going to be doing more than just touch-up, get a pair of jewelry needlenose pliers to help pull the needle through heavy buckram when your fingers are too sweaty or tired. Good luck! : )

[khadiya]

I'd agree about the Guttermann thread. It is very well behaved. However, if I'm attaching a lot of beads, I'll usually use embroidery cotton (either Anchor or DMC) with either triple or double strands. I'm sure this isn't ideal but it works for me and old embroidery habits die hard.

As for needles, I'm not fussy, if it goes through the bead and is sturdy, it will suffice. I'll often use a leather needle to sew through something like buckram but unfortunately, the diamond head on a leather needle won't fit through tiny beads. I also use my thimble a lot for pushing the needle through.

As Kim points out, the bore through glass seed beads can be so variable, though the ones one Egyptian costumes seem to be on the large size. For larger beads (you'll have a lot of shattered glass on your hands if you try this with seed beads) its worth investing in an awl or a bead reamer so that you can gently increase the bore and make it easier to thread through them.

[jewelbellydance]

I use nylon 'beading thread' - mine comes from Shamrock Craft Products, but is similar to this: The Bead Shack - Nylon Bead Thread (Clear). It's fray resistant and very strong. It's also slightly stiff, so easier to get through the tiny eye of a beading needle than ordinary or embroidery thread. One drawback is it's often white, plus the stiffness means that it doesn't lock onto the material so well when you start and finish off your stitching (ordinarily 3 stitches will hold, but with this stuff I'd do more like 5 or 6).

Beading needles - yes, they're great because they're so fine. But hard to thread, plus easily breakable, so buy a pack! The idea, above, of using pliers to pull them through, is brilliant. That will probably help prevent breakage.

[Linnyg]

For pulling through if you don't own or what to buy pliers, I just use an old pair of fingernail clippers that are too dull to clip nails anymore. They grab on just fine and chances are, you probley already own some. (I am the cheepist person ever!)

[jenlindseys]

I need to do some surgery on one of my belts which will require the application of small bugle and seed beads. I haven't got a clue as to which thread is the best or size of needle.w.: Suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I agree with most other comments. I typically use button/carpet thread and a large needle when possible, but if the hole in the beads is too small I use gutterman thread and double it up. If you can't find guterman, coats & clark is pretty good too. A good test is to pull the thread from each side and see how much strength it takes to break.
I actually find it easier to break guterman thread than coats and clark, but prefer sewing with guterman...so its a toss up! Haha. I also find that it is a lot harder to find button thread in different colors, so long story short... get a high quality thread and double it or use more than 2 threads.
Also- tie off frequently, this way if the thread does break you don't use all of your work. I try to do it at least every inch or 2.