The Bottom Line
Pros
- Very detailed, comprehensive stitching instructions.
- Some patterns and charts can be reproduced for personal use.
- Beginner through advanced stitching techniques and projects.
- Instrutions included for left-handed beaders.
Cons
- Paper back binding makes it difficult to keep the book open while you work.
Description
- Instructions for over a dozen different bead embroidery techniques.
- Projects suitable for both beginners and advanced beaders and quilters.
- Full-color photos and illustrations.
- Instructions for basic beading skills, such as threading a needle, included.
Guide Review - Bead Creative Art Quilts by Nancy Eha
In her book, Bead Creative Art Quilts, Nancy Eha takes the concept of using beads to embellish art quilts to a whole new level. Instead of being simple embellishments, Nancy gives us the tools and techniques necessary to make the bead embroidery take center stage on an art quilt, instead of merely playing a supporting role.
The materials section of the book provides detail about the beads, needles, thread and other tools needed for working bead embroidery, and Nancy also includes some information on basic beading skills like threading your needle.
The instructional part of the book covers basic bead embroidery stitches, and then goes further to include three-dimensional techniques for beading on fabric and quilts including directions for a beaded kaleidoscope and a dragonfly. More instructions and patterns guide you through beading images on fabric as well as designing your own images.
Scattered throughout the book are Nancy's tips for techniques and working with fabrics. These are extremely handy for the beader who has not worked much with fabric and for the quilter who is not very familiar with beads. For both quilters and beaders, this book is a wonderful fusion of two time-honored traditions, with plenty of encouragement for beginners to explore their creativity with beads and fabric.
Included with the reference material at the end of the book are patterns that can be reproduced for personal use, along with illustrations for the basic beading techniques geared for left-handed beaders.
Nancy Eha has found a way to merge the best of beading and quilting into one exciting art form that will help you stretch your creative muscles with each new project.