Customer Reviews

Zulu Beaded Chain Techniques (Contemporary Beadwork Series)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This carefully researched, well-written little paperback is a gem. It's an interesting read for cultural and decorative arts information as well as for instructions for beading the chains shown. Photographs of pieces are clear, even when the pieces are grouped. A table of contents helps you find the instructions for the piece pictured. Color photographs would have enhanced the book greatly, but that's a budget issue, not a content problem. Fitzgerald has another book out now, also on Zulu beadwork. Buy both of them, they are great companion pieces.

I really am enjoying Diane's Zulu chain book. It is full of inspiration and new ideas. Diane has studied and researched these beautiful chains and the result is a gift to all bead artists! Instructions are easy to follow and the designs are great! She provides clear graphics, step by step instructions as well as hints and tips throughout. Perfect as a gift for a bead crazy person or as a gift to your self.

This little book packs a nice punch. It starts with a brief discussion of native Zulu beadwork with a few black and white photos. Then there are a few pages to give the beginner pointers to start beading.

Finally there are the stitches: spearhead chain, square tube, tri-leg chain, ladder, zig-zag chain, two-bead covered cord, flowerette chain, and laceleaf chain. The diagrams are clean with well-written instructions. "Helpful Hints" appear throughout the book. It ends with a nice bibliography until you can do further research on Zulu beadwork and several blank pages in the back.

Sadly the only color pictures are on the front cover. This book is stitches, not projects so what you make will be your choice. I'd say this book is good for beginners and up.

I bought this book because i'd seen some pictures of the beaded chains and was intrigued to learn new stitches. The descriptions are very good but let down by the fact that there are no colour pictures inside to show how the chains go together. Because they are black and white photos it can be a bit difficult to follow the bead pattern. However, when made up some of these chains look stunning, especially if you use jewel colours or metallics rather than the primaries as shown on the cover. This is obviously an early publication and despite the fact I was a bit disappointed with the photos in the book, I'm still a big fan of Dianne Fitzgerald, particularly her geometric shapes as seen in her most recent offering.Diane Fitzgerald's Shaped Beadwork: Dimensional Jewelry with Peyote Stitch (Beadweaving Master Class)