Beaded
dresses are the newest and hottest trend in the international market and
designers have started creating beautiful sequined designs on wide range
of apparal including t-shirts, gowns and jackets. This is one of the
most unique and coolest forms of functional art and way ahead of other
fashion trends. Nearly every culture documented has placed value on
beads and beadwork, leading to believe that using bits of shell, wood
and feathers to decorate ones possessions is as old as human history
itself.
Evolution
Until very recently in human history, beads were still a symbol of
wealth and power and were used in trade as a form of currency. Actual
evidence of such ancient use of beads is probably lost, but there are
some interesting evidence being found as archeologists make new
discoveries. Some of the oldest surviving examples of beadwork were
found among Egyptian antiquities, because the arid dessert environment
helped preserve the fabric and thread.
Bead Embroidery
In the broadest modern definition, bead embroidery is a method of
embellishment for dresses, quilting and decoration, beads being attached
to fabric with thread and needle. First, it should be obvious that beads
can be added to almost any embroidery stitch, not just tent and cross
stitches. The beads can be added with the help of following stitches:
fly, extended fly, chain, herringbone, feather, and backstitch, and
cretan.
Beads also add dimension, color and shimmer to the garments. Every
society have the basic technology to make beads consisting of items from
plant seeds to various stones. Plant material required the least
technology to produce beads and was a widely available medium.
Bead Embroidery can be used to create motifs and are stitched in a
modified backstitch, using primarily seed beads and nylon thread. These
motifs are well suited to being appliquéd to dresses. Because
seed beads come in such a wide variety of colors and finishes, the
possibilities are endless.
