Craft Raised to the Level of Art
Written: May 23 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lavishly illustrated, large project graphs, lots of inspiration.
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: If you love fiber jewelry and want to create your own, this is the book to have.
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| cranky_elder's Full Review: |
There was a time, way back in my crafty past, when I really wanted to learn to weave. It didn't take long to figure out that a good loom and the threads to go with it would cost a small fortune. My husband was incredibly tolerant of my dashing from one hobby to another, but I decided this one might be stretching his boundaries a bit too far. Dipping into more crafts (many, many more), I found that doing the same thing over and over drove me up the wall very quickly. Weaving on a large loom is the ultimate "over and over" craft, so it's just as well that fiscal concerns saved me from that folly.
But I still love the look of hand-weaving, and always thought that I'd find a less boredom-intensive way to pursue it. Enter Helen Banes. A few years ago I read an article about her work in a fiber arts magazine and wanted to know more. It was a long wait, but recently I was finally able to buy Fiber and Bead Jewelry, her second book. Unlike so many things that disappoint you when you finally get them, this was worth the wait.
Banes is one of those rare people who can take a commonplace craft and elevate it to the level of art, or at least something close to it. The mundane foundation of Banes's off-loom work is pin-weaving, one of the mainstays of kiddie projects, the kind of thing you resort to to keep the youngsters busy on a rainy day. The way Banes does it is something else altogether. Her sources of inspiration come from her travels and her research into various ethnic fiber traditions. The book's projects reflect those traditions, but don't try to imitate them exactly.
This is a lushly illustrated book, as much an inspiring jumping off point as it is an instruction manual. The actual directions might seem a bit sparse, but that's because pin-weaving is really very simple. I also suspect that, with two decades of teaching under her belt, Banes prefers to give students the necessary basics and then let them fly on their own.
The project patterns are full-page, and the completed items are usually also photographed full-page. Except for a few small bags, the designs are all necklaces and pectorals, but the weaving techniques Banes has developed, and the way she incorporates beads into the designs, can easily be adapted to bracelets, bags, and even decorative insets for clothing. Whether you like your jewelry chunky or delicate, splashy or subtle, you will find plenty to please you. There are also many, many photographs of Banes's work through the years, showing the evolution of her development as an artist, and the chapter detailing that development is a fascinating read.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
cranky_elder
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Location: Philadelphia area
Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Independent researcher, fiber crafter, thrifter, blogger, compulsive explainer.
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