Right Angle Weave My journey into bead weaving

Right Angle Weave (or RAW) is a wonderful weave. It's name describes it - all the beads are at right angles to each other. There are 2 methods - single needle and double needle. RAW goes fairly quickly once you get the hang of it. If you've ever made a beaded daisy chain you should have little problem adapting. One warning, however, it is addictive!! RAW adapts to many shapes and is a soft weave, feeling almost like fabric in it's flexibility.

I found a simply explained pattern for Right Angle weave in the book Beadwork Creates Jewelry : 40 Beaded Designs by Jean Campbell (review to come soon) that i borrowed from the library. It was a pair of beaded earrings called Watermelon Balls and it is just delicate and lovely.

Having a ton of 4mm Swarovski crystals, i decided to try it out. I finally had purchased Clear monofilament thread as well. So to work i went. After two hours i had two sets of earrings. It would have been sooner but i lost a bead and had to search forever for it.

My result was this:

Delicate cluster earrings that just sparkle. I wish it was sunny today so I could have taken pictures outside to capture all the sparkle. They are just amazing. There is another project ..a cuff bracelet i an aiming to create that i found in a Bead & Button magazine that i so want to make and it's all right angel weave! So can't wait to try it out.

here is a video from Jewelrysupply.com that explains the Two needle method of right angle weave. which is what i used.

How to Do a Double Needle Right Angle Weave - Beading - Click here for more home videos

This is so exciting and i am so happy to expand my skills and learn new techniques. I hope you are inspired to try something new and look for jewelry books at your local library and take up a new skill or learn a new technique.

Book Review

Okay, tapping into my Librarian side. It's great to have inspiration all around you, but sometimes a book helps stir the creative forces as well.

Making Designer Gemstone & Pearl Jewelry by Tammy Powley is one of those book that delivers.


Powley takes the reader on a global escapade as she explains the origins and folklore of gemstones and pearls, while providing us with a rich display of beautiful jewelry that is easily re-creatable. Powley also provides the reader with clear materials list and instruction to create the piece. Techniques are bolded and can be referred to in the Bead Basic portion of the book. She also provides the beginner jeweler with the tool of the trade necessary to complete the projects within the book and those beyond. Pictures used in the techniques portion of the book vary from photographs to black and white drawings, all of which are clear and easy to visually comprehend.

Throughout the work she provides jeweler's tips to help the practitioner achieve a more professional piece and improve skill level within a technique. I also appreciated the variations on her projects. The variations pieces help to inspire and think outside the box while letting in creativity. For the beginner beader this is essential, as finding your own voice becomes a journey in itself.

After 100 pages of beautiful jewelry how-to, there is a gallery of jewelry by artisans. I found this to be particularly interesting and find myself skipping the rest of the book to look at these works more often. They are each stunning and Powley does mention the materials used in each piece. The contact info and a small bio on the artisans is provided so the beader can contact the artisan as many of them teach as well as create jewelry. Finally Powly furnishes us with a list of resources for materials and tools. This is a great list and has many of the suppliers that i use on a regular basis. Her list is not just limited to United States supplies but also includes International sites. I love international sites because they have a different variety of materials and what's hot there is different from what's hot in the US and it's always good to know fashion trends abroad to become inspired and look at a differnt perspective on jewelry.

Powley writes for About.com and has been making jewelry since 1989. Her books are often on my library borrow list and I do own a few as well. Overall, this book is amazing to have and refer to often. Her writing style is clear and tips are helpful and the book is inspiring. Great for beaders of any level.

ISBN: 15649630
Amazon Price: $22.49