- 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
- 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
- 6mm druks "Brown Caramel Picasso"
- SuperDuo beads "Chalk Copper Picasso"
- 3mm druks "Matte Siam Ruby Bronze Picasso"
I thought you might like to see a prototype of an earring pattern that I'm working on. The design is a combination of elements from the "ADwade Earrings" and "Dana's Gypsy Earrings". I really like the option of having a large center focal bead like the "Gypsy Earrings" but I also wanted the option of having more SuperDuos across the bottom, instead of fire polished beads, like the "ADwade Earrings". I also just got a big shipment of 6mm druks from Aura Crystals and wanted to have more projects to use them in.
The sample earring above was my first attempt at combining the two designs. It worked perfectly with a few tweaks or at least it worked with Miyuki seed beads. I made another sample with Toho seed beads and it was a complete disaster. Nothing fit right and it was horribly warped. I know it was due to the Toho beads because I took that sample apart and remade it with all of the same beads except that I used Miyuki seed beads. It came out fine as you can see below.
- 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
- 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
- 6mm druks "Polychrome Black Currant"
- SuperDuo beads "Purple Iris Matte"
- 3mm Czech pearls "Tahitian"
If I can iron out the problems, I'll start working on the diagrams and instructions for a future free pattern. I don't know yet when I will post it here because I've got one or two other patterns that I will probably post first.
Love these! I don't want to be a pest as I know you have many things to do but could you tell me the difference between Toho and Miyuki. These are the only two seed bead brands that I use because I really dislike uneven beads. I know the delicas are cylinder shape.Are the 15/0.....11/0....08/0 Toho rounder or bigger than the Miyuki? Are different colours of the same brand different size? I hope I have not confused you as much as I am confused. I would really appreciate some help. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThose are the only brands that I use too. I've used Czech seed beads a few times but they are very tiny and I don't like working with them. I avoid Chinese seed beads like the plague. In most cases, Miyuki seed beads of all sizes are smaller than Toho's even when they're called the same size (15/0, 11/0, 8/0, etc.).
DeleteYes, delicas are cylinder shape. I bought some to use for peyote stitch but I really don't care much for the angular look of them. I prefer rounder shaped beads, even for peyote stitch.
I find that Miyuki's 15/0 seed beads are a lot more evenly shaped and slightly more rounded but they're quite small. Toho's 15/0's are a mess most of the time. They are slightly larger, have very straight sides and they're very irregular in shape. They make horribly messy netting. For 15/0 netting I always use Miyuki beads with only a couple of exceptions.
When it comes to 11/0's, I like Miyuki's metallic colors just fine but I find that most of their regular colored beads are a too tiny. Toho's 11/0's are larger than Miyuki's and have a more rounded shape that I like. Miyuki's 11/0's are rounded but not quite as much as Toho's. However, Toho's have a tendency to be too large for a lot of patterns. Since I have a large assortment of both brands, I just try them both and use the ones that fit the pattern the best.
As far as 8/0's, I think that both brands are a bit hit or miss when it comes to this size. 8/0's can be nicely shaped or a mess in both brands. Since I mostly use 8/0's as accent beads, the size difference isn't as much of an issue so I just buy the colors that I like.
I think that Toho has a lot more interesting colors than Miyuki. Having said that, I like Miyuki's basic metallic colors better than Toho's with the exception of Toho's Antique Silver (711) which is one of my favorites. My favorite bronzes are Miyuki's Dark Bronze (457D), Light Bronze (457L) and Metallic Chocolate (461, which only comes in 11/0). Toho has two bronzes but one is a little too reddish for my taste and the other is too yellowish. I keep them all on hand though because sometimes a Toho metallic color might go better with the other bead colors that I'm using.
Yes, different colors of the same brand can be different sizes. Much of the time the difference is due to the type of coating on the beads. Plain color opaque beads tend to be smaller than metallic or "luster" beads which have a thick coating on them. For example, when they make a metallic bronze seed bead, they start with a bead that might be black, red or an orange or yellow color. Then they add the metallic coating over the base color. The lighter the base color, the brighter the color will be. My favorite Miyuki "Dark Bronze" beads have a black base which is why the color is so dark. Miyuki's "Light Bronze" has a reddish yellow base. The "hybrid" beads also tend to be larger because they've added Czech coatings to them.
Very informative. Great question, great answer. Nice design too. I guess I need some 3mm rounds now! Not sure how to get my name in here yet so I'm anonymous...Kim
ReplyDeleteI think you have to have a Google account to make your name show up here. Your name will show as whatever your Google user name is.
Delete