Beader's Canvas Update

-
As I tried to figure out how to make feather earrings a few weeks ago, I finally had the chance to do some in-depth work with Beader's Canvas software.

The Pluses

Size Adjustments: One of the biggest challenges in plotting out a pattern by hand on graph paper is that all beads are not made the same, but all squares on graph paper are. Some beads are perfectly round, some are wider than they are long, and some are longer than they are wide. That means that a pattern will vary according to the type and size of bead used. Beader's Canvas allows for that, with the dimensions for Miyuki beads, including Delicas, and Toho beads already programmed in. Users can simply select the type (I used Delicas) and the size of the on-screen graph automatically adjusts. If you aren't using Miyukis or Tohos, you can manually enter the dimensions needed.

Stitch Switch: I first started the feather project in square stitch, but unhappy with how all attempts were turning out, I switched to peyote and then to brick, without having to open a new file. What I had drawn on the screen didn't look any more like a feather than my attempts in square stitch mode, but I liked the ease of transition.

Color Assortment: Most projects I do call for generic colors -- light blue, pink, dark orange -- etc. I mostly decide which colors I'll use after I've decided what the project will be. However, should I ever want to be very specific about the colors, especially with Delicas, this software will let you do that.

The Minus

Only Mostly User-Friendly: My biggest gripe is that the print function is hidden. After I came up with a feather pattern I was satisfied with, I went to the "File" menu to print it out, and guess what? No option to print. It wasn't grayed out, it just wasn't there. At all. But, not wanting to take the time to read the directions, I created a screen grab, moved it to Gimp and printed from there. Only later did I discover that print functions are under the "Chart" menu. Go figure.

In all, I love the program and how simple it was to use. If I uncover any more big pluses or huge minuses as I use it more and more, I'll post another updated review.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

More pumpkin earrings for Halloween

-
Image
As my older sister showed me the latest earrings she made, I couldn't help but laugh. Just like me, she had her mind on pumpkins. (And Frankenstein and Dracula, though she hadn't made earrings featuring those creatures yet). Nearly all earrings my sister makes are long, dangling creations in the Native American style,* and she brought that into her Halloween earrings. Here is what they look like: How adorable are those little pumpkin faces at the top? I also love the sparing use of turquoise-colored beads; they seem to be just the right amount of accent for the orange and black. My big sis never ceases to amaze me. After the false starts I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, I decided to nix the idea of using square stitch in my own pumpkin earring creations because it seemed too easy to move the beads out of shape. I think this was likely because I'm not all that skilled at square stitch, since it isn't a stitch I'd used before. However, in the inte
Read more

I've got a notion to sew a Halloween costume

-
Image
Now that I'm a mother , I find myself enjoying Halloween more than I ever did as a child. Case in point: Halloween 2015 was less than a week past when I began wondering what my daughter will wear next year. On a trip to Walmart, I sought out the Halloween leftovers and sifted through the costumes hoping to get an awesome costume — one that normally costs out of my price range — at half off. But I know two things about my daughter that made looking through those costumes a waste of time: She has growth spurts every few months. I could buy the next size up, but by next Halloween, she might be two sizes taller — or three even. (She's very tall for her age.) Her tastes come and go quickly. In the week since Halloween, she's already told me that next year she wants to be Wonder Woman, then changed her mind and said, "I think I want to be Sofia the First. " Once I realized the perfect 2016 costume wasn't on the rack, I got ambitious. Despite knowing l
Read more

"Elegant Beaded Bags" by Sonja Hood

-
Image
My in-laws sent me a few new beading books for my birthday last month, and I cannot wait to try them out. The first one I want to try out is "Elegant Beaded Bags" by Sonja Hood because features crochet beading, which I've toyed with a time or two, and bags, which I love. (Seriously, I've signed up for magazines I didn't really want just to get a free bag with it.) "Elegant Beaded Bags" by Sonja Hood Each project in the book falls into the "easy" category, which makes it perfect for a bead-crochet novice like myself. I can crochet, but the only crochet projects I've ever completed were blankets. From the first time I saw a bead-crochet bracelet, I've wanted to make one, but for some reason, I find it intimidating. Hopefully, this will be the book that gets me past the skittish stage. I'll update with a craft book review once I have a chance to try it out.
Read more