Art of Antique Beading

This in one of my favorite beading books, I would not recommend this to a beginner, since you have to know beading techniques in order to complete the projects. If you are an expert beader, the instructions are easy to understand and follow. It is also mostly diagrams so if you are not superb at following visual instruction you'll definitely feel frustrated. I am lucky since I am superb at both diagram and word instructions.

Love this book!! Not only is it filled with beautiful and unique designs, the directions are so clear and easy to follow.

First, this is not a book for a beginning beader. Success with this book will require experience with stringing, basic sewing, and fine wirework, including the making of French beaded flowers. This book will please beaders who have been trying to figure out Japanese beadwork from Babelfish translations or have been trying to unravel Japanese diagrams. The translation appears to be faithful to the original version.The first portion of the book, up to page 40, is a gallery of the pieces that are then described in the second half of the book (pp. 41-86), with two additional pages listing tools and materials (basic list of tools, findings, and adhesives). If you aren't in Japan, you can order most of these materials online from other countries, or you can substitute more familiar materials (e.g., Delicas for Toho). A variety of items can be made, including matched sets for necklaces, bracelets, hair ornaments, bags, pins, and rings. The items are evocative of flapper or Moga styles, but I tend to think the designs are targeted at younger women (tattoo-style necklace, using ribbons to fasten chokers). Subdued, romantic color schemes are used.The diagrams are small, however, I found the labeling much more clear than that found in untranslated Japanese books. The materials lists include item numbers and bead counts for Toho/Mill Hill beads. Diameters are stated for cords and wires. The directions and thread paths assume you understand the basics of the techniques. I would recommend this book for an intermediate to advanced beader who is comfortable with multiple techniques and looking for fresh ideas.

The Art of Antique Beading is a slim book packed with satisfying ideas, clear and beautiful color pictures, and an easy system that groups similar designs with their instructions. There are 124 different projects, many of them not found in American books (this one is translated from the Japanese.) Bead embroidery on evening bags, barrettes, rings, necklaces, bracelets, brooches, chokers, lariats and combs fill the pages with fresh ideas and new looks that no eager beader could resist. But bring your patience. While the instructions include bead amounts, and the color numbers for Toho and Mill Hill (two brands of Japanese beads) the reader is left to figure out diagrams as obscure as origami folds with little information about the thread (or wire) path. Some beading experience is a must for success. When diagrams are piled four to a page, they are too small except for the sharpest eyes. The accessory page is not helpful, listing "wire and nylon thread" and "beading thread" without a single suggested brand name or source. The patient (and smart) beader will read through a few diagrams first, because the wire size appears in the first of similarly-grouped instructions. The fearless beader will leap right into this book, substituting Nymo for wire, seeing what happens, ignoring unfamiliar Toho numbers and substituting what's on hand. The best part is fearlessness is well rewarded--the results are lovely, and the pieces delightfully different.

Art of Antique Beading contains a wonderful collection of designs for jewelry, hair accessories, and evening bags with a heavy emphasis on florals. The designs have a vintage feel, but the lariats, chokers, and the tattoo bracelet (!) are very current.This book would please the American beader who has been enchanted with Japanese beading designs but is befuddled by trying to make jewelry from the (untranslated) Japanese books. It is a tremendous relief to have the material lists and the diagram captions in English; however, you still do need to be able to work from diagrams, as directions in the text are brief.