November 2024
Bead Weaving
My fascination with bead weaving began when I came upon some early eighteenth century cross stitch patterns. I had to know more.
I discovered that these specific patterns were used by students at the Ackworth School in England. At the school the young boys were taught archery and pursued other chivalrous hobbies. It was the girls of the school who created the artifacts such as samplers, and hand stitched geographical globes that traveled through time to meet me.
I have incorporated some of the sampler motifs into the bead weaving work I do today.
The images are created on a grid made up of small squares and colors are added to the squares to create the image. Even though bead work is distinctly different from cross stitch, the patterns themselves are created the same.
The colors I choose resemble those of needlework done from the 1700s. I use a flat C-Lon thread, specially designed to pass through the tiny beads and narrow thread of the loom. The beads are Miyuki Delicas. These cylindrical beads are the smallest this Japanese company makes. They are prized for their consistant size, quality and color. The beads measure 1.3mm x 1mm.
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When the weaving is complete I remove it from the loom. I then construct a mechanism for a piece of jewelry such as clasp or pin back. Sometimes I will frame these pieces in a shadow box which allows the light to pass through to reveal the color variations and subtile effects that I am attempting to create.
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Working in this way feels like weaving yourself into a cosmic tapestry, something that has been worked on long before you, and will continue to have new elements added long after your work is done.