Bezier Curve Tool Malfunction

I am using the Inkscape for beads. Everything was going fine until I tried to use the Bezier tool to draw the lines between the "beads". I can get the lines drawn, but if I close a thread path, I get large, geometric areas filled in with solid color. I have watched the tutorials and followed them step by step, but no matter what I do, this tool will not perform like it does in any of the videos. It is difficult to use and the results are disastrous. HELP! Thank you, Eileen