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Bead embroidery icon patterns cover 169 designs in the 170×230 mm format on artist canvas. This is a pattern without materials: canvas with the full-colour image printed on it and a colour layout keyed to Czech Preciosa beads. You supply the beads, needle and thread.
At a glance
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Stitched area | 170×230 mm |
| Beads | 5,000–10,000 |
| Colours | 11–18, most often 14–16 |
| Working time | 20–40 hours |
| Beads needed | roughly 60–100 g in total |
How an icon pattern works
The face and hands are printed on the canvas and are not beaded — the traditional approach to an embroidered icon. Beads go on the robes, the halo, the ornament and the background. That is why the bead count is lower than on a landscape of the same size, while the demand for accuracy is higher: an uneven row next to the face shows immediately.
A note on colour
The halo and the gold detail are usually specified as coated beads. If you are choosing your own shades, buy all the gold from a single batch: differences in the coating between batches show more on an icon than on any other subject.
Questions and answers
Are beads included with the pattern?
No. A pattern is the printed canvas plus a layout with Preciosa numbers. Complete kits with beads and needle are in bead embroidery icon kits.
How many beads should I buy?
10 g of Preciosa size 10 is about 1,000–1,100 beads. A design of 8,000 beads needs roughly 80 g in total plus 10% spare.
Why is the face not beaded?
It is the icon-painting tradition carried into embroidery: the face stays painted while everything else is worked in beads, which keeps the canonical look of the image.
How is an embroidered icon finished?
In a kiot or a moulding frame with glass. Traditions and advice are in how to bead embroider an icon.