Bead Weaving: Sculptural Art and Beyond

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This article was originally posted on Userblogs on 7/17/2008.

By GanoksinMore from this author

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For bead newbies and pros alike, this article is sure to provide you with some interesting information. Here, you will find details on bead weaver Madelyn Ricks, the history of glass beads, and various bead weaving techniques.

Madelyn Ricks: Bead Weaving Extraordinaire

For those of you who have been attracted by Bead Weaving - Madelyn Ricks is a household word. For a metalhead like me - she was a revelation!

Madelyn Ricks, a former potter, did not discover her love of beads right away. She'd always had an artisitic inclination, forming her creativity through childhood paintings and later, with Halloween costumes for her daughter.

A full-time studio artist since the 1980s, Madelyn realized her love laid in the process, especially of small scale works. Hence, bead weaving came into the picture. Ever since, Madelyn has only grown this love affair with art, creating amazing bead works such as her famous line of Kimonos.

She works exclusively in peyote stitch; she uses Japanese Delica seed beads for her very popular Kimono series, whimsical sculptures, and jewelry. To see more of her works, check out her exhibition with Mostly Glass right here.

Beyond Kimonos…

For the kimonos, she first graphs her designs by hand, gluing multiple sheets together. Then, beads are weaved into strips that are later stitched later.

Weaving Glass Beads

Unsurprisingly, the art of interlocking beads together with thread is both ancient and universal. Madelyn's designs are a mixture of many different cultures and times. The technique is peyote stitch, named by the Native Americans in the US. Artisans use a very strong multifilament nylon thread.

The square glass beads are high quality glass, manufactured in Japan using novel techniques. Amazingly, precious metals like 24K gold, rhodium, and palladium coat some of these beads.

Additionally, lots of silver-lined colored beads are used to create a wonderful glimmer. Oftentimes, the finished piece looks like small dots of colored light woven together.

There are very few artists that work with beads this small (about 300 per square inch), or create pieces with such intricate patterns and colors.

SharminiWirasekara - Robes

Sharmini creates Robes and Wall hanging Objects predominantly inspired by Mexican Art. For the Robes, she chooses to work in Off-Loom techniques mostly peyote stitch, using Japanese Delica seed beads.

Some of her Wall Objects are Neckpieces. For those, in addition to Peyote, she uses a single-needle right angle weave, and prefers the Czech seed beads because their roundness gives the pieces a different look and shape.

A Brief History of Bead Weaving

Throughout history, glass beads and bead weaving have denoted not only region, but the "class" of the wearer. Ornate and intricate patterns were reserved for the Emperor/Chief, while the working class was stuck with much simpler designs. Alternately, glass beads have been used as currency in some African cultures, as well as historically for trading in the Native American tribes.

For centuries, the great glass weavers of the world were the Venetians, originally working with glass around 1200 A.D. By the eighteenth century, they had a near-monopoly on the glass bead market. This trade became a staple throughout Europe, and when the great European explorers began their travels, these beads became prime trade items, distributed throughout the established seafaring trade routes.

The Making of Glass Beads

Glass beads are usually fabricated using one of two methods: drawn glass and lampworked glass.

The former, drawn glass, involves stretching molten glass into a long, thin tube. Later, the beads are tumbled, softening any harsh edges. This method created what we now know as "seed beads." Typically, these beads are small, restricting most forms of intricate designs. By the 1980s, seed bead production had become automated using technology from both Japan and the Czech Republic.

The latter, lampworked glass, is actually the oldest method of making glass beads. A strictly handmade method, it is virtually the same as the processes used by today's lampworkers, on a much smaller scale! Essentially, glass heats to extreme temperatures, spins around a coated rod, and forms into the desired shape with hand tools. Later, held above the fire, the bead begins to drip thin filaments, known as "stringers." Intricate designs, like dots or lines, can form from these skinny threads of molten glass. Eventually, the kiln lights, where the beads transform into the exquisite, finished product.

Bead Weaving Techniques

There are several bead weaving techniques, most of which include the use of a loom. These looms traditionally have multiple warping threads through which beads are woven as the weft, like in traditional textile weaving. This technique is simply known as loom bead weaving.

Off-loom stitching, an overarching name for a variety of methods, incorporates the many techniques developed by various cultures worldwide. With names such as peyote, herringbone, right angle weave, ladder, brick and netting stitches, these techniques involve working with a needle and threading material to form patterns.

As with any art form, the method one chooses depends on a variety of factors, from the availability of resources to cultural practices. If you decide to try your hand at bead weaving, consider checking this video out!

For More On Beads…

If this article has sparked your interest in beads or bead making processes, please take a look at the following webpages for more fascinating info!

Madelyn Ricks's Website - https://mostlyglass.com/
"Bead Jewelry" - https://www.ganoksin.com/article/bead-jewelry/
"Beading Tool Tips" - https://www.ganoksin.com/article/beading-tool-tips/
"Beads in Contemporary American Art" - https://www.ganoksin.com/article/beads-contemporary-american-art/
"Enameled Spiral Beads" - https://www.ganoksin.com/article/enameled-spiral-beads/

This article originally appeared on Ganoksin User Blogs in 2008. It has been lightly edited to reflect updates.

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