Monday, April 21, 2014

Right Angle Weave Fundamentals

Depending on how you learn best, a video might the right answer for learning all the fundamentals of working with right angle weave.

Earlier this year I showed up in Colorado and worked with the excellent editorial and video team at Interweave to bring you much of what I've learned about working with right angle weave over the years.

If you would like a small preview you can click on the link here, and if you would like to purchase a copy it is available in the Interweave store.  This is not a project video, but a technique video.  Cover pieces and those used as examples in the video are to help understand the possibilities using the stitch.  You will acquire the skills necessary to complete similar work.


It was my first experience with video and I enjoyed it.  I am not usually in a position to instruct at length about a topic that I so thoroughly enjoy.  Typically when I am being paid to travel to venues it is to instruct where people are already versed in the stitch and are there to learn a project.  

This took a different mind set and a lot of preparation to think through what configuration of samples I would need to demonstrate the various points I wanted to make.
click here to watch preview

I stepped out several pieces to demo cubic right angle weave but we weren't sure the timing would allow them to be used.  The great news is there was time and so there is a reasonably comprehensive section on CRAW which includes, basic, turning corners, joining and working multiple rows.  There are a few different ways people accomplish CRAW so this will of course be the way I do it.

Here are the ways I am familiar with.

1. Work CRAW as in tubular RAW sharing a side and then pass through the top beads, which crosses the intersection and squares things up.

2. Work CRAW by crossing the intersection of the floor beads (instead of up or down through a shared side first) and then pass through the top beads.

3. Work CRAW as in step 2 but forgo the extra step of passing through the top beads.  (These will be passed through when the next cube is built)

Method 2 and 3 have the advantage of always traveling in the same direction.  I use double thread so I use method 3 forgoing the extra pass through the top beads.

It's easy to be critical when watching yourself on video and I do want to fix my hair, sit up straighter and  enunciate more in some sections…..but I'm pretty happy with the way the video team put this together.

5 comments:

  1. Your Woven Pearls kit made it very easy to learn craw. I hate to admit it though, it's a lot harder to do with same colored size 11 or 15 seed beads.

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  2. Marcia, I love the preview! It feels to me like you are just chatting with me, and I find it keeps me engaged and interested, better than to a hyper-staged and over-directed presentation. It is both professional and personable. I loved your thoughts about the versatility of RAW, my own least-used stitch. Obviously, I need to buy this video! I so completely agree that technique fundamentals are the foundation for beading success. I also just happened to see the page in Bead&Button yesterday (I know, it was published months ago!)with the beautiful array of work created by your students from your master class last summer. Those were some lucky ladies, and they really produced spectacular work with your guidance and inspirational aid. You are extraordinary!

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  3. Marcia, I just downloaded your video and I have watched it 3 times already. I LOVE it. You explain everything so completely and using the different color beads when showing a technique makes it all so very clear. Thank you. I am looking forward to seeing other videos done by you in the future. Great video. I would recommend it to everyone. Thanks again.

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