Monday 18 March 2013

Japanese Beadwork: The Reveal {Bead, Book & Bounce}

Each month, as part of our Bead, Book & Bounce feature, we choose one of the most popular beading and jewellery making books and challenge our readers to dust off the books on their shelves and create projects from their neglected library. Over the past few months, we've all been working on projects from Japanese Beadwork by Sonoko Nozue. 

Part of Lark Crafts, Beadweaving Master Class Series, Japanese Beadwork includes twenty-five beadweaving projects - including necklaces, bracelets and brooches.


Due to technical issues (ie. building work!) I'm running really late with the reveal this month, but the time has now come for us to share our projects inspired - finished or not - by the tutorials, techniques or inspirational pieces included in Japanese Beadwork. 

Susan Sassoon created this amazing version of the free download, Sonoko Wave. Here's what Susan had to say about the pattern. 

"The project was unusual because it required you to bead perpendicular to the way I'm used to beading a necklace. Usually, I start with a tube and bead around and around to the required length. Here, we were instructed to start with one row, the full length of the necklace and add rows alongside it. It didn't look like much as I progressed, until the very last step, where the zipping up into a tube created the magic!"


"While I love the result, I am a bit disappointed in the length. Because of the construction method, additional length was difficult to add and I feel that the length in the instructions was much too short. I had to improvise in order to make this wearable for me. I may try it again, or at least use the technique, but because of the spiraling effect, I think it will be difficult to estimate the required length from the start.

I found the instructions and diagrams very brief but clear, just how I like them!"

You can share your own projects with us using the Mr Linky. 
  • Please link directly to your Japanese Beadwork blog post, so that we can find it easily. 
  • Please leave a comment here when you link up your project. 
  • Please try to visit the blogs of other participants when you can. We all love a bit of love!
And don't forget that we're still working on projects from Sabine Lippert's Beaded Fantasies with a new reveal on the 6th April.

2 comments:

Cat said...

I can understand how it would be hard to estimate the finished length while you're working on it. In spite of that, your necklace did turn out beautifully!

Unknown said...

Beautiful spiral Susan. I'd love to have a go at that project too one day. Thank you for the notes on length, good to know!
Linked mine up. Unfortunately, not quite finished.
Gemxxx