It's time for our October Book Club! Just as a reminder, each month I choose a crafty book from my bookshelf and create something inspired by the book. I hope you'll be inspired to do the same.
This month I chose The Art & Elegance of Beadweaving by Carol Wilcox Wells.
I also own Carol's first book (and one of my bead bibles): Creative Beadweaving: A Contemporary Guide to Classic Off-Loom Stitches. Without reservation, I highly recommend both books. They are both so well done with excellent instructions and fantastic illustrations. Everything I know about beadweaving I learned from these two brilliant books.
The Art & Elegance of Beadweaving is divided into 8 sections:
- Introduction, Materials, Tools, and Tips. From tools to knots to how many beads per gram, this section is full of wonderfully useful information.
- Beaded Beads. This is the chapter I used to make yesterday's Second Floor Challenge beaded beads. There is an inspirational gallery up front and then instructions for eleven different kinds of beaded beads.
- Chevron Chain. Chevron chain is a kind of off-loom beading stitch. There are four projects in this section ranging from a necklace to a basket. Carol also offers lots of great tips on creating variety in your chain stitching.
- Crocheted Ropes. These are so super fun and easy to make! And totally addictive too. Carol takes you through the basics of creating crocheted ropes, with lots of pattern variations, and then gives you four super cool crocheted rope projects.
- Herringbone Stitch. This is another kind of off-loom beading stitch. The beginning of this section covers all of the how-tos in deep detail. All the variations are included — flat, tubular, increasing, decreasing, etc. Then there are four projects.
- Peyote Stitch. Carol's first book made me fall in love with Peyote Stitch. It's easy to do and looks great! Again, this is another kind of off-loom beading stitch. The beginning of the this section covers all of the basics of Peyote Stitch and then there are five projects.
- Spiral Rope. This section follows the format of the previous chapters: instructions on the stitch and its variations and then four projects.
- Contributing Artists, Acknowledgments, Bibliography, Index
I think that this book is a nice mixture of aspirational beading projects by über talented artists and totally achievable projects with instructions. The photography is very well done, and as I mentioned before, the beading charts are top notch. Really well done.
Here's something I made inspired by this book:
The necklace has a secret clasp:
And here's what it looks like when I'm wearing it:
If you're into beading, or you'd like to be, do yourself a favor and pick up both of Carol's books!
Happy Halloween!
Jaw dropping gorgeous…
Your necklace is really beautiful! Love the weaving technique. Going thru my old books to find a project would be fun but take several weeks since I would get stuck looking at the books instead! Sure hope you are safe and life gets back to normal soon.
Jaw dropping gorgeous…
Your necklace is really beautiful! Love the weaving technique. Going thru my old books to find a project would be fun but take several weeks since I would get stuck looking at the books instead! Sure hope you are safe and life gets back to normal soon.
Jaw dropping gorgeous…
Your necklace is really beautiful! Love the weaving technique. Going thru my old books to find a project would be fun but take several weeks since I would get stuck looking at the books instead! Sure hope you are safe and life gets back to normal soon.
Jaw dropping gorgeous…
Your necklace is really beautiful! Love the weaving technique. Going thru my old books to find a project would be fun but take several weeks since I would get stuck looking at the books instead! Sure hope you are safe and life gets back to normal soon.
Jaw dropping gorgeous…
Your necklace is really beautiful! Love the weaving technique. Going thru my old books to find a project would be fun but take several weeks since I would get stuck looking at the books instead! Sure hope you are safe and life gets back to normal soon.
WOW! Your necklace is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.
WOW! Your necklace is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.
WOW! Your necklace is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.
WOW! Your necklace is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.
WOW! Your necklace is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.
Very nice 🙂 great idea to make something from a book! Thanks for sharing.
Very nice 🙂 great idea to make something from a book! Thanks for sharing.
Very nice 🙂 great idea to make something from a book! Thanks for sharing.
Very nice 🙂 great idea to make something from a book! Thanks for sharing.
Very nice 🙂 great idea to make something from a book! Thanks for sharing.
Gosh Julie, who knew? I should have. I had no idea that you were into beading also. That must have been before I “knew” you! This is really lovely. I really like how the focal is a hidden clasp. When I see something beaded in this fashion, I always wonder how long it takes to make? It seems like it would be nearly forever given the size of the beads. Any idea about how long it took?
Gosh Julie, who knew? I should have. I had no idea that you were into beading also. That must have been before I “knew” you! This is really lovely. I really like how the focal is a hidden clasp. When I see something beaded in this fashion, I always wonder how long it takes to make? It seems like it would be nearly forever given the size of the beads. Any idea about how long it took?
Gosh Julie, who knew? I should have. I had no idea that you were into beading also. That must have been before I “knew” you! This is really lovely. I really like how the focal is a hidden clasp. When I see something beaded in this fashion, I always wonder how long it takes to make? It seems like it would be nearly forever given the size of the beads. Any idea about how long it took?
Gosh Julie, who knew? I should have. I had no idea that you were into beading also. That must have been before I “knew” you! This is really lovely. I really like how the focal is a hidden clasp. When I see something beaded in this fashion, I always wonder how long it takes to make? It seems like it would be nearly forever given the size of the beads. Any idea about how long it took?
Gosh Julie, who knew? I should have. I had no idea that you were into beading also. That must have been before I “knew” you! This is really lovely. I really like how the focal is a hidden clasp. When I see something beaded in this fashion, I always wonder how long it takes to make? It seems like it would be nearly forever given the size of the beads. Any idea about how long it took?
OH thank you for posting the book where you learned how to make your beaded bead! This book is definitely going on my wishlist. Love that necklace too.
OH thank you for posting the book where you learned how to make your beaded bead! This book is definitely going on my wishlist. Love that necklace too.
OH thank you for posting the book where you learned how to make your beaded bead! This book is definitely going on my wishlist. Love that necklace too.
OH thank you for posting the book where you learned how to make your beaded bead! This book is definitely going on my wishlist. Love that necklace too.
OH thank you for posting the book where you learned how to make your beaded bead! This book is definitely going on my wishlist. Love that necklace too.
Thanks for that Julie…I’ve ordered it already.
Thanks for that Julie…I’ve ordered it already.
Thanks for that Julie…I’ve ordered it already.
Thanks for that Julie…I’ve ordered it already.
Thanks for that Julie…I’ve ordered it already.
So beautiful Julie…Your art, spirit and generosity are so much part of what you create!
So beautiful Julie…Your art, spirit and generosity are so much part of what you create!
So beautiful Julie…Your art, spirit and generosity are so much part of what you create!
So beautiful Julie…Your art, spirit and generosity are so much part of what you create!
So beautiful Julie…Your art, spirit and generosity are so much part of what you create!
GORGEOUS work!! LOVE the beading and the hidden snap clasp is genius!
GORGEOUS work!! LOVE the beading and the hidden snap clasp is genius!
GORGEOUS work!! LOVE the beading and the hidden snap clasp is genius!
GORGEOUS work!! LOVE the beading and the hidden snap clasp is genius!
GORGEOUS work!! LOVE the beading and the hidden snap clasp is genius!
Beautiful necklace Julie. I love the round style and it looks hard to weave but I bet the book takes you through it step by step.
Beautiful necklace Julie. I love the round style and it looks hard to weave but I bet the book takes you through it step by step.
Beautiful necklace Julie. I love the round style and it looks hard to weave but I bet the book takes you through it step by step.
Beautiful necklace Julie. I love the round style and it looks hard to weave but I bet the book takes you through it step by step.
Beautiful necklace Julie. I love the round style and it looks hard to weave but I bet the book takes you through it step by step.
Lovely necklace! Your talking about these two great books made me pull them out of my beading-book shelf (shelves). I hadn’t looked at them for a long time, as my interests concerning beads have mostly shifted to bead embroidery. But I can see it coming: Much time and many cups of tea will be spent looking at these fabulous books once again.
Lovely necklace! Your talking about these two great books made me pull them out of my beading-book shelf (shelves). I hadn’t looked at them for a long time, as my interests concerning beads have mostly shifted to bead embroidery. But I can see it coming: Much time and many cups of tea will be spent looking at these fabulous books once again.
Lovely necklace! Your talking about these two great books made me pull them out of my beading-book shelf (shelves). I hadn’t looked at them for a long time, as my interests concerning beads have mostly shifted to bead embroidery. But I can see it coming: Much time and many cups of tea will be spent looking at these fabulous books once again.
Lovely necklace! Your talking about these two great books made me pull them out of my beading-book shelf (shelves). I hadn’t looked at them for a long time, as my interests concerning beads have mostly shifted to bead embroidery. But I can see it coming: Much time and many cups of tea will be spent looking at these fabulous books once again.
Lovely necklace! Your talking about these two great books made me pull them out of my beading-book shelf (shelves). I hadn’t looked at them for a long time, as my interests concerning beads have mostly shifted to bead embroidery. But I can see it coming: Much time and many cups of tea will be spent looking at these fabulous books once again.
This necklace is GORGEOUS Julie! Wow!! You may be pushing me in another creative direction! Thanks as always, for sharing!!
This necklace is GORGEOUS Julie! Wow!! You may be pushing me in another creative direction! Thanks as always, for sharing!!
This necklace is GORGEOUS Julie! Wow!! You may be pushing me in another creative direction! Thanks as always, for sharing!!
This necklace is GORGEOUS Julie! Wow!! You may be pushing me in another creative direction! Thanks as always, for sharing!!
This necklace is GORGEOUS Julie! Wow!! You may be pushing me in another creative direction! Thanks as always, for sharing!!
I found both books at the local library and I can’t wait to try to make my own beads.
I found both books at the local library and I can’t wait to try to make my own beads.
I found both books at the local library and I can’t wait to try to make my own beads.
I found both books at the local library and I can’t wait to try to make my own beads.
I found both books at the local library and I can’t wait to try to make my own beads.