Weekly Tip: ABC

My weekly tip is late, but timely.  Have you ever been walking somewhere and seen a dress and thought, "that would make a great quilt" or seen a background design on a pillow, a tablecloth and thought "that would make a great quilting design"?

ABC stands for:  Always Bring a Camera.  The camera will allow you to capture those ideas while they're fresh, even if you don't use them right away.  The world is full of vibrant patterns and textures, just waiting to be worked into one of your creations!  In a class or workshop, teachers or classmates will often allow you to photograph their pieces--not to be copied, mind you, but for inspiration.

The camera can also serve as a layout helper.  If you lay out your pieces/blocks/design on a design wall or table, you can use the viewfinder as a reducing glass, giving you a better perspective (specifically one from a distance).  You can photograph the layout, switch it around, and then compare several layout options simultaneously if you have a computer nearby, or consecutively if you don't, then choose the one you like best, and reconstruct the design by using the photo.

To show that I practice what I preach, here's my tale.  I recently accompanied a friend to an eye surgery appointment.  As I waited, I noticed the really cool texture of the carpet, as well as the groovy design on the chair upholstery. I pulled out my camera and took pictures, ignoring the quizzical looks from the other people in the waiting room.  I will create a Thermofax screen from the carpet photos--I deliberately took one on an angle--and I've already doodled the upholstery design in my sketchbook for FMQ.  (See my earlier post about the importance of doodling). I'll blog some more about the beauty of a Thermofax machine soon!

Tuesday Night Group: Bev & Friends, Happy Villages

In an earlier post, I promised to write about quilter Beverly's goddess doll collection, which is several hundred strong.  Beverly started making the dolls as a guild project, and by the time she stopped, she had made something like 300 of them....now she has the task of stuffing them.  Each one is different and has its own beauty, like people.  She brings them to our Tuesday night gathering, and if anyone is taking a break, or has come to a point where they can stop early, we help her with the project.  When she has finished stuffing them, she will be embellishing them with all kinds of features, ornaments, and accessories.

During the summer, we decided that on the fifth Tuesday, one of us would show the others how to do something...a technique or a mini-workshop.  The first one was lead by me, and the group chose Happy Villages.  Karen Eckmeier, the creator of Happy Villages, taught this at Garden State Quilters a while ago.  It is a wonderful fabric collage project, a great way of using scraps of all kinds of fabrics, and one of the most stress-free projects I've ever done.  The hardest part was convincing the group not to stress over how they laid out their backgrounds!  By the end of the evening, I think they understood why I kept saying, "it doesn't matter" over and over again.  You cannot mess up this project.  It would be fun to do with kids as well, as long as you trust them with scissors, or you could do the cutting for them.   A village can be completed in just a few hours.  We swapped fabrics and laughed throughout the evening.  Next week, we'll finish up the project, giving the group a chance to practice their FMQ skills on the quilt top. I took photos of the four villages.

Weekly Tip: Faux Needleturn Applique

You can take a used dryer sheet and use it to create easy needleturn-like appliqués.  Trace your appliqué motif, adding a scant 1/4” seam allowance onto the wrong side of your fabric.  Sew the dryer sheet and the fabric right sides together, using the traced line as your guide.  Press the piece flat and trim a 1/4” seam.  Carefully snip a 1” slit.  Use your judgment when clipping the slit; make it larger or smaller depending on the size of your piece.  Using the slit, turn the piece right side out, and press again.   You will have a beautiful faux needleturn piece, which you can stitch (by machine or hand) or glue to your background fabric.

Art Adventure on Riverside or It's A Small World, After All

Last night I went to the opening of Judy Langille's Torn Forms exhibit.  I first met Judy when I was stranded (although I guess it's not stranded if you're at home) by American Airlines last year on my way to IQF Chicago.  When it became apparent I was not going to my Thermofax workshop in Chicago, I looked around for local classes, and found Judy's class at the Newark Museum.  It opened up a completely different way for me to explore surface design, and I bought a Thermofax machine as a direct result of that class.

Judy has a wonderful eye for color and texture.  Her designs are simple and wonderfully complex at the same time.  To each element in the piece, she adds glorious textures.  The Treasure Room Gallery at the Interchurch Center offered a perfect background for her beautiful art.

The piece pictured on the right was my favorite.  My photo does little justice to the ethereal quality of the piece, which appeared to be a silk organza.  It floated above us, ever so slightly undulating--sheer beauty.  For me, it is an inspirational/aspirational piece.

I wished I had gotten a photo of Judy in front of one of her pieces.  By the time I caught up with her, I didn't want to interrupt her.  Fortunately, Rayna Gillman posted a photo on her blog.

Judy is teaching a Torn Paper and Textures workshop at the Newark Museum.  You can download the pdf by clicking here.  I've created a Picasa album for the evening.

It is a small world!  On my way to the museum, I ran into a neighbor/artist, Lisa, who was with another friend, Susan.  We are all so very connected, and I for one am thankful for it.  I love being around creative people!  In the photo, left-to right;  Rachel and I both belong to Garden State Quilters.  I met Rayna in person, (long after we met online) at a batik class; Sherry and I have a wide variety of connections.  Joan & I live in the same town.  Wonderful artists, all!

Rayna graciously offered me a ride back to NJ.  Rachel, Rayna, Sherry and I talked nonstop, finding that we had more friends in common.  We will likely take another art adventure together in the future.  Sherry gave me a lift back to my car, and I invited her to take a peek in on our Tuesday Night Group.  As I didn't have a machine with me, I helped another friend, Beverly, stuff some of the 300 goddess dolls she's made.  I will post a picture of Bev and her dolls soon.

On Men & Quilting

Over the last three days, two of them were spent with strange men.  (Bet that got your attention, didn't it?)  On Saturday, Empire Quilters welcomed David Taylor as their monthly speaker.  Last night, Garden State Quilters welcomed Mark Lipinksi as their speaker.

They had a number of things in common.  Both men were uproariously funny about how they came to be quilters.  Both men displayed a tremendous amount of hubris about their art, and are incredibly comfortable with doing what they do.  Both men have been so successful that they have given up their day jobs to pursue their quilting businesses full time. Both men are extremely personable, whether sharing a bag of caramel rice cakes, or schlepping bins of quilts.  You'd enjoy hanging out with them.

They had a number of things that differentiate them.  David's quilts are gorgeous, intricate portraits; his attention to detail rivals that of Jinny Beyer, Paula Nadelstern, or Jean Biddick.  David's beautiful quilts are wonderful portraits, snapshots of nature's beauty.  Mark's lovely quilts are seemingly more traditional; pieced, but using vibrant color schemes and patterns, which match Mark's personality.  I have a theory about this...keep reading. 

I wondered two things as I saw them both:  what drives a man to want to enter a world dominated (artistically, but not in the business side--again, keep reading!) by women?  One of the things I've observed is that male quilters seem to have a quicker route to superstardom; their uniqueness gives them a competitive edge.  I also notice that the men take huge leaps of faith, whether it's Mark Lipinksi starting Quilter's Home magazine, John Flynn creating his own tabletop quilting system, or Ricky Tims snapping up Alex Anderson for The Quilt Show.  I'm not hatin', as my niece would say, but I know equally talented women who are equally deserving of opportunities and accolades.

David's quilts are a result of what seems like thousands of careful choices.   For instance, if you see Keeping Watch Over Carlson Ranch to the right, you would not believe the pile (I think it was 38) of fabric used to create the piece.  All of his quilts have frequent changes in the top thread; he also changes the bobbin thread to match the top thread  Visually, the back of his quilts are nearly as stunning as the front, essentially two beautiful pieces of art. He sees the possibilities in photos, such as Sally at the Window, owned by Alex Anderson.  David's quilts have deservedly won awards at all the major shows.

Mark detailed his quilting journey, from first seeing Eleanor Burns and thinking, "I could do that!" to the present, where he is designing patterns, designing fabric, publishing Quilter's Home, and co-hosting an online show, Quilt Out Loud! . Mark said two things that struck a chord with me last night.  The first was that for a business whose primary audience is nearly 100% female, there are very few women in positions of authority in the quilting industry. It is an industry dominated by men who are making the rules, and setting the agenda.  When he said this, I thought of the fashion industry, constantly showing women who look like they haven't had a good meal in years, in shoes that we couldn't walk a block in, wearing clothes that weren't designed for average women.   We need to support the women in our business who support us.  Karey Bresenhan comes to mind, as does Pokey Bolton, and of course Alex Anderson.   They created their industries, blazing a trail for others to follow.  They continue to support and encourage quilters to value their work, and creativity.

The second dealt with issues of censorship, and Mark was incensed that guilds were rejecting member quilts from their shows because it might offend someone.  He distinguished this situation from a juried show, where the organizer has the right to accept or reject a piece for any number of reasons.  It made me think of the rapid  changes I have seen at quilt shows in general.  When I first went to shows, art quilts were the ugly stepsisters.  The quilts I saw were typically made for a bed, pieced, using commercial, floral prints and/or little color variety.  Carol Bryer Fallert's  and Hollis Chatelain's work were revelations.  More and more I am seeing an explosion of art quilts, using wildly varied techniques and a mixture of store-bought plus fabrics and embellishments you won't find on a quilt store shelf.  It's a veritable UNLEASHING of creativity!  Now the art quilts are beginning to win awards, and hang beautifully amongst the traditionals.

Now for my theory on Mark's fearlessness when it comes to color.  When I had a playdate with Rayna Gillman last week, we talked about the four guilds I have belonged to.  Two of them are large guilds mentioned above, and two of them are small, African-American guilds (Quilters of Color Network of NY, Nubian Heritage Quilters). I am also a member of an online African American Guild (African American Quilters Yahoo! Group).   Rayna asked me if I saw a difference between the two types of guilds, and I told her what I observed. First, since the African-American guilds are smaller, the group dynamic is more intimate, more friendly critiquing goes on, more information is exchanged.   I cannot say there is a cultural cause and effect going on, but in the African American guilds (both of which have members of all races and both sexes), there is an overt flaunting of the "rules".  They use patterns, shapes,  fabrics, and colors that are rich and vibrant, downright loud sometimes, and they work.  That sense of fearlessness, of only pleasing your self with your art/craft, is indispensable to any artist.  It is not something that most quilters start with, as they are typically matching textiles in clothes and use that as a guide when it comes to quilting.  Black women have frequently broken these rules.  As an example I offer Josephine Baker, Patty Labelle, Grace Jones, Tina Turner.  Mark's introduction to quilting was through an African American guild, and it still shows in his work.

Weekly Tip: Free Motion Quilting (FMQ)

My website has a tip each week which I cross-reference here.  This week's tip is about expanding your FMQ motifs, and jump starting your own creative brain.

Are you tired of doing the same patterns over and over on your fiber art?  In a class, I once heard a teacher comment that no one should ever do stippling anymore, now that sewing machines could be programmed to make the stitch.

There is an easy technique to train your brain, eyes, and hands to create new quilting motifs. It has several things going for it:  easy, portable, no fancy equipment needed.  In fact, you may already be using this technique subconsciously.

What is this magical technique?  Doodling.  That's right....doodling.  By doodling, you are commingling those right and left brain skills, training your brain, hand and eyes to make the motions and designs you use during FMQ.  Get a sketch pad, white board, or one of those Magic Erase boards--I may be dating myself here--the ones that have the sheet you lift to erase the page.  I don't use Etch-A-Sketch (TM) for this purpose simply because the motions are not the same.  The photos above are from my sketchbook.  Start with lines, loops, geometrics, then try flowers, leaves, butterflies, hearts, and so on.  Make your designs multidirectional.  Draw them facing left, right, upside down, diagonally; after all, that's how you'll be quilting them.  When using paper, I prefer a felt tip pen, but if all I have is a pen or pencil, I go with it.


In the past week, my friend Dorothy Hayes recommended  an awesome FMQ blog, Leah Day's 365 Days of Free Motion Quilting Filler Designs.  When you get there, bookmark it, then try doodling some of the designs.  After doodling them for a while, try quilting them, and I'll bet it will be easier!

Last tip:  keep a sketch pad or another pad of blank paper (the larger the better) and a felt tip pen with you at all times, and try to doodle something everyday.

Adventures Galore!

Back to back quilting adventures!  On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Rayna Gillman in her studio.  We chatted and laughed about how much we have in common (we are both ENFPs...another story).  Afterwards, I got a chance to "save" a piece of fabric.  I wondered where this fabric came from...in no way, at no time, was it my "type".  I happily went at it with some thickened dyes.  First I used a stamp I created by heating and impressing some architectural thingy into it.  Following that, I used a wonderful "Klimty" stamp purchased at a scrapbooking store in MD.   Rayna showed me how simple it is to cure my fabric using steam.  I'm definitely going to try that again.  I left her with a surprise...no I can't tell--hopefully you'll see how she used it in one of her future blog entries.   It's not finished yet; I see some paintstiks and metal on it before I'm finished.  I'll keep posting it as I gild the ugly duckling.

Here are  photos of the layered design cloth (LDC), one before I added anything, and one after I stamped (thickened dyes) dried, steamed, rinsed, and ironed it.  It's now ready for another layer.

 

My second adventure, yesterday, was a trip to NYC to see Mom.  I passed by an African shop, African Masidi & Co on Broadway and 231/232 Streets a couple of weeks earlier, and vowed to come back and shoot some photos.  When I went in today, the owner, Cheik,  was not in, but a lovely woman, Belco (shown in photo), called him and asked if it was ok for me to photograph the astounding mask collection.  When he said yes, I was thrilled. What you see is a small portion of Cheik's mask collection, as Belco told me some of the masks had been damaged in a flood.  The masks are from all over the African continent, adding variety.  I see a series, and something to use in the upcoming QCNNY challenge!  The photos of the masks are in my Picasa album, which you can see by clicking here.

The New Studio @ Workspace Harlem

Are there ever times when you do something and think, my life won't be the same after this?  There's a huge sense of excitement and little trepidation about the unknown...and sometimes the reverse (lots of trepidation and only a little excitement...you know what I mean!). Today is one of those bold step days for me.

This week, Morna McEver Golletz  of Professional Quilter  blogged about taking inspired actions.  I have ALWAYS been willing to share whatever knowledge I have with anyone who asks.  I've given presentations and lead demos at my guilds, helped fellow quilters take quilting adventures,  hosted quilters gatherings and taught dyeing, embellishing and layered design cloth workshops in my home.  I've now joined my creativity with two other like-minded creative souls in an effort to bring more sharing to more people.  Our workshop studio won't be ready for a few weeks, and in the meantime there's a lot to be done.  To see some before shots of our studio and various other rooms, click here.  As soon as the workshop studio is up and running, I'll post a schedule on my website.

While I'm taking inspired actions, I'm going to make one more bold step, and I'll let you know the outcome of that soon.  I don't want to jinx it!

Walkabout in the 'Wood

I love walking.  In NYC, it can be the fastest way between two points, particularly crosstown.  Town or country, there are usually surprises to be had on a walk that you miss in a car.

I especially love walking in the fall, and seeing the beautiful art and inspiration that nature provides.  The photo is a GINORMOUS fungus I found at the base of a large oak tree.  Oak trees seem to always have the most beautiful growths on their leaves, barks and roots.  I'll have to ask one of my gardening buddies why that is.

I cannot wait to use this in a quilt!

Weekly Tip: Seams So Easy

On my website, I post a weekly tip, which I post here so they can be archived, as I take them down from the site at the end of the month. 

This week's tip is really six tips about dealing with seams that will make the back of your quilt look better, and by doing so, make your piecing, assembly, and quilting easier.  

First, a repurposing tip. Repurposing  is when I take something meant for an entirely different use and put it to work in my quilting studio.  I keep a wallpaper seam roller at my quilting table and in my class kit.  It's great for pressing seams quickly.  

If you finger press first or use a wallpaper seam roller, you will have an idea of whether the seam needs to be pressed differently, before you've pressed it with the iron.

When it's preferable not to press to the darker seam, press to the lighter seam, and then trim the darker seam.

When pressing seams in your quilt block always press the seam flat first, the way it was sewn.  This is called "locking the seam".  It sinks the thread into the fabric and reduces the bulk of the seam.  Your seams, when pressed to one side, will lie flatter.

Often, I prefer to press multiple seams open instead of to one side to reduce the bulk.

Tuesday Night Group

It's wonderful to be able to get together with friends and have no other agenda than to have a good time crafting.  Working hard, hardly working, the laughter is flowing, the critiques are helpful, and the opinions and conversation are uncensored.  Our self-designated outreach person has already lined up a charity for our charity quilts.  This group started with a bunch of us wanting to sew together on a regular basis, and has grown beyond the original few.  Whoever can make it, comes; no attendance, or membership necessary.  We recently decided that fifth Tuesdays would be reserved for one member to show the others a particular technique.  We kick in a small donation for snacks and the center.  I've included my photo holding my preemie charity quilt, hand dyed (which you can plainly see) and machine quilted (which you cannot see at all) by me.  It's a welcome change (remember, I sit on three guild boards) to get together and not have a meeting, an assignment or task to do in preparation for it.  Just sit and sew! That is my idea of what heaven is like.

At the Morristown (NJ) Atrium

If you get the opportunity to display your work, you should take it; there is always something to be gained as an artist from the experience. Even if you only show one piece, it's the chance to share and the chance to get feedback. Last night I went to the Fall Art Show at the Morristown Atrium. The Atrium's day job is the county courthouse and other municipal offices, but the atrium-style structure lends itself to artistic displays, and thankfully, the county makes the space available frequently. With parking in the building, and refreshments in the cafeteria, it's a lovely way to spend an evening.

There were many beautiful artworks, but I went specifically to view the works of four friends, who call themselves JaViWa & Jo (Janice, Vicky, Wannetta, and Josaine). They meet at a local quilt shop, Aardvark, weekly on Thursdays; when Vicky told them there was an opportunity for them to display their work, they happily agreed and began selecting pieces.  In addition to showing their work, they have the opportunity to sell their pieces on display.   To see the photos of  the quilts, click here.  The quilts were beautiful; I only wish I had a better camera with which to capture it.  They are four quilters with four distinct voices. 

One of the photos is a group shot; Vicky joined us after the photo.  While we are all quilters, we are truly all friends who support one another.

Weekly Tip: Portable Design Wall

A great portable design wall is an inexpensive flannel backed tablecloth from the dollar store; sometimes you can find yardage of flannel-backed tablecloth to make a larger wall. It’s portable, light, and you can put it up and take it down as you need to

At the Uptown Squared Show

Last night I had the opportunity to attend the opening of Uptown Squared at Gallery M (123 W 135 St between Lenox & Adam Clayton Powell) in Harlem. The event was festive, and featured a variety of media; the artists had one constraint in common: they had to do their thing on a 12 x 12 canvas. The outcome is wonderfully varied, and worth a quick trip uptown. The show was curated by Laura Gadson.

I've posted a photo of Joyce Stroman, and her piece, Meditation. Joyce is a talented artist and AWESOME dollmaker, and runs Art-Zee Sistas with her friend Minnie Curry. For additional photos, click here visit my Picasa gallery for this event.

Weekly Tip: Sewing with Black Fabric & Unsewing

This week's tip is actually two tips in one:

If you are piecing with black fabric, use black thread on the top but navy blue thread in the bobbin. If you have to unsew, and you KNOW you will, it will be easier.

Speaking of unsewing, a speedy way to do this is to use a scalpel type seam ripper, cut every third stitch on the bobbin side, then turn it over and roll a lint remover (looks like an inside-out roll of masking tape with a handle) over the top. Voila, quick unsewing!

Hand Dyeing Class Aug 2, 2009

The summer is simply awesome for hand dyeing. I can get outside, not worry about dye splatter, lugging buckets or space. It is typically when I host dyeing classes in my driveway. I have a nearby water source, a couple of large tables, buckets galore, and a long clothesline.

Having said all that, Mother Nature forced me to take my show indoors. My students (3) took it all in stride.

We started the day doing full immersion. I wanted to do this because low water immersion (LWI) is so popular and easy that it is rare to see the technique for full immersion done. Full immersion is the best way to guarantee a solid result, as opposed to a mottled (varied shading) result.

I mixed the dyes and the dye chemicals beforehand, and asked the students to choose two colors from the 64 box of Crayola Crayons. They chose: (left to right, pictured above) chestnut, mulberry, cadet blue, turquoise, orange. I added saffron (not pictured) and we also dyed t-shirts. With some of the leftover dye, I dyed a pair of cotton slippers.

The next technique was LWI; my sample is the blue fabric (third from left). I'm sure one of the things they took away from the day was an understanding of why hand dyes are so expensive, and why it is important to write things down in case they want to repeat their results.

We also did a parfait technique --I think that is what dye expert Ann Johnston calls it as well. The fabric second from the right was dyed squeezing they dye we had mixed on t-shirts.

The only color that didn't seem to be what I expected was the chestnut (far left). It seemed plum-ish...as it might in the photo, but does not look that way when I hold it up to plum colored fabrics. It does look brown. The eye can fool you. When I spoke with them after the class, they were very pleased with their results, and want to come out and play with dyes again, though I'm not prepared to do this in my kitchen!

I am preparing to use the oranges on a candy corn quilt for Halloween....stay tuned!

Singin Wid a Sword in Ma Han

You just never know when someone is gonna need a quilt. Vienna Carroll, a talented vocalist has interpreted a slice of African American history incorporating storytelling and song, Singing Wid A Sword in Ma Han. I wanted to support her efforts, offered a sampler quilt which contained several blocks mentioned as Underground Railroad quilt blocks, and she accepted.

Singin Wid A Sword in Ma Han was accepted as part of the NY Intl Fringe Festival, and is running August 16-21. Its runtime is about an hour, and tickets are at the bargain price of $15. Keep your eye on this one, folks, and you'll be able to say, "I saw it when....".

Thus I am the proud Mama of a quilt on off-off Broadway!

Introducing sacredspacefiber.net

It is finished. Sometimes, hearing those three words is as good as hearing I love you...especially when you're talking about a creative project....or a WEBSITE. After months of hemming and hawing I finished the maiden version of my site. It's simple but useful for now, and will allow me to get in front of more people...I think.

The site contains (or will shortly) a gallery, tips, links, favorite things recommendations, workshops and lectures, a calendar of quilting events, and recipes.

Please visit the site, and give me your feedback!

Tool Time: Shape Cut & Shape Cut Plus

Alright, I'll confess. I'm a gadget groupie. Whether it's a cooking tool, gardening tool, or quilting tool, if I think it's useful, helpful, faster, better, I'll try it.

With all the templates, rulers, die cutting devices and such out there, it's easy to accumulate a lot of tools for cutting straight geometric shapes such as strips, squares, and diamonds.

This week I had the opportunity to remind two fellow quilters why I keep the Shape Cut Plus in my ruler bag, no matter what the class calls for. Nothing cuts strips more effortlessly, and once you've cut your strips, you can turn the ruler without touching the fabric and cut squares, diamonds, triangles. It cuts through multiple layers of fabric. You can make multiple cuts across your yardage without moving the fabric, and placing the ruler just once. They remembered they had one at home, and wondered why they hadn't thought to use it lately.

The genius of the Shape Cut Plus is the slots which allow you to insert your rotary cutter at regular intervals. By not moving the fabric, you are less likely to have wonky cuts. You can cut faster. You are not moving the ruler, either, (which is the way teacher/author Debbie Caffrey cuts), but rather using the ruler to keep the fabric in place

The Shape Cut Plus is not without its drawbacks. You can't mindlessly cut. You have to figure out the slot i.e, if you are cutting 1 1/2" strips, it will be the 1 1/2" slot, 3", 4 1/2", 6", etc. You also have to pay attention to where your hand is and where the rotary cutter is, or you could wind up with a nasty rotary injury. Last, the slots are only in (depending on which ruler you buy) 1", 1/2" and 1/4" increments, so those 7/8" increments that you often need for triangles are not a choice.

Still, with the drawbacks considered, this is a tool I go back to time and time again. It serves it's purpose, making my cutting time more efficient and accurate.

Book Review - Fabulous Fabric Beads

Fabulous Fabric Beads
Kristal Wick
Interweave Books, 2008 Paperback, 111 pages
$22.95

I've had two opportunities to meet Kristal at IQF Samplers in Houston and Chicago. Each time, I was impressed. Kristal has finally published her first book, Fabulous Fabric Beads: Create Custom Beads and Art Jewelry. The book is most appropriately named.

Quilters are known for saving the most insignificant scraps of fabric in the hope of using them again. Kristal provides 24 different beads to try, using fabric, paper, ribbon, leather, metal, mixed media, wood and resin.

The book is broken into three sections. The first section illustrates surface designs, and you can test these methods on beads first, and try them on larger pieces of fabric later. The second section provides how-to, with beautiful, step-by-step easy to follow illustrations. Kristal provides plenty of notes for variations.

The third section is filled with projects, a beautiful section with color palettes, a gallery, a beading techniques primer, and a list of resources.

This is great book for beginners and experienced beaders who are looking for another type of bead to add to their repertoire.