Beading Tutorial

When I decided that I wanted to make my version of Arwen's Requiem Dress, I also decided that I was going to bead the upper sleeves, the same way they were in the movie. On this page I'll share some of what I learned about doing the beading.

Materials

Fabric

Beads

Needle

Thread

Embroidery Hoop

Tear away interfacing, tissue paper, or chalk

First, you need a pattern or design of what you want to bead. Once you have it, there are several options. You can trace the pattern straight onto the fabric using chalk or a pen, OR trace the pattern onto tear away interfacing. If you choose the latter, cut the tissue paper/interfacing into the shape of the fabric and baste the two layers together.

Second, put the entire thing (fabric and tissue/interfacing if you are using it) into an embroidery hoop. It is SO much easier to have the fabric pulled taut in a hoop than it is to do the beading without one.

In progress:

Start beading! String a few beads at a time onto the thread; I usually used three at a time, but there are some places where it's necessary to use more or less. After the beads are on your thread, pull the needle back up from the underside of the embroidery hoop in between two beads that you just sewed down. Basically, before you put more beads on the thread, you need to string it back through at least one (preferably two beads). This ensures that the finished beading looks like it's in one long line (though you should still go back through at least one bead when going around corners). Every so often (every ten or twelve beads) it is a good idea to knot the thread on the underside. If the thread breaks at any point you'll only lose ten or so beads, instead of an entire line. *Note: when beading, don't bead to the very edge of the fabric. Leave enough for the seam allowance of the garment.

Once finished, you can tear the tissue/interfacing away if you used it. It should tear out easily, but be gentle anyways. I broke the thread once getting frustrated with it. There is another kind of interfacing that dissolves in water, but I've never used it and therefore can't say anything about it.

Comparison of original pattern of finished beaded sleeve: