The Beaded Lampshade Book (The Beading Books Series)

Rating:
Summary: Beyond the Fringe
Review: First, I have to admit that I'm a beaded lampshade fanatic. There is something about the quality of light shimmering through a fringe of translucent beads that I find particularly soothing and pretty. "The Beaded Lampshade Book" by Wendy Simpson Conner caters to that taste, although not always in the way that I expected it to. Some of the patterns in this book involve nets that are woven to cover an entire lampshade, shades that are decorated by cementing beads onto them, and shades that are completely constructed of freeform woven beads. Out of a total of thirteen lampshade designs included in this 49-page book, only three (the Commanche Stitch Lampshade, the Art Deco Lampshade, and the Turkish Lampshade) conformed to my preconceived notion of what a beaded shade should look like. Wendy Simpson Conner takes her readers way beyond a mere fringe!

The author is very clear on what materials are needed to create each of the 13 lampshades. The drawings and photographs that accompany the text are in black and white, although there are four pages of colored photographs showing the finished lampshades. A more liberal employment of color in some of the complicated bead patterns would have been a definite improvement. All in all, though, this is a useful little spiral-bound guide for the beaded lampshade fanatic.

Rating:
Summary: Beyond the Fringe
Review: First, I have to admit that I'm a beaded lampshade fanatic. There is something about the quality of light shimmering through a fringe of translucent beads that I find particularly soothing and pretty. "The Beaded Lampshade Book" by Wendy Simpson Conner caters to that taste, although not always in the way that I expected it to. Some of the patterns in this book involve nets that are woven to cover an entire lampshade, shades that are decorated by cementing beads onto them, and shades that are completely constructed of freeform woven beads. Out of a total of thirteen lampshade designs included in this 49-page book, only three (the Commanche Stitch Lampshade, the Art Deco Lampshade, and the Turkish Lampshade) conformed to my preconceived notion of what a beaded shade should look like. Wendy Simpson Conner takes her readers way beyond a mere fringe!

The author is very clear on what materials are needed to create each of the 13 lampshades. The drawings and photographs that accompany the text are in black and white, although there are four pages of colored photographs showing the finished lampshades. A more liberal employment of color in some of the complicated bead patterns would have been a definite improvement. All in all, though, this is a useful little spiral-bound guide for the beaded lampshade fanatic.

Rating:
Summary: Time to redecorate?
Review: Start with beaded lampshades! Well written instructions accompany clear diagrams to help you make these light catching shades. From glue to peyote stitch, this book has projects for all skill levels. Projects include the understated Art Deco lamp on the cover to the lush Turkish lampshade.

So get out the lamps you had hidden because you just can't stand them and give them a beady makeover!