Facets

Beads in embroidery create interesting bumpy texture and add 3-dimensional lift. That sounds awesome—until you start stringing a hundred tiny orbs that roll around when you try to pick them up. How many times have you toppled your bead tray, or how many beads have you lost under in the couch, while trying to embroider with them? There's an easier way! We're here to make your bead-life better, with Kreinik Facets.

Kreinik Facets are a bead-like yarn that you couch on the surface of your needlework. They're essentially beads that are already strung together. So you get no mess, no flying beads—only the cool look of 3-D texture without the hassle. On your way to becoming a Kreinik thread expert this year, you will want to explore this fun fiber option. Here's everything you need to know about Kreinik Facets to make your next project as gorgeous as ever.

Five facts about Kreinik Facets

• It's faster than beading. Imagine simply laying one strand of beads, rather than threading individual beads one at a time.
• It's a surface embroidery thread, you don't stitch in and out with it like a traditional Kreinik Braid. This actually makes it versatile: you can use it on any size canvas or fabric.
• It comes in two sizes: regular Facets and Petite Facets, which are half the weight of regular Facets.
• It comes in a wired version. Aside from the obvious 3-D effects, the wire holds its shape while you couch it down (ie, great for cursive words).
• You can use it to make interesting cords. Take the red Facets and cord with Kreinik's Micro Ice Chenille in green, for instance, using the Custom Corder tool, then turn the cording into a wreath shape. The Facets look like holly berries.

Where to use Facets

Think of this fun fiber for borders, trims, cording. Use Facets to replicate jewelry, garland, rope-like areas, or any motif where you would normally use beads.

• needlepoint
• cross stitch
• embroidery
• clothing
• quilts
• home decor

How to use Facets

1. First, prepare the ends. This is the trickiest part about Facets, but easily controllable. Wrap a piece of tape tightly around the end. Use a large needle or awl to open the hole in your fabric or canvas, and plunge the end to the back of your work. Use the needle or your finger to "close" the canvas/fabric fibers around the Facets.
2. Alternate thread-end prep: use a clear nail polish or FrayCheck™ to stop any raveling. After it dries, the ends can be secured as part of your stitching on the surface of your work (no need to plunge to the back).
3. Couch Facets (tack them down) using either a matching color of Kreinik thread (like #4 Braid or Cord), a clear monofilament thread, or a contrasting color of any thread (like silk or metallic). What you use to couch them depends on the look you want to achieve in your design. Feel free to experiment and have fun here.
4.  When finished, either plunge the end to the back (as in #1 above) or use #2 option to finish off the end.

Where to use it:

In cross stitch, needlepoint, surface embroidery and counted thread designs where you want to attach a real metal thread, or a larger item like a thick thread or cording, and in traditional Japanese embroidery.

• Kreinik 1/8" Ribbon & 1/16" Ribbon
• Kreinik Heavy #32 Braid, Canvas #24 Braid & Medium #16 Braid
• Kreinik Japan #5 & Japan #7
• Kreinik Japan colors in #16 Braid, 1/16" Ribbon, and 1/8" Ribbon
• Kreinik Torsade
• Kreinik real metal threads
• Kreinik Facets & Petite Facets

Use these finer threads to couch the thicker ones: 

• Kreinik Cord
• Kreinik Japan #1
• Kreinik Silk Bella
• Kreinik Silk Couching Thread

How to do it:

Follow the diagram for needle and stitch placement. Plunge the end of your thicker thread into the fabric at A, securing the ends on the back of your fabric with a few stitches, or temporarily taping the end. To couch, come up at 1, down at 2, up at 3, down at 4, etc. When finished, plunge the end into the fabric at B, and secure end on the back of your fabric with a few stitches.

Alternative: 

Designer and teacher Anna-Marie Winter taught us that you can also couch a thicker thread by inserting your tacking stitches down the center of the larger thread, rather than side-to-side as in the traditional instructions above. This enables you do make curves and corners more easily.

WATCH how to couch in needlepoint: