The Beaders Floral

The Beader’s Floral
By Liz Thornton and Jill Devon
Published by Search Press
ISBN 978-0-9556520-0-4
144 pages
Price: £17.99
Reviewed by Carole Kokinis

At first glance, this book appears quite daunting, pages and pages of beading diagrams and instructions. However with beads and needle in hand it is a different story. It begins with four, deceptively simple flower shapes made in four different stitches, herringbone, brick, square and peyote. Each flower has a number of variations for practise.

It then moves on to other flowers, combining stitches, flower braids and projects, plus a gallery for inspiration. This is a lovely way to use up leftover beads and build a collection of attractive embellishments, not just for jewellery. They can be used for crazy patchwork, tassels, dangles from books, embroidery or stitched on clothes, the possibilities are as open as your imagination. Once you have started it will be impossible to stop at one flower. You will want the leaves, the buds, the tendrils - a whole garden of flowers.