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Q: If you use 'Nymo' beading thread, you'll do better, but if you can add a seed bead to either side of the bugle (that is, if it won't affect the pattern), you thread will never be ut....we do this all the time and it works like a charm.

A: My old problem has come home to roost! I do have a solution of sorts... this did the trick, and I have made thousands of base rows like this. I use the bugle and a regular seed bead on either end as a "stack" ,count, seed, bugle, seed as if it were only a bugle and what you will have, is a seed on either end of the seed to act as a buffer to the thread. This will give you some new design options and will stop thread-breaking. This was very frustrating to me, but it works. Using brick stitch , just treat the 3 beads as 1... end of problem. It is not your thread or your tension, it is the sharp ends of the bugles that are slicing your thread. The seed bead idea should work well. If a bugle, plus a bead at each end, makes the unit too long, try just seed-beads to match the length the bugle would be. Just string and count 4 (or however many) seed beads as one. I have found that matte finished bugles also are not quite so sharp-edged. I have not tried this before, but could you use something like the lightest-weight illusion cord for the first 2 rows (whichever brand you prefer - mine is 'Supplemax')? Then, change to your thread, etc., for the third row? That is to say the seed bead thing wouldn't work.

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