The beading riches around us

Complete Beading for Beginners
by Karen Rempel

Madeira Park: Harbour Publishing, 2025
$26.95  /  9781998526222

Reviewed by Christina Johnson-Dean

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Worldwide, ancient, versatile, and often full of meaning and sentiment. In two pages at the beginning, author Karen Rempel summarizes the extent of this art from early archeological sites (starting 40,000 years ago) through to present times with a myriad of uses – scattered in fields in hopes of a good harvest, ritual offerings for times and events in temples and homes, decorative and adornment pieces, status symbols, and creative expression. The variety of materials is as wide – bones and teeth, shells, ceramics, stones and gems, gold and other precious metals, and today’s synthetic beads. However, this book is not an art history book; it is aimed at immersing oneself in beading right now. It’s an excellent and easy-to-follow guide with clear instructions and illustrations. First published in 1996, its importance is ongoing. Don’t be limited by the word “beginners” in the title. Though it is perfect for beginners, this book also offers much, much more. The author has an extensive presence with the arts, writing, online events, and initiatives.

My experience with beadwork was mainly with Girl Scout/Guide activities as a child, with my daughters, and with my granddaughter. At camp, we probably have left a wealth of evidence for future archaeologists. But my recent contact with beadwork was while in Nunavik caring for my grandson while my daughter consulted with Inuit people as she does her job as a marine planner. We traveled to small communities around the Hudson and Ungava Bays as well as the straits connecting them. The landscapes are stunning, not to mention critically needing protection, and the people and their arts and culture are astounding. Impressive beadwork is alive and well in Canada. Not wanting to be “touristy,” I was shy about asking to photograph, though when I did ask, I was always met with pleased, positive responses. Our interpreter showed me beautiful beadwork on sealskin, and fortunately, my daughter’s director gave me a zipper toggle with beadwork, which I treasure, because when I did see the cost of beadwork (earrings, on boots and clothing etc.), I realized purchase was not in this senior’s budget, though priced as well-deserved compensation for the creators.

For the book’s purpose of guiding one through the beading world, there are five broad categories: Stringing, Earrings, Off-loom Weaving, Loom Weaving, and Bead Embroidery. There are starter projects for each section, so one can jump right in! Included is a list of essentials for getting started – such as materials, tools, how to measure (or plan and design), steps in beading, and solutions to possible problems.

Under the first category, Stringing, is a simple Lace and Choker plan, which includes the Shopping List (beads, leather lace, crimps for the ends, and a clasp), a Tool Kit (needle-nose pliers, scissors, tape measure, adhesive (optional), Measuring the Lace, and the actual Beading. At the side bar is guidance to the helpful ending chapters with greater detail, such as Tools and Materials. For instance, if you are not clear on the different kinds of pliers, this section shows with text and black and white illustrations the difference between flat-nose pliers, needle-nose pliers, and round-nose pliers. Likewise, with Knots. Though the starter includes an illustration of the overhand knot needed, the end-of-the-book chapter on knots gives you the array that may be required for many projects, describing their other uses and other names. For this beginners project, there is careful instruction on measuring your lace, so that you don’t end up with lopsided results (important for me). Also immensely helpful are the instructions and sidebars that anticipate problems – how to leave space between knots so the beads hang naturally, use of adhesive to hold things in place when crimping, how to use the pliers to twist the wire to the side to open the clasp loops (rather than outward which weakens the wire). I’ve made these mistakes, so it’s good to have forewarning. The second project, the Braided Bead Necklace is a step up in skill – making three strands and then braiding them together. An important addition to the shopping list and one that will be used again and again is beeswax, which strengthens the thread, keeps it from fraying, prevents it from twisting into unwanted knots, makes knots more secure and protects against moisture.

The third theme, Off-Loom Weaving, is basically the way of passing thread back and forth through the beads to create a beaded fabric. Most commonly used to form simple chains of beads for rings, bracelets, necklace, chokers, armbands, and wristband, this technique can be extended to brooches, hair accessories, belts, vests, purses, and wall hangings. The starter project is the familiar Daisy Chain Bracelet, which typically weaves seven beads around a central one. Hot tip with all these different coloured beads: use a guitar pick or a credit card to move them around into groups. Another starter project is the Collar-Net Necklace, also called Greenland Netting, Honeycomb Lace, Zigzag Lace, and Mexican Lace, indicating the many cultures that have adopted this design. The last project in this section is the intriguingly named Peyote Bracelet, which utilizes the peyote or gourd stitch, popular as expected with native peoples of Turtle Island (of the Americas) as well as early inhabitants of Mesopotamia. The style creates a hollow tube to cover solid objects like talking sticks, peace pipes, containers, and other practical and ceremonial items. There was some good advice: “Don’t worry about getting everything perfect the first time. If you make a mistake, you can always go back and correct it. If there are points you don’t understand, plunge ahead anyway. Moves which seem puzzling at first will soon become clear.”

The fourth section is Loom Weaving – using a loom to create a beaded fabric, which offers versatility with design as well as the items that can be made, ranging from bracelets, wristbands, head and hat bands, belts, mats, to wall hangings. The beaded fabric can also be sewn on to clothes to add a unique beauty. Most beaders start with a basic wire-and-dowell loom available in most bead or hobby shops. Though these can be limited in size, several pieces of finished beadwork can be sewn together. There is also information about making your own custom-designed loom. The first project is Loom Woven Bracelet, which follows a simple design and gives practices with setting up the warp threads attached to the loom. The weft threads will be the ones with the beads that will be woven to create the piece. Detailed attention is given also to the finishing techniques – how you can ensure that the warp ends work into the design and clasps.

Currently my 12-year-old granddaughter is creating bead paintings by gluing beads following prescribed letters. What next?

The book also made me more aware of the beading riches around me. Recently, Victoria’s Coastal Bead Collective’s market featured the Kwaguilth Dancers, and beadwork on clothing was eye catching.

When the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria celebrated the opening of their summer exhibitions, the Lekwungen Dancers (from the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations) brought powerful meaning to land acknowledgement with their drumming, chanting, and dancing, but also with their clothing, featuring stunning and exquisitely made designs which included beadwork! Beading is ancient and contemporary – no surprise! With Rempel’s book, may the tradition carry on as always.

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Christina Johnson-Dean graduated from the University of California, Berkeley (B.A. in History with Art minor) and then trained as a teacher.  After three years teaching in public schools, she took her retirement money and travelled around the world, teaching in Thailand and New Zealand, before settling in Victoria.  She completed a M.A. in History in Art and served as a teaching assistant as well as creating local art history courses for Continuing Education.  Since 1987, she has been teaching in the Greater Victoria School District.  Her publications include The Crease Family:  A Record of Settlement and Service in British Columbia (1981), “B.C. Women Artists 1885-1920” in British Columbia Women Artists (Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, 1985) and three titles for Mother Tongue Publishing’s Unheralded Artists of B.C. series:  The Life and Art of Ina D.D. Uhthoff (2012), The Life and Art of Edythe Hembroff-Schleicher (2013), and The Life and Art of Mary Filer (2016).  In addition, she contributed to Love of the Salish Sea Islands with an article about Gambier Island (2019). [Editor’s Note: Christina Johnson-Dean has recently contributed a review of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s current exhibition A View from Here, a retrospective essay of the life and art of Pnina Granirer, and reviewed books by Alex McKeen and George Harwood Smith, I.S. MacLaren, Sonja Ahlers, Gary Sim, Robert Amos, and Kathryn Bridge for The British Columbia Review.]

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The British Columbia Review

Interim Editors, 2023-26: Trevor Marc Hughes (non-fiction), Brett Josef Grubisic (fiction)
Publisher: Richard Mackie

Formerly The Ormsby Review, The British Columbia Review is an on-line book review and journal service for BC writers and readers. The Advisory Board now consists of Jean Barman, Wade Davis, Robin Fisher, Barry Gough, Hugh Johnston, Kathy Mezei, Patricia Roy, and Graeme Wynn. Provincial Government Patron (since September 2018): Creative BC. Honorary Patron: Yosef Wosk. Scholarly Patron: SFU Graduate Liberal Studies. The British Columbia Review was founded in 2016 by Richard Mackie and Alan Twigg.

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