OUR BEAD LOOM INSTRUCTIONS & HOW TOs
Here's what I write to folks who order a loom:
You may have never used a loom designed like ours before. It is a unique design. No springs or hardware.
Start or Practice with something like a bracelet. or barrette, if you are just learning, that will not be too wide and you can use the simple wrap and tie warping method. (assuming you are right handed..) Hold the loom and the end of the warp thread in your left hand. wrap the warp thread around and around the number of warp lines you need. If your bracelet is 12 beads wide, wrap the warp 13 times. Some folks wrap 2 extra warp threads, and have 2 warp threads on the outside edge of their beading for strength. This extra thread makes it strong when sewing it down or if using it alone without backing as in a hat band or choker. If you wish to do this, then count 3 more warps than the number of beads across a row in your pattern.
Note: Warp thread is the long thread you place on the loom to start, weft is the beading thread you use to weave your beads into your beading pattern.
When you have the desired number of warp wraps for your practice piece, just tie the two ends together. You may find it is easier to tie the warp loosely to one of the warp bars so you don't have to think about holding on to it as you wrap the warp, then when you have wrapped it around the right number of times, cut the thread free and tie the two warp threads ends together as described above.
Slide the knot just about into the center bottom (this can be adjusted to meet your beadwork length and finishing plans, sometime I have the knot 1/2 an inch from my beading, sometimes I place the knot out in the middle of where the "blank" area will be so I have long warp "tails" for fringe).. Spread your warp thread, which you had wrapped next to one another when using the wrap & tie method, spread them evenly about 150% the width of your piece, or so. Then press your hand against them to make sure you have the same amount of tension on all the wraps. DO NOT wrap the warp too tightly, as you will have difficulty rolling it down and around as you work (more info about tension is below).
If you have a larger loom, or are going to do a wide piece of beading, you will need to use the Wide Warping Method. You can spread the warp by tying it as shown in the photo, or you can use a light stick, for smaller pieces I use a popsicle stick with a notch cut in each end. After you have done an inch or so of beading, you probably will not need to hold the warp open any longer. On some of the bigger looms, you may want to keep it tied open longer, in that case you can slide your tying thread along the lower rails of the loom until you get to the uprights.
TENSION on YOUR LOOM:
To achieve the desired tension, first even out your threads a bit, and press your hand against them to even the tension across the loom, as described above. Then it is time to place the tension rod across the warp in the back of your loom.
If you have a Student loom with elastics for tension, Wrap the elastics around the rod first, hold your rod in place over the warp threads, and then stretch the elastics over to the pegs. You may use both strands stretched to the pegs, or you might find you only want to stretch one strand of the elastic to the peg.
If you have a loom with a tie-on tension rod, then take the longest braided tie feed it through the tension tie hole from the outside of the far upright, across the loom and out through the second drilled hole, then tie the braids together tightly. Don't worry that your tension rod is at a strange angle, just get the tension as tight as you want it to be, and then adjust the tension rod into place evenly across the warp threads. When you want to roll your work down, untie the tension rod so that you can easily slide your work down and around.
If you have purchased the Designer loom and are using the inside tension rod so that you can flip your loom from end to end, you will tie it in a similar manner, but I will leave it to you to discover what works best for you. Otherwise, if you are using your designer loom as a flat wide loom, the instructions given for other looms will work fine.
In any case, please be sure and 1) do not wrap your warp too tightly at first, use your tension device for that. If you wrap the warp too tight at the beginning, you will have difficulty rolling your work down later. 2) press your hand against your warp threads before adding the tension device to be sure the warp threads are as even in tension as they can be. 3) Be sure your tension rod is evenly in place to avoid having a tighter tension on one side or the other of your work. 4) remember that you can actually use your loom without a tension device if you choose.
(Also, with the old style Standard and Large Loom, you will remove the base, then wrap the warp, then re-place the base on your loom.)
Now your loom should be ready for beading.
Use this first piece of beadwork as a test to see how many beads you get across an inch and down an inch. Size 11 Czech seed beads are about 17 across an inch or row and about 12 rows down an inch. This knowledge will give you confidence when you are ready to bead up a larger pattern or to see if your loom, will accommodate a pattern you have in mind. Our looms are generously designed, and if you need some other size, we make custom looms at a very reasonable cost.
Because our looms don't have a metal screw rod or other metal hardware, we suggest you lay in a row of beads just to set up your spacing. tie that row on with it's own thread so you can trim it later and take it off without disturbing your finished beadwork.
So you start your beadwork in the lower section on the front of the loom and (if you are right-handed) work up your pattern from the bottom row left. Now some people will say tie your bead thread to the left warp thread and begin with beads right off. Others say just start beading and later put that weft thread back into your needle and work it into your beadwork a few rows and trim it off to hide it as you would if you were adding new weft thread. Some will say weave a bit of "cloth" first and then begin your beading, and finish the same way with about 1/8" of cloth. When you piece is done, you fold the cloth behind and secure with masking tape before sewing your beadwork down to the leather backing. That gives you a nice smooth end and no bead slippage.
In any case, you bead for awhile, however many rows you like..taking a row's worth of beads on your needle (for a narrow piece, for a wider piece just take as many beads as you are comfortable working with), pressing them up from left to right behind the warp and between the warp threads, then returning through the beads back across from right to left above the warp threads to lock your beads in place. When you want to add more thread, leave you thread hanging, thread your needle with more thread, go back 5 rows (or more) starting on the right, and run the thread through the previous rows coming on to work just where you stopped and continue you beading. Later on, before you take it off the loom, you tug lightly on the hanging threads, and clip them off so that they sort of "pop" inside the last beads in the row and disappear (be ever so careful not to cut your outer warp threads!).
As you are beading along, whenever you feel the need, loosen the tension rod and slide your work down and under the front warp rod, thereby keeping your work at a good, comfortable height. If you are doing a small piece you may not need to roll it down, but then keep in mind that you have enough warp thread to do 2 or 3 more small pieces before cutting them all free. Just be sure you have enough warp between them to finish them off in whatever manner you have decided. I am always nervous when saying how long a piece a particular loom will hold, as there are so many ways to finish the ends and some take more warp thread than others, so give this some thought before beginning.
Currently we are using cotton quilting thread for warp and weft with size 11 Czech seed beads, and #10 beading needles from the local fabric store. There are many choices and many use a nylon beading thread for strength. Since we are making mostly beadwork that is sewn down to leather, the cotton thread seems good enough. As you learn and gain experience you will discover your own preferences. There may be some shortening of the work when you remove it from the loom. As we are using cotton which stretches a little and the tighter we set the tension the more likely we are to see some "shrinking" when removing the work from the loom. Many specialty beading threads do not stretch and are much stronger than cotton.
This loom is Ayla's own design, so others may say "Wow, Where did you get that?"
Please let them know. The special characteristics of this loom are:
1) No complicated springs, threaded bars, tightening screws, no hardware showing as your work on your beading.
2) The 4 sacred medicines are embedded in the loom frame beneath the 4 wood plugs you will see. These medicines are gifted or grown, nothing purchased. ( the cord is braided in 4 strands also, by hand right here.)
4) This loom is designed to be used in an easy chair, in bed, in the car, etc..no table needed. It is a good weight, and sturdy.
5) It is kind of pretty!! and GREAT FOR A BAD BACK or other physical disabilities.
If you have any question, just write, and we will help all we can.
Ayla, Jon, Rachel, Desi, and Tasha
