Bead Embroidery Techniques; Beadweaving: Herringbone Stitch

When I was a little girl, my grandmother found an antique Native American doll with elaborate beadwork on her buckskin dress tucked away beneath the floorboards in her attic. Although I was forbidden to play with it as a child, today it sits on one of my shelves, and while I've always been rather hesitant to replace some of the missing beads, after watching this video I'm feeling a little more confident. Bead Embroidery Techniques covers all of the potential uses for bead embroidery--bridal gowns, crazy quilts, wall pieces, broaches, and dolls--demonstrating a wide array of stitches, including canvas work, running stitch, scatter beading, lazy stitch, back stitch, feather stitch, stem stitch, beaded edgings, beaded fringes and more. Projects include a pin cushion, a nautilus-shaped pin, and a house-shaped pin, presented by friendly and well-organized instructor Carol Perrenoud. Sporting solid instruction and fine close-up camerawork, this sure-to-be-popular crafts program is suitable for beginners, but also provides enough tips and tricks for experienced beaders. Definitely recommended. Aud: P. (J. Asala) ! In Beadweaving: Herringbone Stitch, Carol Perrenoud demonstrates the South African herringbone stitch for intermediate-level beadweavers, showing viewers how to increase (add in contrasting beads) off the edge, decrease (terminating a pair of beads from the design), and make tubular herringbone stitches. Projects include making a “braided ribbon” bracelet, radiating fan bracelet, ring, and a sea urchin basket, while viewers are also advised on how to combine different bead sizes in their designs, and are presented with a gallery of finished items at program's end. Good close-up camerawork (Perrenoud demonstrates on larger beads than are used for the actual projects), combined with diagrams to help illustrate various methods, make this a solid crafts tape that is sure to be popular. Since an instructional flyer gives directions for all the projects, libraries will want to keep the original on file and circulate a copy. [Note: Perrenoud is the host of two other titles in the Victorian Video beading series: Beadweaving: Peyote Stitch and Bead Crochet.] Recommended. Aud: P. (R. Reagan)