Beading (Manek) Tutorial – Part 3: Interior Beading

Continue from Part 2: Border Beading

After you have finished your border beading, you can go ahead to fill up your shoes face with your chosen pattern. The photo below shows you an example of my design on a thong style sandal which I have not completed when I took the photo.
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Beading (Manek) Tutorial – Part 2: Border Beading

Continue from Part 1: Preparing The Frame & Canvas

After having your frame and canvas prepared, shoes-face traced out, the next step is to sew a stretch of beads along the shoes-face outline like the picture shown below.

You need:

1. Japanese seed beads size 15/0 for the border
2. Very fine needle so that it can go through the hole of the seed bead
3. White color quilting thread
4. Needle threader (The needle’s eye is so small that you will appreciate to have this threader in hand )

The sewing method is to simply adapt the technique ….

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Beading (Manek) Tutorial – Part 1: Preparing The Frame& Canvas

Ever since I posted my Kasut Manek (beaded shoes) here, I received several emails from readers around the world asking me how to do beading for it. I decided to post some comprehensive tutorials in this area to cover all-you-need-to-know-how-to-bead-a-Kasut-Manek.

These tutorials are going to split into 4 parts:

• Part 1 – Preparing the frame and canvas
• Part 2 – Border Beading
• Part 3 – Interior Beading
• Part 4 – How to take measurement on your foot
  

Here we are, at the very beginning among these tutorials: How to prepare your cross-stitch canvas….

You need:

1. A wooden frame measuring 11″ x 14″, preferably soft wood like pine so that you can press the thumb pins into it easily.
2. A 16-count cross-sticth canvas, white color, 11″ x 14″. Sew a border of 3.5″ width with cotton fabric
3. Some thumb pins
4. Shoes-face shape of your foot size
5. Pencil

If you can’t find the wooden frame, you can always substitute it with   ….

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Manek Purse & Shoes

I made a frame clutch purse to go with the kasut manek I did weeks ago.

***Update***
I developed a step by step tutorial for manek shoes beading:

• Part 1 – Preparing the frame and canvas
• Part 2 – Border Beading
• Part 3 – Interior Beading
  
• Part 4 – How to take measurement on your foot
  

Kasut Manek (Beaded Shoes)

Finally, I finished my second pair of Kasut Manek. It has been the most eye-straining project I have done. Average people take about 2 weeks, even months to complete but I took about 12 days (working throughtout day and night). I did my first pair about 9 years ago for my wedding, unfortunately it was stolen during a break-in.
The manek or beads I used is Size 15 Japanese Seedbeads. I used 7 colours: white, sliverlined blue, yellow, sliverlined yellow, opaque green, opaque chartreuse and black. There are manek shoes made from bigger beads, size 11 but personally I prefer the smaller size as it makes the pattern look finer and better.
First of all, clamp a 16-count cross-stitch cloth onto a rectangular frame, trace an outline of the shoes cover of the pattern and size you want (I got it from the shoes-maker who is going to do the final part of the shoes). Start of with sewing the top and bottom outline (blue colour beads in my picture shown below). Next, start sewing the beads from the center of the pattern. The bead should be sewn in diagonal direction on a square of the cross-stitch cloth. Pick one bead into the needle for every square you sew.

Upon finishing, you can give your manek shoes cover (shown above) to your shoes-maker to attach the sole and heel in order to complete the kasut manek. Choose the colour you prefer for the sole and heel. I used blue for the sole and white for the heel. The shoes-maker will need to measure your foot in order to perfectly fit your feet. If you can’t present yourself there, you can trace your foot outline on a paper and measure the width of the widest part across the upper arch of your feet. Some shoes-makers will want you to come again to fit the shoes before he nails and fixes it permanently.

***Update***

I developed a step by step tutorial for manek shoes beading:

• Part 1 – Preparing the frame and canvas
• Part 2 – Border Beading
• Part 3 – Interior Beading
  
• Part 4 – How to take measurement on your foot
  

Craft Fair: Kasut Manek / Beaded Shoes

“Manek” is the Malay words for “beads”, and “Kasut” means “shoes”. Kasut Manek were made and worn by Peranakan women as a part of their traditional costume in olden days. The tiny little “manek potong” are hand-sewed onto a piece of cloth and the finished hand-piece is then custom made to a pair of shoes, be it open-toe or fully covered type. There are also available in slipper type where they are made up of two strips sewn in a criss-cross or parallel manner across the feet.
I am now making one for my own, an open-toe type and it is about to finish. It is very tedious and can be strenuous on the eyes too as the beads are so tiny. I have spent weeks working on it and the process is so slow. I am sure it will be a beautiful pair of shoes, yes, an unique one for me that you can get it from the market.
If you want to get a glimpse of how to make a Kasut Manek, With Every Bead will satisfy your curiosity.

***Update***

I developed a step by step tutorial for manek shoes beading:

• Part 1 – Preparing the frame and canvas
• Part 2 – Border Beading
• Part 3 – Interior Beading
  
• Part 4 – How to take measurement on your foot