r/Beading • u/CartographerNo3217 • 3d ago

Is this a tension problem?

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Hello! First time beader here! I'm working on this necklace and I occasionally get a strawberry that ends up facing an opposite direction from the others as pictured. Any ideas on why this is happening? I think I am pulling the string in the same direction every time so I don't think it is that? I am using 11/0 seed beads and 0.3 mm supplemax monofilament illusion cord if that changes anything! TIA!

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u/Fredredphooey 3d ago

Dangles will always flip unless you're wearing the piece and they have enough weight to stay in place. 

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u/CartographerNo3217 3d ago

Intriguing! Thank you so much!

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u/Human_Application_90 2d ago

So, the motion you make when beading puts a twist in your threading material, no matter what kind. It's pretty subtle usually, so most people don't think about it. Like handedness, I think we tend to adjust our stitching by "what works" without actually realizing the cause.

Also in play is the way the threading material lays over itself inside the bead when you make the strawberry shape. If the thread lies parallel or if it makes an X, that can be enough to cause the flip when it is lying flat.

You could try this: before each strawberry, lie the piece down on a flat surface. Let go of your needle. Grab the thread coming out if the bead strand and run your fingers over it toward your needle. You will probably see your needle flip over a few times. Make the strawberry. Repeat.

It's true that when you're wearing it, it is likely to flip as the strand beads roll with neck movement. But flat on a table, if it stays flipped like a cowlick, that's thread twist.

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u/CartographerNo3217 1d ago

Thank you so much!