Photo courtesy of
Interweave Press
Photo courtesy of Interweave Press |
Book Review, November 2005The Beader's Companion: Revised Edition
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Whenever a revised edition of a book comes out, you know two things. One - the original edition was a good seller, and two - there have been some changes made to the original edition. The changes in The Beader's Companion are simple, and yet add a lot to the book. They've added full color, and they've given the book a spiral binding within the hard cover to make it easy to keep the book open to the page you're working with.
Nearly every section of the book has also been updated to include new product information, and a new section on semiprecious stone beads has been added. Sections in the book cover bead types, types of glass and finishes, bead sizing, stringing materials, waxes and conditioners, glues, and needles. There are also brief how-to sections for the following techniques and stitches:
At the end of the book are some pages of graph paper for square stitch/loomwork, brick stitch, peyote, right-angle weave and herringbone. There's also a graph of a simple brick stitch alphabet.
So what do I think about it? I think The Beader's Companion is a good resource for those who are relatively new to the art of beading. Intermediate and Advanced beaders won't find anything really new, although it may be worth checking the book out from the library to see if there are any tips that you might not already know. As with any book of this type, there are some products that aren't included in the book. There is always something new on the horizon, and the nature of the printed page makes it impossible to be completely up-to-date. For example, the popular "fishing line" threads like Fireline aren't mentioned in the thread section, nor is the thread zapper device for melting thread ends that I've seen so many beaders rave about. There are also some topics that aren't covered that I've seen beaders spend days talking about on some of the mailing lists I read, such as bead storage options, ways to organize beads and bead design software. I'm not too surprised at that, however, because there often seem to be as many ways to store and organize beads as there are beaders, and bead software options are most likely not going to stay current for very long.
In general, The Beader's Companion is a well-organized and thorough look at the basics of beading, and is a good book for beginners to use to get a feel for what's out there.
Judith Durant is an artist and author whose beadwork has been featured at SOFA New York and Chicago and in Beadwork, Interweave Knits, and PieceWork magazines. She is the coauthor of Memory Makers Great Scrapbooks: Ideas, Tips & Techniques, and has worked in the publishing industry for the past twenty years. Judith lives in Lowell, Massachusetts.
Jean Campbell is founding editor of Beadwork magazine, and has written and edited several bead books for Interweave Press, including The Beader's Companion (1998), Beaded Cords, Straps and Fringe (2001), and the Beadwork Creates series. Jean first used beads as embellishment to her fine arts, furniture, and product designs, and once she caught bead fever she never recovered. Jean lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In business since 1975, Interweave Press publishes magazines and books related to fiber, thread, needlework, and beads. Throughout Interweave's evolution, its publications have focused on natural materials and processes, a respect for doing, and an appreciation of the fine, simple things in life. Interweave publishes six magazines including Beadwork, Handwoven, Interweave Knits, PieceWork, Spin·Off, and Fiberarts. Interweave is dedicated to creating a resource for its readers to find the best information in their field of interest, the latest news, the best products, the newest techniques, and the history behind the techniques.
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