Bring In the Reinforcements

I woke up this morning to this beautiful sunrise. Couldn't help but run out into the brisk 30-degree weather in my jammies to snap a photo to share with you.


Later, I found myself digging through some junk and found my very first piece of beadwork (c. 1990). They have similar colors to the sunrise!


Seeing these earrings made me laugh, not only because I can picture the black/white checked trousers, puffy magenta sweatshirt, and big hair I wore with them in 1990, but also because I just posted a blog on Beading Daily today about how important it is to reinforce and secure your beadwork. I guess it's taken almost 20 years of beading to fully ingrain that lesson. Now I'm a bit of a nutbar about reinforcing my beadwork.


For this bracelet I made with boy-wear in mind, I used doubled 6-lb braided beading thread throughout and wove through the beads so many times that even those size 6 seed beads are filled up. I used Kate McKinnon's edge reinforcement technique, too. This thing is indestructible!

Thanks to Diane Fitzgerald, I'm also in the habit of dipping pieces in Future acrylic floor polish. Pieces like this one, Principessa II, which consist mostly of sharp-edged crystals, are so vulnerable to wearing and tearing the thread. A quick dip and dry in the acrylic really helps strengthen the beadwork.

Are you obsessive about reinforcing your beadwork, too? Do tell.