USER`S MANUAL - Boomerang Bead Looms
Contents
1. Boomerang BEAD LOOM USER S MANUAL Thank you for buying a Basic Boomerang Bead Loom We re sure you re going to love working with this professional quality loom It s quite easy to set up and use Youll be started on your beading project in no time at all This page is intentionally left blank Boomerang Bead Loom User s Manual Table of Contents Section Title Page PAS itaesecrah Nass che hase arden ean ies tassel a dani sa ees 4 Geng STANC Oia serea a 5 Attaching the Coil SpringS cccccccseccceeecseeseeeseeeeeeeeeesesees 5 Warping Me LOOM ex icsestcetveddvorsvelvauiemuedoiartveivenivehieelduehseniweeds 6 Alternate Warping Method cccccccsecceeeceeeseeeeeeseeeaeeeaes 9 Reading a Bead Loom Pattern cccccceccseeeseeeeeeseeeneeeees 9 Weaving With BOGS scsereuiscvahesarins ecesueret ni eot enon 10 IMIS MING OUR WOK fesseciscocticecttacntoas T 12 CFOS SAN aE mice douase toasted eseeae 13 Frequently Asked QUESTIONS ccccceceeeeeceeeceeeeeeeeaeeees 14 Boomerang Bead Loom User s Manual Parts List This diagram shows all the parts of the Boomerang Bead Loom Each item is described in detail below Frame The frame consists of two curved wood pieces The length of these wood pieces is what determines the length of the bead loom s working area Dowels 1 4 There are four copper dowels that connect the two wood pieces of the frame The length of these dowels is w2. What string should I use Nylon upholstery thread or braided fishing line works well for both the warp and weft threads when weaving on our bead looms Six or eight pound string works well for most projects What holds the beads in place Passing the weft thread both below and above or behind and in front of the warp thread is what keeps the beads in place This fabric of fiber and beads gives loom woven pieces their unique drape and suppleness While pictorial patterns and complex designs can be woven with needle and thread alone most people find it faster to use a loom and mistakes in the pattern are less likely to happen when using a bead loom What s the difference between a bead loom and a fabric loom It s the weaving method that is different With a bead loom the weft is woven first behind the warp thread and then in front of the warp thread With a traditional fiber loom the warp threads are separated so the weft can be woven above and below the warp threads in a single pass What do the coil springs do Your Boomerang Bead Loom comes with three sets of coil springs for weaving with Czech 11 0 and 8 o seed beads and for Delica 11 0 and 8 o beads The spaces between the coils in the spring are where the warp fibers rest making the coil springs equivalent to a reed on a traditional fiber loom Likewise the spaces between the loops in the coil springs correspond to the dents in a reed The space between each of the loops in
3. thread goes over the warp thread So the beading process is this With the weft thread behind warp thread pick up beads Position one bead between each warp thread Push beads up so they re poking up above the warp thread Keeping the weft thread in front of the warp thread thread the weft thread through the beads Once you get the hang of it you ll find weaving with beads on your Boomerang Bead Loom is fast and fun It s exciting to watch the pattern come to life row by row When your weft thread gets too short you can add a new one First weave the end of the weft thread into your piece by threading it through a single bead at a time working your way down one warp thread Move to the next warp thread by weaving through two beads and reverse direction If you can make a figure eight using this method that s the best to lock in your work Once you have the weft thread worked into the piece start a Boomerang Bead Loom User s Manual 11 new weft thread the same way Weave it through one bead at a time making a figure eight Work your way to the edge of the piece and start the next row Once you ve completed the last row weave the remainder of the weft thread back into the work using the method described above Finishing Your Work Once you ve completed your project there are a couple ways you can finish your work Invisible edge For an invisible edge you ll want to weave each of the warp threads into the piec
4. By 3 Ea uaa Bi ag penz BRE h ies Take a few minutes and see if you can read the second row of bead colors Here are the bottom two rows of the pattern oo BEE BEE E BES BES E EEE HEE E ww Hah y BB j EE E E HE EE E E EE EE E fi ee ES BE BEE EEE G By See g a E E BE ra You should have gotten the following one dark two light two dark one light two dark two light and one dark See how easy it is Be 5 Now that you know how to read the pattern converting it to a beading project is easy each row of the pattern is a row of beads You just need to have the right color beads and string them according to the patterns and you re on your way Oh and it s easy to make your own patterns using graph paper Boomerang Bead Loom User s Manual 9 Weaving with Beads To weave with beads you re going to start by preparing your work area In addition to your bead loom pattern beads and thread you ll want the following items small paper plates to hold your beads one plate per color scissors beading needles and a pen The bead loom Set up the bead loom on your work surface Warp the loom then position the legs so the loom is at a comfortable working angle The pattern Place your pattern where you can refer to it without having to pick it up every time To avoid errors use the pen to tick off each line once you ve completed it The beads Using a separate plate for each color pour
5. the spring coil is the same size as the corresponding beads for which is it labeled This space determines how far apart the warp threads are spaced allowing for even placement of the beads in your weaving If the warp threads are too close together the beads will bunch up and the surface of your weaving will look wavy not flat If the warp threads are too far apart there will be empty space between the beads and the warp and weft threads will be noticeably visible Boomerang Bead Loom User s Manual 14
6. Knot the end of the warp thread around the brass screw you ve selected as your starting spot You will loop more than one warp thread on each brass screw Depending on your project width you will work your way across the dowel connecting warp threads to the brass screws and threading them through adjacent spaces in the coil spring i To start warping the loom tie one end of the warp thread on a brass screw on dowel 1 Maintaining even tension pull the warp thread over the top of dowel 2 positioning it in one of the spaces in the coil spring Continue to pull the warp thread across the bead loom work area and position it in the space of the coil spring spanning dowel 3 that lies Boomerang Bead Loom User s Manual 6 directly opposite the one you used in the coil spring on dowel 2 Pull the thread down and under dowel 4 and across Wrap it around a screw on the bottom of dowel 1 This diagram shows the path of your first warp thread Now you re going to do the same thing in the opposite direction 4 a oer lt Reverse course pulling the warp thread back under dowel 4 and over dowel 3 Position the warp thread so it goes through the next open space in the coil spring pull it across the bead loom work area to dowel 2 positioning it to go through the space in the coil spring that is directly across from the one just used in the coil spring on dowel 3 and next to the one you used in the first step Continue guiding the w
7. arp thread down to dowel 1 and wind the warp thread around one of the brass screws on the underside of dowel 1 This diagram shows the path of your second warp thread Boomerang Bead Loom User s Manual 7 Continue in this manner moving over one space in the coil spring each time you reverse direction and moving to the next brass screw on dowel 1 when it is closer to the warp thread s position You ll want to stop when you have enough warp threads for the chosen width of your finished piece Because you want to have a warp thread on the outside of both sides of your piece you want to use one more warp thread than the number of beads that will go across the width of your project For example if your design is 18 beads across you will have 19 warp threads e e pe A lt 6 6 B gt 5 i I i You need I more warp thread than the number of beads across the widest part of your design For example if you want rows of 8 beads across you need 9 warp threads Knot the last warp length to the brass screw on dowel 1 nearest to its position Now you re ready to start weaving Recommended Warp Path This diagram shows an example of what your warp thread path should look like Loops on the outside threads represent knots on the brass screws Loops in the center indicate the thread looped around the brass screws without knotting Boomerang Bead Loom User s Manual Alternate Warping Method Warp in one directi
8. e using the methodology described for adding a new weft thread Starting from the middle of your piece cut one of the warp threads Thread the end onto a beading needle and weave it through your piece going back and forth a single bead at a time working your way down a warp thread Move to the next warp thread by weaving through two beads and reverse direction If you can make a figure eight using this method that s the best to lock in your work Continue working this way from the middle to the edges of your work For mounting You can also weave the weft thread in and out around the warp threads essentially creating a fabric edge to your piece This can be folded under if the beading is to be mounted on fabric or some other backing It can also be used to hold the piece into a frame or mat You can find lots more tips and tricks for using bead looms finishing your pieces along with great ideas for bead loom projects on the internet Boomerang Bead Loom User s Manual 12 Glossary We may have used some terms that you are not familiar with They are explained here If we ve forgotten something or if you have a question not addressed here please email us at boomerangbeadlooms earthlink net and let us know what to add Warp Warp threads are the vertical strings on the loom They are attached to the Boomerang Bead Loom by tying them to the brass screws on bottom dowel The warp is strung parallel to the boomerang shaped side
9. ed on Dowel 2 Choose the set of coil springs that match the size of the beads you will use for your project Now youre going to stretch one coil spring across each of the two upper dowels dowels 2 and 3 of the bead loom Boomerang Bead Loom User s Manual 5 The coil springs have a loop of wire at each end Slip one loop over the brass peg at one end of dowel 2 then gently pull the spring so you can slip the loop at the other end of the spring over the brass peg at the other end of the dowel 2 Now use the second coil spring of the set and do the stretch it across dowel 3 Make sure you catch the loops in the grooves on the pegs The warp fibers go in the spaces between the rings of the coil springs Using the coil spring that matches your bead size ensures the warp fibers will be the correct distance apart for even placement of the beads in your weaving Warping the Loom Please keep in mind it is much harder to describe how to warp the Boomerang Bead Loom than it is to actually do it With that said let s go Place the loom on a flat surface You should be able to read the Boomerang logo on dowel 4 You re going to tie the warp thread on one of the brass screws dowel 1 To determine which side you should start on consider which way you ll prefer to work If you are right handed you will likely find it easier to start on the left most screw if you are left handed you will probably want to start on the right most screw
10. hat determines the width of the bead loom s working area Coil Springs The coil springs connect to dowels 2 and 3 These are used to provide the proper spacing for beads by positioning the warp threads in the spaced between the rings of the coil springs gt Eam The coil springs have loops at each end These loops are slipped over the brass pegs on the upper dowels dowels 2 and 3 as shown in the picture above Every Boomerang Bead Loom comes with three sets of coil springs sized for 1 Czech 11 0 seed beads 2 Czech 8 o seed beads 3 Delica 11 o and 8 o seed beads for 8 0 beads use every other space Brass Screws Warp threads are tied to or wound around the brass screws on the bottom of dowel 1 Boomerang Bead Loom User s Manual 4 Getting Started The picture below shows a Basic Boomerang Bead Loom in the position most people choose to use it You might want to position it in a different way of course but this photo gives us a common starting point Attaching The Coil Springs Your Boomerang Bead Loom comes with three sets of coil springs labeled for use with Czech size 11 0 seed beads Czech size 8 o seed beads or Delica size 11 o or 8 o seed beads For 8 o Delica seed beads place the warp thread through every other space in the coil spring rather than through every space ete TTITETTITETTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTT _ A Coil spring mounted on Dowel 3 i Ai A A E Coil spring mount
11. ied weft thread In the figure to the right if you tied the weft thread to the far left warp thread to the left of bead 1 you would pick up all the beads for the row then start with bead 8 Make sure you have your weft thread with all the beads behind the warp thread Now starting with the last bead in the row push the bead up between the last two warp threads so it pokes up above the warp threads Thread your beading needle back through the bead making sure that the weft thread goes above the warp thread this time Hint it s having weft threads both behind and on top of the warp thread that holds Boomerang Bead Loom User s Manual 10 the bead in place Do the same for the next bead to the left and so on You might want to do two or three beads at a time but for the first row it s challenging to try to do the entire row at one time Once you have the first row completed you want to repeat the process for the second row Pull your weft thread taut Keeping it behind the warp thread pick up the next row of beads Since the first row of beads is holding the warp threads exactly bead distance apart instead of having the coil spring holding the warp threads approximately bead distance apart adding this next row will be much easier Assuming your project isn t too wide you should be able to hold the entire row of beads up and thread your bead needle through the entire row at one time Don t forget you want to make sure your weft
12. on You could also wrap your warp thread around the brass screws on the warp slide and loop around in the same direction rather than reversing course for each length of the warp thread This method works but it is easier to maintain even tension on the warp thread when you wrap it around the brass screws on the warp slide as described in the section of this manual on Warping the Loom Reading a Bead Loom Pattern Bead loom patterns are readily available You ll find loads of them on Etsy and other sites Once you buy one you love you ll find they re very easy to read The vertical lines of the pattern represent the warp threads and there s one horizontal row for each row of beads So the pattern is a graphical representation of the project you re going to make aR piai al EE 3 EE E E EE EE E a E Bee te a Bee a8 Si Ze a as a g i BA ZRH E The picture on the right is an example of a 2 color pattern it s done with dark and light blue beads When weaving you work from the bottom of the pattern up So looking at the very bottom row of this pattern below and EE E E HE working from left to right you can see it starts with two light blue beads then two dark blue beads one light blue one dark blue one light blue two dark blue and ends with two light blue beads That gives you a total of eleven beads across ABA E 928 BEE 6B oon 6 8 8 z Ha Sa FE ia ii B B5 Say ii iB RES al Be a ca A B P
13. out a portion of the beads you re going to use for your project Hint don t pour out too many it s easier to add more than to pick up beads that you ve accidentally spilled The weft thread Cut a length of thread to use as your weft thread Keep in mind you will be using two lengths of weft thread for each row of weaving so you ll want a nice long thread to start with Hint keeping it untangled is the key How to weave with beads Tie one end of the weft thread onto the first row of the warp threads This will be the left most warp thread if you re going to work left to right and the right most warp thread if you re going to work right to left You want this knot to be positioned towards the bottom of the bead loom the part closest to your body so slide it down if necessary to get it into position For purposes of these instructions we re going to assume you are working left to right Thread the opposite end of the weft thread onto a beading needle Working with your bead pattern pick up the appropriate color beads in the appropriate order Using the two color pattern example from the Reading a Bead Loom Pattern section of this manual you would pick up in this order 2 light blue beads 2 dark blue beads 1 light blue bead 1 dark blue bead 1 light blue bead 2 dark blue beads 2 light blue beads The best approach for the first row of beads is to start from the side of the piece opposite from the side with the t
14. s over the top and bottom dowels and the coil springs attached to them The coil springs at the top and bottom of the bead loom serve to separate the warp fibers at the proper spacing for the size of beads you plan to weave with The warp threads stay in place throughout the weaving process during which beads are placed between the warp threads and are strung on and held in place by the weft see below Warping the Loom No need to worry about the bead loom itself warping our bead looms are made of furniture grade cherry wood which will not warp Rather warping the loom refers to attaching and stringing the warp threads on the bead loom Weft The weft threads are the horizontal strings used to hold the beads in place While the warp threads are set up and remain on the loom the weft threads are the ones that you weave through the beads Here s a handy hint while warp threads go up and down weft threads go from weft to wight Using a beading needle beads are strung on the weft and pushed up from underneath so that one bead fits between each of the warp fibers see figure 4 below That weft thread is underneath the warp thread The weft is then threaded back through the beads from the opposite direction on top of the warp threads see figure 5 below Having weft threads on both sides of the warp thread is what locks the beads in place Figure 4 Figure 5 Boomerang Bead Loom User s Manual 13 Frequently Asked Questions
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search