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42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wide variety of stitches and techniques to inspire you, 9 Feb 2000
By A Customer
If, like me, you're tired of American books filled with peyote stitch amulet bags depicting all manner of flora and fauna from anemones to zebras, you may find this British book a refreshing change.Its main aim seems to be to present a variety of stitches and techniques to help you design your own amulet bags if you wish. It starts by explaining how to work peyote, brick and square stitches, and netting and square netting. It explains how to make the neck of the purse, and then suggests various decorative finishes for the top of the purse. Suggestions for fringes and straps follow. The remaining two thirds of the book contains instructions on how to make a number of bags in the various stitches. Although the designs may not appear as showy as those in some of the American books, this is probably largely because the author chooses subtle colour combinations. I suspect many of these bags look better "in the flesh" than they ever could in photographs. The patterns on the bags are mostly abstract or geometric - no cute little animals here! The designs often mix beads of different sizes and finishes, showing, for example, how shiny and matte beads might be used together. This, to me, is a far more interesting use of beads than simply using them to paint pictures in peyote stitch. Patterns for a number of other objects are also given, for example, earrings, scissors case, and thimble holder. Obviously you can work any of the projects exactly as given, but they can also serve as starting points for you to work out your own designs. The wide variety of stitches, patterns, fringes and straps used in the projects gives you plenty of ideas. The numerous photographs and illustrations are very good, and the text is refeshingly clear. As someone who has up to now only worked a few purses from kits, I have found that the book has sparked off all kinds of ideas that I can use to develop my own designs - something I haven't had the confidence to do until now. A useful book - highly recommended!
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by Heather Kingsley-Heath
by Julia S. Pretl
by Bead & Button Editors
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