Photo courtesy of Interweave Press

Book Review, November 2005 The Beaded Garden: Creating Flowers with Beads and Thread by Diane Fitzgerald paperback, 128 pages $21.95 US, $29.95 Canada. Published by Interweave Press link to Interweave Press page for this book Rating: 4 stars (out of 4)

I've always loved the look of beaded flowers, but I never had the patience to learn how to make the traditional French beaded flowers that use florist wire to form the leaves and petals. In fact, for at least the last five years, whenever I would see a gorgeous bouquet of beaded flowers, I would think, "One of these days I'm going to sit down and try to make some flowers using the off-loom beadweaving techniques that I love." The idea never quite made it to the top of my to-do list, so when I saw this book, I was incredibly excited that someone else had the same idea, and had actually written a book on how to do just that. The fact that it was Diane Fitzgerald, who always has such beautiful designs, was just icing on the cake for me.

I wasn't disappointed when I got the book either. The designs are gorgeous, and the techniques well-illustrated. Diane shows how to make over a dozen different types of flowers, and the techniques can be used to recreate dozens more or even to create your own "fantasy" flowers. Techniques used include brick stitch, peyote, netting, and herringbone. In addition, she has patterns for making several "garden creatures", including butterflies, beetles, dragonflies and caterpillars. What truly impressed me was how realistic the flowers looked, even though they're made of glass. Part of that was probably the choice of bead colors, but part is the thought Diane put into the designs, breaking the flowers down into their individual parts and then rebuilding them using the appropriate stitches.

After looking through the book, I immediately pulled out some beads and made the Cattleya orchid, and found the instructions clear and easy to follow. I've been wearing the orchid as a lapel pin, and I get tons of compliments on it. The nice thing about all of the flowers in the book is that they use basic beadweaving techniques, so beginners as well as advanced beaders should have no problem making any of the flowers. Some existing knowledge of the various stitches is helpful, but I think even true beginner's could learn from this book.

In addition to the designs and instruction, the book has a ton of full color pictures. Each project has several pictures that allow you to easily visualize the finished piece, but she also has a number of inspirational pieces that will get your creativity in full swing and make you long to create your own garden-inspired jewerly and art pieces. Another "bonus" in the book are the quotes scattered throughout the pages. Diane has gathered dozens of garden-themed quotes from literature and poetry that are sure to give you a summer feel even in the dead of winter!

This is one book that is sure to be a treasured part of my library, and I can't wait to make more beaded flowers!

General Information about the author and publisher

Diane Fitzgerald is an internationally recognized bead artist, teacher, and author of eight books including Netted Beadwork and Beading with Brick Stitch (both from Interweave Press). She is continually creating new designs for beadwork jewelry at her shop, Beautiful Beads, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Diane also lives. As a bead collector, Diane specializes in contemporary American art glass beads and European and Japanese vintage beads. Diane has traveled to South Africa to study Zulu and Xhosa beadwork and to the Czech Republic, Germany, and Italy to learn about the glass bead industry. Diane writes frequently for several magazines such as Beadwork, Bead & Button, Lapidary Journal, and others. Diane's work has appeared in several exhibits and her Ginko Leaf Necklace was featured in the "2001: A Bead Odessey Calendar." Website: www.dianefitzgerald.com

In business since 1975, Interweave Press publishes magazines and books related to fiber, thread, needlework, and beads. Throughout Interweave's evolution, its publications have focused on natural materials and processes, a respect for doing, and an appreciation of the fine, simple things in life. Interweave publishes six magazines including Beadwork, Handwoven, Interweave Knits, PieceWork, Spin·Off, and Fiberarts. Interweave is dedicated to creating a resource for its readers to find the best information in their field of interest, the latest news, the best products, the newest techniques, and the history behind the techniques.

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