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Beading on a Loom (Beadwork How-to)
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Beading on a Loom (Beadwork How-to) Customer Reviews
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Intermediate Instruction and Master Class Samples
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Beading on a Loom' by Don Pierce is sort of two books in one, and both suffers and gains from that fact. The book begins with something of an overview of basic seed beading techniques which, to someone like me, who did some pretty large self-designed American Indian style beading projects many years ago, is just right as a next step in teaching us how to, for example, do French woven chains, where the weave splits into two different runs of warp, to be joined at their ends with a clasp. This project also adds elements such as a medallion and fringes.
Looking through the Tools and Techniques' chapter, one's initial reaction is that the book is a good elementary introduction to beading on a loom. However, while the instruction is very good, it really picks up at an intermediate level. I strongly believe that if I had no prior experience with seed beading, I would find myself doing a lot of fumbling around trying to make sense of some of the instructions. The three leading signs of the intermediate level of the book is that it does not bother explaining such elementary terms as warp and weft; it has too few photographs or illustrations of some of the most elementary techniques such as the look of a beading needle; and it cites no sources for beading supplies.
This is not to say that this is not a valuable book for a beginner. The second half of the book is a photographic gallery of beading pieces done by expert craftsmen. For someone brought up on American Indian beading techniques and designs, these pics are a revelation of what has been done by contemporary and historical artisans working in the European tradition of haute couture, elevating a simple craft to the level of high art.
The problem one faces with this book, just as I encountered when I read Colette Peters' Cakes to Dream On' is that while I know all the basics of loom beading (and cake baking), the book really doesn't give me everything I need to make the leap from craft to art. Of course, it may simply not be possible to do this in one book, but the book clearly show one how high one can aspire in working in what seems to be a really simple technique. In that vein, the book scores points with me for giving a nice little bibliography on loom beading techniques. There is nothing more frustrating than wanting more from a book, without a clue as to where to go.
The fact is that the craft is a lot more complicated than what you will find in your Boy Scout merit badge pamphlet on Indian Lore! Also, one little thing which tips the scale for me between a four and five star rating is Mr. Pierce's very engaging writing style. In technical fields such as handicrafts and cooking for example, it is so nice to find someone who writes as entertainingly as he writes well about his subject.
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