Circa 1930's Apache Bead Loom

I enjoy adding looms to my studio inventory. My latest and favorite find, so far, is this circa 1930's Apache Bead Loom! These looms were originally patented in 1903 to offer 'hands on' beading, to the Victorian Lady, at home. The clippings and manuals state this loom can also be an invaluable tool, to Mothers and Teachers, "The lesson learned on a loom will help the children be skillfull with their fingers and develope their mechanical and artistic brains cells."

This purchase included the fold-out paper instructions, a spool of thread, all the pegs, small charted designs and the half completed piece on the loom, with weft and a thin needle still attached.

I find this an interesting set up, opposed to what we find on looms, in our market today. The only roller, has a "gilt headed tack". To begin, the number of warps required are knotted together, then the warps are split and hinged on the tack. Turn the roll once, then use gilt head tack #2 by placing it into a hole on the outside of the roller edge.

Each warp is separated and placed in a corresponding snotches in the "fret", on each end. The instructions also include a suggestion of using a strong, linen finish thread or silk.

The final step is to secure the opposite end, of the warps, by slipping them, grouped, between the knotch, on base, and plug the hole.

Another thread is cut, for the weft. It is suggested to start weaving on the loom, with the roller furthest from you. Tension is controled by removing the plug, pulling on the warps, then replacing the plug. The tack can also be moved to another hole, in the roller end.

The directions for warp management are summed up by suggesting each warp be knotted, in groups of two, or rewoven back into the finished work.

I can whole heartedly agree, with the manual, stating this loom offers a means to develope mechanical and artistic brain cells. Think I will have this same suggestion, written down and framed, for my bead studio wall. [Like I need a reason to weave on a loom often :) ]

Yule Tangled Up!

Just sent back to me, from BEAD Magazine UK, and perfect timing, for the Holiday! Now I can share and explain a bit of what I had in mind, when I designed this cuff.

These are 1.8mm glass cubes, woven on the loom. The light bulbs are silver lined color cubes and the background is a matt black. You can even see, in this photo, how the silver lined cubes actually shine, as if the bulbs are turned on.

The outer most warps are C-Lon Tex 400, one in red and the other green. The dangle of tree lights are tear drop shaped Swarovski Crystals and silver Keyan spacers, wrapped on sterling wires. A spiral of 11/0 silver lined glass beads create the winding garland.

There are two magnetic barrel clasps, where the weaving splits off, spaced two cube widths apart. The tangled wires, depicted on top of the cuff, are 15/0 matt glass seed beads sewn into the warps.

This pattern is in the current issue of BEAD.

Game On....Any Team!

This Holiday Season is keeping me busy, creating cuffs and earrings, for any and all of the NFL Football League Teams. I love the challenge to produce a pattern for a team I have not been following. It is giving me the oppertunity to work in different design ideas and color ways. Here are two cuffs, with more to share soon.

BALTIMORE RAVENS

NEW YORK GIANTS

But I am also making earrings, either to match the cuffs, or alone. I am switching between the loom and off-loom, but surely prefer my loom use better!

Even though all the teams are not displayed here, there are others to share. I am such a Ravens Fan and wanted to show my colors, in and out of the stadium. It was hard to find some artsy type sport jewelry, so I decided it was time to create my own. Now, I am finding others are feeling the same, wanting to keep me in orders!

Maybe this post will offer some inspiration to other "Sport Lovin' Beaders"!

November should be a Loominosity Month!

The Event, planned at 'Bead Soup' in Savage Mills Maryland, was a fanstastic, exciting night! There were over 43 attendees! Not only were all the looms, included in this picture demonstrated, but also the various methods of weaving on a loom, i.e., traditional/using a shedding device/minimal warp methods/pull & pray/etc.

I began the session with a demo of actaully weaving some large wooden beads, on a large traditional loom, using yarn as the warps and weft. This allowed me to share some tricks I do when beginning or designing my new beading, on a loom. This offered me the chance to share what color threads are best, where to begin your first row of beading, how much do you complete on the loom and how much off the loom, two ways of using wefts (one or two), and many other great new ideas. Everyone seems so involved, so it was a great point in the evening.

Capping it off, I opened my laptop, connected to the large flat screen behind me. Using a free Photo Management Program, Beadtool 4 and Beadcreator Pro 6, I created two dimensional bead patterns, perfect for the loom, sharing tips along the way. I think there was a rash of program sales, after this portion of the night was finished!! It was very well received.

Before everyone left, I did through in an impromptu drawing, giving away two bead looms. The names in the hat were "every one who attended that evening".

Still being in a fog, over instructing my favorite art, in such a great venue , I was blind sided by some other wonderful news....for weaving on a loom! My Christmas cuff, 'Tangled Tree Lights', or as it is titled in this BEAD UK Magazine, 'Yule Tangled Up', is gracing the cover of Issue 43. This hits the newstands Dec/Jan, but may also be available sooner on IMag.

BEAD UK has continually supported the art of 'weaving on a loom'. I want to thank them for recognizing this form of beading! My hopes are my book will pump this up even more!

Questions: --"What Loom is best, for a first experience?"--"How well do Bead Pattern Programs work?"

These two questions are the most often asked, via emails I receive. They are both very good questions. I feel they should be answered honestly, so the decisions a Beader makes, will create a happier "Bead Loomer"! Included in my replies, to these, are asking them, "What is your preferred sitting position, if weaving on a loom?", "What do you think you'll be weaving on a loom, cuffs/portraits/hat bands/amulets, etc?" and "What type of patterns do you think you would be beading more, graphics or portraits?"

On Friday, November 16 2012, I will be conducting a FREE open discussion, surrounding both of these topics. This Event will be held
at "Bead Soup", bead store, in Historic Savage Mill Maryland.
Details and contact numbers are included in Bead Soup's latest
'NEWSLETTER'.

I'll be bringing along looms, from my personal array, which include most of the looms for sale in the market today. They include, Mirrix, Larry the Loom, Rick's Loom, Versa Loom, No-Warps or Paper-Clip styles, looms from BeadLooms dot com, home made looms, a Jala loom, the craft wire loom, etc. Each will be demonstrated to offer their pros and cons, to the point where each attendee can make their own decision as to which would be best for them.

After sorting out the looms and their characteristics, I will share two Bead Pattern Programs, BeadTool 4 and BeadCreator Pro 6, demonstrating how any picture or photo can be transformed into the perfect bead pattern for the loom. There are many tricks to completing patterns, so having hands on instruction, from my laptop, may help direct everyone to which is best for their bead studio.

(The photo below shows bead color differences between
the program's choice and the actual bead color selection.)

The ground work we lay, on November 16 starting at 6:30 pm, may help gear everyone up to consider attending classes, in 'weaving on a loom'. Such classes could be scheduled and conducted right at "Bead Soup" in Savage Mill Maryland. This is an exciting event for me. I think it an outlet way past time. I hope to make new comers, to loom bead weaving, comfortable and offer assistance to present 'dusty loom' owners.

Please call the store, 240-456-4568, if you have any questions
or would like to make a reservation!

The Baltimore Beaded Bag Journey Has Ended

Looking back, I started weaving this bag on August 2, 2012. I shared the first idea and stages, here on my Blog. With a few distractions here and there, I can say this took about a month to complete, only four weeks. It was an enjoyable time for me. I love having something 'going on', so I can pick it up any time, keeping the stride of creativity open.

Below is a final assembly of the strap using 4mm and 6mm Obsidian beads, sterling bead caps, sterling seamless beads and my beaded bead, beaded tube and netted section. I threaded these onto a braided wire, checking for a comfortable length, every few inches. The strap is then secured using a 'closed' jump ring and a sterling bead crimp, the correct size to handle the thicker jewelry wire. If you haven't seen a 'Magic Crimper' before, look one up. I like how it forms a "small silver bead" instead of a "folded over crimp". You can see this better in the second picture down this post.

Any time I am securing a handle to a beaded bag, I prefer to attach a good, large, strong sterling lobster claw clasp. There can be many reasons to want a change of handle. This will allow an easier way, without having to resew or fill surrounding beads with thread.

You can also see, in the picture below, how the lobster claw clasp is connected to two 'closed' jump rings, also secured to a small beaded epaulette. I shared this design idea two other times, Robin Robert's Cell Phone Bag and "A Glorious Day". ("The Glorious Day" cell phone bag was made in 2010. It is still in use today, never had a problem with not being lined nor the strap being over stressed!) My design idea, for the epaulettes, is to afford a more secure attachment. This epaulette itself is sewn, through the bead bag panels, on all four sides. This relays the stress points to a wider area and not just where the strap is secured. It works wonderfully, especially for a well used beaded bag.

You can also notice a small 'drop' accent, added to the base point, of each epaulette!

Originally, when I started out designing this Baltimore Bag, I worked out many 'fringe' design ideas. When it came to adding one, I decided a fringe would make the bag too 'formal'. Since my theme is sports related, on one side, and casual dining, on the other, I decided to make a cleverly designed base.

The netted theme, of the strap, was carried out along the wide base. The width also lent itself to the wide side panels, added first. I also think it matches well with both panels.

Finally, some over all shots of the finished bag, "A Baltimore Bag":

SIDE ONE: A bead graphed portrait, or rendition of a caricature by Rick Wright, Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens Football Team!

SIDE TWO: The claw of a Blue Crab, also accented with an overall photo of a 'Baltimore Steamed Crab'!

Because I weave on the loom, everyday, I always have a loom warped. There will be more beaded pieces to share! My thoughts, however, are taking me into a direction of being more intense with 'creating bead patterns from photographs'. To tally up all the emails I receive, converting a photograph to a bead pattern is the most requested form of help. Pattern programs leave so much more to do, then just 'click and weave'. Let me warp another cuff and think about how to share such help :D

Assembling the Beaded Bag Side Panels

I have so much more to share, on how I complete a beaded bag, on my loom. If you missed the beginning stages, they are a few posts back.

Now the total construction begins! As I mentioned earlier, I don't feel a lining is necessary. How the warps are managed, or even what type of thread you use for the warps and wefts, allow any beaded bag to go 'unlined'. It is my favorite way to make them :)

Here I am securing the custom sized zipper. This is a four inch zipper with a 'stop'. The zipper just needs to be measured for the same width of the beaded panels, allowing the ends to hang over.

You can see the gorgeous inside, when this is unzipped. I also have secured the focal, on the crab panel. This is not shown from the inside, so there are no threads to catch or break.

Whenever I add an accent, sewn down to my beading, I try to keep the threads hidden. I also use 'stop' beads. This allows the thread to be hidden and the focal from being under stress from the stitches. You can see here how I added one silver perm bead with each stitch I secured.

My methods for creating the 'sides' of this bag are simple, fast and secure. Let me share my method.

First, I use a double thread, double needle to weave them back and forth through the line of beads I add. In this case, I am making the width of my side (9) beads wide. I also use the same type of bead woven in each panel, Delicas, so each line will lay flat and even. Using a different bead may c
ause some bunching.

You can also see how I added one black bead, to the gray panel side. This will offer an outline, when the panel is total finished. My option was to not add the black bead, but then the gray panel would blend in with the silver side panel. It also matches the opposite panel, where it meats the side.

As with adding the focal accents, I also include a 'stop' bead, with each turn of my thread, to add the next level of my sides. This can be any color or type of bead, but I decided on the Perm Silver 11/0.

You can see how these stop beads add further accents, to the opposite panel too.

I have completed the opposite side, and now finishing up this one. It lays so nice, doing it this way.

To secure the lines of (9) beads, I will weave a separate thread, back and forth between groups of four beads. First across from the right.....

....then across from the left. This not only secures these lines of (9) beads, but also straightens them to create a perfect side panel.

Here is a section secured, as I just described. Notice how even and perfect it lays.

Next, I'll be adding the fringe, then the strap can be secured!