In this blog we're looking at Miyuki Tila beads in detail. If you haven't come across them before, let us tell you about them!
Tila beads have been around since 2011 and continue to be a popular choice for off-loom bead stitching and stringing.
As they are manufactured by Miyuki they are uniformly consistent in their size, shape and quality. They are a square shaped, two hole glass bead that is flat on one face and ever so slightly domed on the other. The two holes are parallel to each other, and due to the bead shape being so precise, they can be stitched together to create pretty tile patterns (hence why Miyuki called them "Tilas"). The two holes also lend themselves beautifully to multiple strand necklaces and bracelets, as well as loom work and also being woven between leather cords.
Ladder stitch, Back stitch, Right Angle Weave (RAW) and Square Stitch all work well with Tilas, and can be combined with any Seed bead, Delica and other 2-hole beads. They can also be used as a part of a bezel for larger crystals and stones, however you need to ensure seed beads and Delicas are also used to help secure the focals.
However, care must be taken when using Tilas. As they are quite thin and angular and can easily be broken around the holes by using a needle with force, or a thread that is too thick. Even emptying the beads from their packaging onto a hard surface may cause some of the edges to chip.
Tila beads are available in a huge range of colours and finishes such as Metallic, Matte, Opaque, Picasso, Transparent, AB and Magic colours (see sample card for the full range):
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| A sample of the Picasso finish on Tila beads | A sample of the Crystal and Magic colours on Tila beads |
As well as Tila beads, Miyuki have also released Half Tila and Quarter Tila beads. Although this blog is looking at Tilas, we thought we'd include a comparison table below to see the differences in the three beads:
| Bead Name | Image | Size | Hole Size | Bead | Sample Cards (click below) |
| Tila Bead |
| 5 x 5 x 1.9mm | 0.75 - 0.85mm |
| Tila Sample Card |
| Half Tila Bead |
| 5 x 2.3 x 1.9mm | 0.8mm |
| Half Tila Sample Card |
| Quarter Tila Bead |
| 5 x 1.2 x 1.9mm | 0.8mm |
| Quarter Tila Card |
| When all three of these beads are stitched together they can form a slinky yet flexible and strong length of "chain". This style is particularly useful as a basis for a bracelet that can be embellished easily. |
Although similar to CzechMates Tile beads, be careful not to mix up these up with Tilas as the dimensions are very different. As you can see from the picture to the right, the CzechMates Tile beads are much larger and thicker than the Tilas, and their edges are far more curved. |
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Like the look of these beads? Check out our range here now