About Those Seed Beads

Beads come in all varieties of shapes, sizes, colors, and especially quality. I use the highest quality I have found to date of Japanese seed beads, and believe me, I have tried a lot of them. My search began years ago with my daughter's Christmas stocking I was cross stitching. This was a difficult piece to stitch for a number of reasons but something I was excited about was adding my own distinctive touch to the design by adding glass seed beads. I bought what I considered to be the very best beads I could find which was sold by my local needlework shop. I stitched them on and was working on a different part of the design when I realized that the finish was wearing off the beads the more contact I had with them, either by touching them or rubbing against them on my clothes. I was frustrated and angry that I would have to go back and not only get them off the stocking but now had to find another alternative. It wasn't like good quality seed beads could be found at just any local hobby and craft store, and how would I know which they were even if they did?

So I began the arduous task of going on line and researching, researching, researching. Oh so many articles, websites, blogs, discussions with friends and strangers, and looking into what pattern designers were using. As it turned out, I discovered the best beads that had a consistent sized larger hole to accommodate a tapestry needle was made in Japan. Not only did they have the right size and quality, but they made them in an enormous variety of colors, finishes, and sizes. I was in bead Nirvana! I still incorporate these beads in my work since they hit the high quality mark every time and have never failed to exceed expectations.

The importance of quality in what I use is supreme and no substitutions are ever made in favor of expedience or convenience and even these tiny seed beads are no exception. Longevity dictates that even they need substance and quality.