What is Beadweaving?

Beadweaving, like lampworking, is an art. It involves stringing beads on a needle and special beading thread, and creating an often complicated and intricate piece of work. Beadweaving can be used to make many things, not only jewelry. It can be used for home decor, or holiday ornaments, for example. I primarily focus on jewelry. Beadweaving involves a huge variety of stitches. My favorite stitches are those which create a spiral effect, though I also use many others. For beadweaving, the majority of the beads that comprise the work are seed beads. These are very, very small glass beads that come in a few different sizes. However, a beadweaver can also weave other beads into the work for accents, such as triangles, cubes, fringe, gemstones, and other glass beads. I like to add a variety of beads to my beadweaving. True beadweaving is very time consuming, so beadwoven jewelry is typically very expensive. However, the beauty of the work justifies the price.