Beading Artistry for Quilts: Basic Stitches & Embellishments Add Texture & Drama

by Thom Atkins

Use beads and simple stitches to create magnificent texture, dimension, and lifelike details on any quilt. Award-winning quilter, Thom Atkins, teaches you everything you need to know about the best supplies and techniques to get breathtaking results…plus there's a bonus tutorial on how to create a beaded bezel. Dozens of show-stopping images throughout the book illustrate the unlimited possibilities for designing your own spectacular beaded quilt. Whether you like to make traditional or art quilts, this book will help you take your fabric embellishing to a whole new level.

Genres: Crafts, Reference, Quilting, Sewing, Beading

112 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2012

Reviews

[Leiah Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, here is my sad little secret. I really, really want to bead my quilts. I have buckets of beads that I have purchased for them. The thing is - they always end up looking just, well, goofy. But here? Here is a wonderful book that will help me with that very (to me) difficult chore! There are very clear, precise instructions (goodie!) about how to and why. I never knew that you should stretch your thread before beading - it keeps the beads from sagging off the quilt!

There are beautiful drawings on how to knot your thread, on the four basic beading styles, and how to make picot edges. But what I like best? The photos! They are, in a word, stunning. My creative juices are definitely flowing now!

[CatJuggler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waited in line for many weeks to get this book (tried 3 different libraries). My wait was rewarded by getting one, then about ten days later, a notice for another!
Tried for several more weeks to get it to run on my Kindle. The cover is Beautiful! The artwork tantalizing!

[Bev Sturgis · Rating 3 out of 5]

good info - both technique, ideas and inspiration for working with beads to enhance quilts.

[CatJuggler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Step-by-step instructions for many beading techniques. Beautifully illustrated!

[Friendship Quilters]

#1818

[Margo Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beading Artistry for Quilts is a stunningly beautiful book with clear and concise directions for fastening beads to fabric. Thom Atkins describes just 4 basic stitches (seed stitch, back stitch, couching, and lazy stitch) along with some fancy edgings and fringe directions. The magic of this book though is not the stitch directions, but the inspiration he provides. The photos of his work and the process by which he is inspired is fascinating and works well with my own creative process. For example, I like that he sometimes simply embellishes the fabric he is working on, while other times, he lets the beads drive the design. His detailed, yet casual approach to beading, makes it so much less scary than other beading books I've looked at that teach you how to create specific things and require you to have certain beads. Just looking at the photos of the quilts he has embellished has inspired me to try to use beads in new ways. I know, for example, after seeing one of his mermaid quilts that I will be beading seaweed onto my crazy quilt, and I can't wait to try. The basic instructions are just enough to make me feel confident that I can use beads exciting ways, and his folksy description of how to do a beaded bezel, takes a lot of fear out of that prospect as well. It is a great book for beginners like me.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful. Great ideas & examples.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great - creativity and ideas for the experienced beader yet easy enough for a beginner to do.