Swift Bead Embroidery with Dori Troutman
Hello Friends! Are you looking for something new and fun to try? I’ve worked with beads just enough to know that threading them onto thread is a very slow process so I was really excited to try out the new Swift Bead. This needle has an eye on one end and a hook on the other.
It is a very simple process of putting the hook end into your beads and with a very small up and down motion it catches the beads with the hook and rapidly puts as many beads as you would like on the needle. Then it is a simple matter of threading your thread through the eye of the needle and sliding the beads onto the thread! It works like magic! You can watch the process on a great video here.
I had been working on an embroidery project and suddenly I realized that embellishing it with some beads might be a fun way to use the Swift Bead and add some dimension to the embroidery. It took me a little bit to get into the rhythm of how many beads I wanted at a time on my needle, sliding them onto the thread then attaching them to my embroidery pattern. But once I got the rhythm going it was a fast process. And wow do I love the extra texture that it added to the embroidery.
I sewed a bright colored strip of fabric to the sides and put it in a picture frame. And now when I walk in my sewing room, my eyes go directly to it and it just makes me smile!
I’ve been writing letters the last couple weeks and mailing to some of my elderly friends that are shut-in right now. It can’t be easy being elderly and not being able to get out or have visitors. So I thought… how about a simple little home made card with some fabric scraps and beads?
I cut little fabric scraps and sewed them directly to the card stock. And thanks to the Swift Bead I easily and quickly added little strips of beads. Add a quick message to the outside of the card and it is ready for your letter inside! There is no need to worry about perfection in a project like this!
I’ve found myself gravitating to bright and happy spring colors lately and I just love how cheerful this card is!
One of the best things I love about the Swift Bead is that my grand-daughter was here and she picked it up and went to town making a necklace. She gave me so much feedback on the tool with the biggest one being this: “You don’t have to use any pressure to get the beads on it, just gently push it up and down in the beads and suddenly your needle is full”!
If you work with beads in any capacity, I highly recommend the Swift Bead!
Happy springtime crafting, friends!
~ Dori ~
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