Every Pixel Zone pattern is designed for Miyuki Delica 11/0 beads. Here’s what that means when you go shopping.
What Delicas are
Delicas are small glass cylinder beads made by Miyuki in Japan. Compared with round seed beads they’re:
- Very even in size, so rows line up straight and the picture comes out crisp, almost like pixels.
- Shaped like little tubes with flat sides, so they sit snugly against each other.
- Wide-holed, so you can pass your needle through each bead more than once.
The 11/0 is the size. It’s the most common Delica size, and the one our charts and finished sizes are based on. Delicas also come in 15/0 (smaller), 10/0 and 8/0 (bigger). Using another size changes the finished size of the piece.
Reading a DB code
Each Delica color has a code that starts with DB, then a number, like DB200 (white) or DB10 (black). Because sellers describe colors in different ways, the code is the reliable way to shop: search for the code, not the color name.
Some codes have letters after the number, like DB551F or DB1838F. These are variations of the color with the same number, usually a matte or frosted finish. Make sure you order the exact code on the color list, letters included.
You’ll sometimes see the same code with or without a zero in front (DB10 and DB010, or DB0010). Those are the same bead.
The color names
The names describe the finish as well as the color. A few you’ll see often:
- Opaque: solid color you can’t see through.
- Transparent: see-through glass.
- Matte or Frosted: a soft, non-shiny surface.
- Silver lined: a mirror-like lining inside the hole that makes the color sparkle.
- Luster, AB (aurora borealis), Rainbow: a shimmery coating on top of the color.
- Galvanized, Metallic, Plated: a metal-look coating.
- Duracoat: a tougher version of a coating that resists fading and wear.
Coatings like galvanized can rub off over time on pieces that get a lot of wear. Duracoat versions are made to last longer.
How many beads to buy
Each pattern’s color list gives the exact count for every color. Delicas are sold by weight, often in tubes or bags of a few grams. As a rough guide, there are around 190 to 200 Delica 11/0 beads in a gram, but it varies a little by color and finish.
So for a color with a count of 500, a 5-gram tube is plenty. For one with a count of 30, the smallest pack you can find will do.
Always get a little more than the count. Some beads are chipped or odd-shaped, and a few always escape. For small counts, 10 or 20 extra is plenty; for big ones, add about 10%.
Swapping colors
Can’t find a color, or want a different look? Swap it. Pick a replacement with a similar finish, so a matte bead stays matte. You can make a whole pattern in your own palette this way, as long as you keep the swaps consistent across the chart.
