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Findings & Finishings
By Sharon Bateman
Interweave Press, $21.95, November, 2003
(800) 272-2193 or www.interweave.comFindings and Finishings is the book to use for the many options available for that final touch on beadwork. It is a great book for that final inspiration when you have a piece that cries for more for finishing it right. This book isn't so elitist that you will be expected to forego using purchased finishings. Nor is it so pedestrian that you can't get an inspiration for making your own finishing. Even if you like using small beads there are nice toggles and other connectors to make.
There is advice and picture of "how-to" ideas for making beaded and wire bails or using a cabochon for a connector. Truthfully, it isn't anything I'd thought seriously about using either, but it makes great sense when you've put your heart, soul and money into making an outstanding piece to take the final step for finishing it off with pizzazz. As a person who feels intimidated by wire, I was encouraged by this book. As a person who uses a lot of little beads I was gently kicked in the tush to remember that I could do something different.
I like that this book gave so many options. There are knots, beading techniques, wireworking basics, stringing techniques, and a short lesson on which beads to use and when to use them. Interweave Press does it again.
Beadwork Creates Beaded Bags
30 Designs
Jean Campbell, Editor, Beadwork Magazine
Interweave Press, $16.95, 2003
(800) 272-2193 or www.interweave.comThis is another in a series of books from Interweave Press in the 4 1/4" x 10" format with 30 designs for beaded bags. There are a lot of crocheted and knitted bags in this book, plus some you would use as evening bags for posh settings. That is a lot of ground to cover.
The samples and directions cover a lot of variety. Some are similar to a beaded amulet bag with wonderful shading and dimension. Others use a made or purchased bag and go from there. Some of the bags are beautiful and practical. Some bags are about tradition in the Native American way with unique techniques.
My favorite? Well, it has to be the tooth fairy bag! This one is so off the wall, darling, and different it screams whom is the maker, plus it made me reminisce about the time when my children would have loved this sort of thing. (No, I'd never picked up a bead at the time. We weren't even on speaking terms.) And for wire workers--don't feel left out--there is a bag featuring wirework.
There are many techniques as well as helpful hints for these bags. I hope you'll check out the copy in the library.
Netted Beadwork
By Diane Fitzgerald
Interweave Press, $21.95, 2003
(800) 272-2193 or www.interweave.comDiane Fitzgerald has a loyal cadre of beaders whom she can call upon whenever she has a big project to fulfill. They do wonderful and creative work. Netting is one of the oldest techniques of beadwork around. This is the 8th book in the Beadwork how-to series published by Interweave Press.
I think everyone in the beading world knows that Diane Fitzgerald travels to many places, gathering history and beads as she goes. This is certainly true of her Netted Beadwork book. The history of netting is nearly lost in the dim roots of the past, but the history covered in this book is in China, India, Egypt, America, Europe, South Africa, Malaysia, and the Ukraine. I know I found the history much more fascinating than the netted work. That is not to say that I'm not going to try some of the techniques in this book. I certainly am. I really hadn't realized that netted and netting are not always an interchangeable technique or words. Having read about this technique, I'm going to be more careful and accurate about that usage.
Some of the wonderful things about the different projects in this book are the results that came from the different makers. If you are looking for a new method of holding a cabochon, look into using a netted bezel. One of the wonderful features of the netted beading is the open, airy and drapy feel of the finished product. Want to make beaded beads? There is an extensive section on doing just that.
This is a good book that you'll be able to check out of the library.
Wire Jewelry In an Afternoon
By Mickey Bassett
Sterling Publishing, $22.95, 2001
(212) 532-7160 or www.sterlingpub.comThinking about making some wire jewelry, but don't know where to start? This might be just the book for you. As a non-wire worker I found lots of guidance in the tools and equipment section and also in the general instruction section of the book. There were two instructions that were invaluable, such as, "Making a Perfectly Symmetrical Twist" and "Constructing a Flat Coil Maker."
There are many samples and instructions showing how to make simple earrings, glasses neckholders, lanyards, and wrapped wire jewelry. There are also several simple, but very effective pieces using cut and folded screening--called gold screening--in conjunction with beads and wire. I thought these were wonderful pieces and very elegant. There are many bead dolls with directions that wouldn't be too hard to modify and redesign into your own piece of jewelry. Another idea was using wire with the gold screen or with a beaded amulet or other piece. Everyone knows that usually the join between beads and wire can be tricky, but here is some wonderful advice.
I think this book is great for the beginner in wire working. It should broaden their horizons and pique their creativity.
Bead All You Can Bead:
An Open and Shut Case
By Amy Loh-Kupser
i-bead.com, $24.95, 2002
(360) 340-3227 or www.i-bead.comWhat to use to carry your personal and business cards in, is the question answered by this soft cover and spiral bound book. I love the title of this book, and I like the designs. These are the kinds of things I make to relax and gather my wits and design ideas while making something someone else has designed. It lets my mind rest. This is particularly true of Amy Loh-Kupser's designs since you can use her little pre-printed patterns in the back section of her books. At first go of trying these I always did something wrong in getting started with these patterns. Now, I find using them as the guide is faster than anything else and makes for a perfect evening of relaxing while my mind rests, and my eyes and ears are on TV and my fingers are picking up one bead at a time. Add making something useful and beautiful into that equation and what could be better.
Using the patterns in the back for the "Quick Start" really works for me. Since all of these patterns are 102 beads across and 121 beads down, you could use two of the designs and cut them on the line and tape two different sections together to make a different design. Since some of the designs use oriental calligraphy figures, you might want to add them to a different design. Then let's just say you hate using the "Quick Start" patterns and refuse to do so. That is okay too. Because the designs are printed in larger format in the book as well. So is the finished product. So here you have 14 patterns for card carrying amulet cases that you can put a strap on and wear while you shop. You could even carry your keys and a credit card in there and not need to carry anything but your bottle of water while you shop (have to keep hydrated you know). "Ladybird Duet" is the one I made for carrying my cards. I love that idea of Ladybugs being called Ladybirds.
The book is pretty pricey, but everything is now days and I like the designs in this one. There are very few of Amy Loh-Kupser's book that I don't like though. She also has a kit on her website of the pattern that I made and for some that is a better bargain. To me, this book was worth the price as a place to rest mentally and still enjoy beading.
Creative Kumihimo
By Jacqwui Carey
Devonshire Press Ltd., $29.95, 1994
(617) 479-5139I picked this soft cover edition from the Book Table at the Bead Bazaar this year. It seemed like a lot to pay for a soft cover edition, but oh, my, it is a wonderful book. Anyone interested in making braids to finish an amulet bag, as decoration to hang a nametag from or as embellishment to an ocean scene or knotted branches would love this book.
A couple of the things I like best about the book are the full color photo examples, the ease of reading a simple pattern growing into more and more complex patterns and the "how-tos" with pictures and drawings as well as the written word. There is a section on tying knots that I think is just wonderful and illustrated more nicely than most books. The photos of the marudai with bobbins and weights is very clear and has a beautiful braid in process hanging down from the center and keeping the bobbins taut. There are explanations and pictures of the process and even (I have no idea how they managed this) the rhythm needed for making the braid. What really makes this book grand are the charts showing the way each bobbin travels in the grids and patterns and showing each step that the hands take in moving the strands to make the braid. I think this book is much clearer on this point than the other book on Kumihmo that Jacqui Carey wrote, Beads and Braids. I like this book better.
The setup showing the grid, the movements and a drawing of the finished braid and a photo of the braid in process is great too. These systematically categorize the braids into round, flat and square plus the number of strands used in the braid. There are whole sections on hollow braid and tassels that are wonderful additions to the braids you'll make. The original price of this book seems large, but the result is great. This is a good book for your library.
Sashiko: Easy Elegant Designs
for Decorative Machine Embroidery
By Mary Parker
Lark Books, Asheville, NC, $17.95, 2002
(800) 284-3388 or www.larkbooks.comThis is another soft cover book I garnered from our Bead Bazaar Book Table. And I like this book very much. Since I missed the May meeting with Sashiko and Dustin as the program, I had to tell you about this book.
I don't think I've ever read a more fascinating history section. If you aren't the kind of person who takes time to read Introductions, may I suggest you do so. In fact, I'll include a short direct quote that may show you why I think these things are important to read.
"My mother was an artist and teacher. During his working career, my father was a time and motion engineer and a research and development shop supervisor. . . . However, by some stroke of good fortune, I seem to have inherited an aptitude for both their sets of skills along with a knack for integrating them." And that is just the first paragraph of the Introduction. The history section is even more fascinating, as it explains why and how Sashiko came about and its evolution into the design process it is today. It even explains why the designs are so deeply satisfying on an emotional level for those of us who are moved by design--and in the end we all are. This history section drew me in far better than any novel. I think the author has a gift for making history live. That isn't something you'd expect for a book on how to do a technique, just an added bonus.
The how-to sections are for use with a sewing machine, which many beaders don't even want to think about using. But I can see these designs beaded or with your own interpretation. And then there is the pattern section, which I think you could use as a jumping off point. For instance the Kasumi (mist) pattern on page 102 really appeals to me, as does the Untitled Hokusai # 2 on page 104. On page 132 is the Tsuru (Crane), which is an original pattern by the author. What inspiration on these many pages. All the designs have appeal on several levels.
For the modest price, I think this book is one bead people can get a lot of use from.
Knitting with Wire
By Nancie M. Wiseman
Interweave Press, $19.95 ($5.96 s&h), 2003
(800) 272-2193 or www.interweave.comKnitting using wire may seem a little off the wall for bead people, but this technique uses beads, too. For fiber people, wire is a bit of a stretch, but an interesting one. One of the techniques covered in the book is what is called "Viking Knitting," which is more of a wire working technique using an Allen wrench as the knitting tool. This is a fun book.
The size is small for a book, just 6 1/4" by 7 1/4", soft cover, a picture of Nancie Wiseman on the back, and 30 projects for hand, machine, and/or Viking knitting. Not bad for all it contains. The Introduction is so humorous. Nancie talks about knitting with all kinds of wire determined to make a bowl for her first knitting project. She has a section where she shows (with line drawings that are computer generated I think) how to make findings for the finished bracelets, necklaces shoes, sweaters and stockings made from wire.
The section on Viking knitting is really intriguing with a little history and all the tools you'll need or want to make. Looks like so much fun. And what about knitting with wire on a knitting machine? Well, the projects include scarves, wastebaskets, roses, and necklaces.
This is an interesting book. It incorporates things that fiber and bead people will enjoy learning about and trying. This book is included in the Rocky Mountain Weavers' Guild library.
Beadwork Creates Beaded Beads
Jean Campbell, Editor, Beadwork Magazine
Interweave Press, $16.95, 2003
(800) 272-2193 or www.interweave.comThis book presented me with a real quandary. I don't do, nor understand, beaded beads. You can see the quandary, right? But there are lots of people who do this technique and even understand it. I thought about getting one of them to review the book but in the end, I decided I could do this.
The book is the size that I think is nice, 4 1/2" wide by 10" tall, so it slips into a tote easily. The format is of 30 projects, just like the companion books of Bracelets and Necklaces. The photography is luscious. The projects take from 30 minutes to about 4 hours. The one project that takes over 4 hours is a sculptured bead with turquoise chips, cube beads, and seed beads. Sounds intriguing, looks intriguing. There is a wonderful little jack-o-lantern bead that makes me almost understand this form of beading and I almost want to try it. Our very own Nancy Zellers is on pages 11-13, with a "Golden Gumdrop" bead. This bead made me think of lemon drops and oranges, looking good enough to eat.
There are many different beads made with several different techniques, that I'm sure beaded beads people will really enjoy, be inspired by, and want to make. Even I'm a little interested in making the jack-o-lanterns, so you know the book must be good. This book is available through the RMBS library.
Bead Weaving Featuring the Mirrix Loom
With Claudia Chase
abba dabba Productions, $39.95, 1 hr 44 min
(877) 744-0002 (toll free) or www.abbadabbavideo.comWhen I first watched this video I was totally struck by how different it was from what I had expected. Of course, I couldn't say what I expected and all I knew was that it was different. When I watched it a second time, I was struck with how much information was in the video.
This video doesn't waste a lot of time talking about things the bead weaver doesn't care about. It gets right down to the necessary tools for making a bead weaving. One of the really nice sections at the very beginning of the video covers the definition of such things as: Warp--the vertical strings attached to the loom, Weft--the string you put the beads on to weave between the warps, Etc. Claudia Chase invented the Mirrix Loom and a friend who is an engineer helped to bring it to fruition.
Then comes the first project: a Bead Soup Bracelet. Again you have to listen carefully and listening with a note pad and pencil isn't a bad idea. This video isn't the one you need to get your warp strung (that is the video that comes with the loom), but there are finesse points about tension and warp choices that you don't want to miss in this video. Also, Claudia talks about the dents or spaces in the springs for different sizes of beads. Most important of all, she shows how to hold the beads in the "V" of the shed and then slip them down. She explains why the first and last row must be needle woven and how to do it. One tip I really liked was tying the first weft thread onto the left side of the loom side to keep it out of the way and still have plenty of thread to make a strong ending tie off to that thread. Or it is conceivable you could have a really long thread left after the tie and store that in a little plastic bag until you were ready to make the footer? And what is a header and footer?, you ask. In fiber weaving this is used all of the time. Because Claudia comes from that background, many of the techniques she uses in beading are from her fiber background. I had heard of the "fiber endings" from my students, but hadn't seen one in beading. Well now I have. It is an archival way of securing the ends with no glue. You'll want to see how to do and try it.
In the second project, "A Bead Soup Purse," Claudia uses different colors of the same size beads. Much of what was covered earlier is gone over again. This time the piece is wider and there is demonstration and discussion of what to do when you think you can¡¯t control a bead string that wide. Because heddles and a shed are used in both projects, there is a lot of information just on bead manipulation in this context. It is good stuff. Stuff you need to know and see. I'd always felt that I was working too hard to get a project done. Now I know I'm not. Watching Claudia fiddle with the beads in the first shed rows (always the hardest part of a project) made me realize I'm doing what needed to be done. That's powerful, ladies and gentlemen! There are also examples shown of using a fiber and bead cord and how to put it on. There are demos of picot edging, how to use a bead spinner, where to use a doll making needle, and so much more.
The best part of the video is the last project, "Weaving A Pastel Cartoon." In this section, Claudia talks about learning to see colors--for example, staring at tree bark for a long, long time until you see the colors actually present in the bark--and then learning color theory. She talks about the freedom of using a cartoon in the gestalt of creating a weaving and she talks about series and how to have freedom within the parameters of the series. And more, so much more is covered.
An hour and 45 minutes seems like a long time when you first read that on your video holder, but this hour and 45 minutes is chock full. The camera work is good. The quality is good. I highly recommend this video for people interested in possibly purchasing a Mirrix Loom. This video is well worth the price plus shipping.
Beaded Obsessions III:
The Saga Continues!
By Cheryl Assemi, Carol Sweet, Cathy Thomsen, and Connie Bell
Beadgang Publications, Fresno, CA, $19.95, XXXX
4721 W. Jennifer Ave., Ste. 5, Fresno, CA 93722This is a pattern book with some instruction included. When these 4 people (the Beadgang) get together and self publish a book, I usually enjoy the book. They have simple patterns that can become more difficult with the finishes and fringes they add. They also have a nice way of taking a subject I'd thought would make a good design and make it better than I would have done. I like that in a group of people willing to share. The amulets purses/necklaces featured in this book are on the small side and therefore don't take a long time to complete. I like that in a book that I use to make small items that sort of fill up the void between my own designs taking shape in my mind and those ideas coming to fruition. These small purses/necklaces fill a time that I use for resting my creative self and doing something satisfying and at the same time in filling.
The difficulty in the designs comes from the ragged edges that follow a flower or a theme such as oceans or animals. This in turn gives some relief to the flatness of most peyote work. Each fringe technique has something a little different that helps trip my mind into more creative channels with fringe. Probably one of my favorite things is the "Boo Bear" amulet. It is a teddy bear with a pumpkin in his middle and is so cute. I hope I get it made one day. I also like the teapot, the ocean designs included. There are other neat designs, but these are my personal favorites.
The instructions included are for Flat Peyote Stitch, Circular Brick Stitch, Adding on for Unusual Shapes, Connections & Adding Thread, Netting, and what they call "That Knot!" It was interesting to me that the knot didn't work for me until I switched the "old" and "new" threads around from the diagram, but maybe I wasn't looking at it correctly. I do that sometimes.
I don't often review "pattern books" anymore. But this one is good and I wanted to add my praise of this book. It is fun and would make you smile as you made the items inside.
Beadwork - A World Guide
By Caroline Crabtree and Pam Stallebrass
Rizzoli International Publications, New York, NY, $50.00, 2002
(212) 387-3634 or www.rizzoliusa.comAs you can probably tell from the price, this is a nice book, very nice, and it is a beautiful coffee table book of beading history for the masses. The photography is lovely, crisp, and excellent. The layout of the book is exquisite. While 208 pages are hardly a definitive history of beads, the big points are in this book and they are interesting in the way they are presented. The first section is the Introduction and has a brief overview of the ancient powers of beads and how they were made. It ends with a paragraph that I quote, "In many societies beadwork was, and still is, an indication of shamanistic power, status, wealth, or religious belief. Beadwork can indicate age, marital status, or regional origin." Well, that puts our modern beadwork in perspective doesn't it.
The next section, "Bead Manufacturing Centres," begins with a colorful map of bead trading routes. It seems that beads have been something that traveled well for a long time. The tiny bead has been traded, bartered, and traveled all over the world. This section contains a short, but informative listing of the various types of beads. From this section, I finally learned what Faience beads were and how they were made. The modern isn't left out either. Delicas were made in 1982 as a glass imitation of the former metal beads that were widely used in an earlier time in Europe.
The section on African beads is quite fascinating. The types of beading are separated according to the larger grouping of tribes. For example, the San and Ovambo are some of the oldest people we know of, genetically speaking, and they began beading with Ostrich shell beads. I've gotten to try my hand at making such beads at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and it isn't easy. Drilling a hole in the shell was the most difficult part for me. It gives you a new respect for the artisans who produced those beads in great number. Another wonderful feature that this division by tribe allows is to highlight the type of beading that developed and many times is still practiced in remote areas. Examples would be the Brick Stitch and the Ndebele techniques, which developed with the needs of status and curing and social structures of the tribe.
When we think of the beading of the Native Americans, we seldom realize how closely Arctic peoples are related to northeastern tribes. Nor do we think of the influences that shaped the plains and southwestern tribes. Seldom do we think of the isolation of the northwestern tribes and how unique their carvings and beading is. There is wonderful diversity and culture in these regions and much of it expressed with beading.
Because some of the earliest bead trading took place in the Euro-Asia continents, some of the book is devoted to the unique designs and beads developed in these areas. Many of the Czech beads we enjoy today are from the rich history of the region. It was wonderful to revisit how the history of beads has always been a small industry and passion in this part of the world. These people take beads seriously and have spread many of the techniques we use everyday throughout the world.
What book on the history of beads could do without a section on Construction and Techniques? Not this one! I really appreciated the facts, and just the facts, without the accompanying myths of why this technique originated only at this one place. It was nice to read about the different areas where working on cloth or canvas have been practiced. The same can be said for the Brick Stitch, Diagonal Weave, Herringbone stitch, and knitting and crocheting, etc.
This book is really a wonderful and valuable reference tool for the library of the serious hobbyist, artist and history buff. Once you see it, you won't want to be without it.
Beadsmith's PowerPro
A Product Review
I've never reviewed a product before, but this one has totally beguiled me with its good points. I read about this product in B&B and wondered what it was. I sent for PowerPro, not really knowing what I would get.
PowerPro comes in two sizes, a 10-pound test and a 20-pound test. I used the 10-pound test in white; it comes in a silver-gray and a white color. I used it for making necklaces and it was a great experience. Because I use Japanese seed beads, or Delicas, the diameter of the thread is not a problem, but for the record, the size is .006 inch, which is close to a size F Nymo thread. This PowerPro thread is a braided beading thread and very strong. The only problem I experienced is a little tendency to knot when I get tired and tug too hard on it. This, of course, happens when I've been beading for too long without a break and have just changed thread and it is very long. The thread tends to melt just enough when glue or nail polish is added to a knot to make it very secure. Price tends to vary. I've paid from $5.99 to almost $10 for a 28-yard spool of the same strength. Either price is a lot for 28 yards, but for specialized applications it is worth the price. I'm hoping to see this product in more stores in the future.
Last updated: 28 JAN 2004