French pumpkin herringbone options and 2017
I still love to bead – and/but I’m developing more interests. I’ve tried a lot of things this summer and onward, and they generally are still textile arts; I stitched a tiny bit of sashiko embroidery noodling around in an embroidery class. Not complete. I took a class on coiled basketry (from Sandra Brick!). Not complete.…
Beadwork has happened!
Completed a while ago, but not yet posted, is this shallow, wide-rimmed bowl for a challenge/competition for Whimbeads. I purchased the kit of beads sight unseen (but themed by season), and created beadwork that incorporated at least half of the kit beads. I did use just over half the beads, and only the kit beads…
Nyonya Needlework: Embroidery and Beadwork in the Peranaken World
This exhibition at the Peranaken Museum of embroidery and beadwork is one I’d dearly like to see. Blouin Art Info wrote a post about it, with a gallery of items included, as did the Straits Times. Peranaken Chinese are Straits-born Malay, descendants of Chinese immigrants who came to the Malay archipelago. Their beadwork is distinctive, and the…
SAORI weaving
I had a perfectly delightful time last weekend weaving on a SAORI loom. This is a Japanese loom and style of weaving, designed about 50 years ago by Misao Jo. From the handout that was placed on each loom, “‘SA’ of SAORI has the same meaning as the first syllable of the word ‘SAI’ which…
Strung Together at the University of Oregon
“Strung Together: Beads, People, and History” is open now at the University of Oregon’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History in Eugene, Oregon. It encompasses thousands of years and six continents of beads, including 50 items from the museum’s permanent collection, alongside the work of contemporary bead artists including Suzanne Golden. There are also interactive…