Very clever! Backstrap Weaving for Macramé

When I came into the office this morning, I spotted Linnea finishing up the handout and samples for Pathways, a new Herringbone Stitch Project to be released at the end of the week. We're so excited about it but what really got me going was the way Linnea had secured the C-Lon cord to her waist to macramé. When I asked her what she was doing,she said she had modified a technique known as "backstrap weaving"; a style of looming used today by the Maya in Guatamala, where you strap the loom around your waist on one end and secure it to something on the other. I thought it was so ingenious. Linnea was taught by her mother, Hilary, who is an avid crafter. "My mother raised me to sew from age 4 and taught me about weaving, women's works and how to be historically correct." 

Linnea has secured the cord to the desk and to her waist with a binder clip. This gives her the tension to macramé with ease. I love it! It's so simple and perfect for the button loop. Thank you, Linnea and Hilary!

First Samples Made for Pathways Herringbone Project

The All-Star Instructor Cast from the Past....

Sampling of Class Handouts from The Bead Shop

I love what we're doing now with projects and design, but I also am so grateful that we can look back at what we accomplished as artists and designers when The Bead Shop was in its heyday and the early days of beadshop.com....

When The Bead Shop of Palo Alto was going full steam (and it did for close to 28 years), the classes taught by outstanding instructors were well-beyond what anyone else was doing. I mean that honestly and I can't take credit for it. The team of staff and outside teachers were perfection. I know when I start listing some, I will forget others, but there are a few that stand out for taking risks, pushing both the envelope and me to offer the best in learning. I want to thank:
Kate Ferrant Richbourg, Brittany Ketcham*, Kriss Silva, Mel McCabe, Tom McCabe, Irina Serbina, Randi Samuels, Vicky Ngyuen, Nicole Anderson*, Iris Sandkühler, Leah Fairbanks, just to name a few of this all-star roster who made The Bead Shop the place to learn beading, bead making and jewelrymaking. 

And now we are finally finally finding the time** to post online many of the handouts that were created by instructors while they were employees. It's amazing to think how many of today's top teachers and leaders in our industry passed through the doors of that little shop. So, please enjoy the learning. It's all free to download and we'll be posting more as time permits.  ~janice

* Many, many of the most amazing projects and designs on beadshop.com today were done by Brittany Ketcham and Nicole Anderson.
** And a big "thank you" to Karen Marshall, Web Master @ beadshop.com for finding the time and bandwidth to get this project completed.