SUMMER SPECIAL 2012 • ISSUE 38

Many people think of bead looming as a � at, fairly one-dimensional style of

beadwork, limited by the con� nes of the loom. Erin Simonetti is on a one woman mission to blow these misconceptions out of the water with her sensational loomed works of art. She talks to Bead about her passion for bead looming, where it all began, and shares with us her tips and techniques.

I am one of seven children, raised in Baltimore, Maryland. Our creativity was something our parents deemed important enough to encourage. My Great Aunt was a tailor who designed clothing for many of the local boutiques - out� ts that included felt blocked hats and leather belts. During a summer vacation stay with my Great Aunt, she helped me spend my time by teaching me to loom beads on a loom she built for me. It was an awesome feeling to know I could loom some wonderful designs using something that makes me smile, those little glass orbs we call ‘beads’. It was only when I realised I had loomed so many little strips of beads, that I decided to put them together in one pleasing design idea. � is was my beginning stage of building ‘three dimensional loomed jewellery’.

Presently, my husband of 33 years and our three children live on 10 acres in a town in central Maryland called Sykesville. It is here that my husband runs two businesses, he re� nishes furniture and is also an Appraiser, similar to the ‘Antiques Road Show’. I spend my day at home, looming and designing pieces for my upcoming book.

If needed, I also � ll in to help with the businesses, answering phones and completing various o� ce duties.

My bead looming supplies include looms of many lengths - loom tables, di� erent means of warp tension controls and various types of loom pro� les, i.e. standing looms, lap looms, looms that attach to easels, looms with or without bases, etc. My preference in beads to loom with, are Miyuki Delicas. � ey are o� ered in more colours and � nishes than any other size 11/0 glass bead, tubular or round and are more matched in size than most, which o� ers less culling. � reads round out my supply preferences. Your choice of thread types, for warps and/or wefts, are what create the ‘body’ you are seeking for your � nished looming. Experimenting with di� erent threads makes you aware of what you can and can’t accomplish on a loom.

Looming is my passion and because of this I have not varied from this medium to pursue other types of creative skills. I realised that when you feel sti� ed or unable to build better design ideas, that is when you’ll begin to create more advanced skills and build

Erin Simonetti

DESIGNER'Sprofi le

A Bead

Get ready to look at looming in a whole new way! Meet designer Erin Simonetti who loves pushing the boundaries of bead looming.

35 beadmagazine.co.uk

Looming Intervention

continued over

Loomed needlecase with three dimensional embellishment.

for me. It was an awesome feeling to know I could loom some wonderful designs using something that makes me smile, those little glass orbs we call ‘beads’. It was only when I realised I had loomed so many little strips of beads, that I decided to put them together in one pleasing design idea. � is was my beginning stage of building ‘three dimensional loomed jewellery’.

and our three children live on 10 acres in a town in central Maryland called Sykesville. It is here that my husband runs two businesses, he re� nishes furniture and is also an Appraiser, similar to the ‘Antiques Road Show’. I spend my day at home, looming and designing pieces for my upcoming book.

erin profile v2.indd 35 27/03/2012 16:22

36 beadmagazine.co.uk SUMMER SPECIAL 2012 • ISSUE 38

entire childhood well into my college years. I attended Maryland Institute College of Art, where I worked on perfecting my painting and drawing skills. Jewellery classes were o� ered, but I chose to continue my personal bead looming lessons on my own. After college I worked as an Art Director for a magazine, then at another agency. I ended my personal career as an Art Director for an appliance retailer. When my Husband’s business grew beyond him being able to handle the growth of his business as the sole executive, I resigned my Art Director career and became a partner in his business.

Continually throughout my career, I wanted to perfect my bead looming

skills by taking classes, but there were none available for this form of beadweaving. I knew it was time to up my game and work hard to create methods that will make bead looming

something every beadweaver would want experience. I also

wanted to create new means of bead looming to make it

easier and faster to complete the pieces, since most of my

time was spent working to build our business.

I have been perfecting my ©Warp Management Methods to the point

where they change the terrain of bead looming. Each piece I complete includes these techniques. It has solidi� ed my place in many of the busiest beading contests and has attracted the interest of book publishers. Although I feel humbled by being selected as a ‘� nalist’ in some of the largest beading contests, I feel my best creation is still sitting on my loom, where I try to include all of what I have learnt and like to stretch new and di� erent ideas.

In e� orts to see how comfortable my personal ©Warp Management Methods are for others to grasp, I have opened an online classroom. � rough my methods, each member of the group, has grown in their personal looming skills and design ideas. It thrills me to realise that bead looming can become a sincere force or popular means to create some gorgeous seed beaded jewellery. With beaders having so many new ideas and techniques, then shedding the fear of ‘warps’, bead looming can be included in some of the best creations and attempted by anyone. I am excited to think how others may perceive a design idea when they feel comfortable about utilising the looming method. � ere is so much more to uncover, so by putting someone behind a loom with the love of working with seed beads, experienced with beads or just � nding their interest,

SUMMER SPECIAL 2012 • ISSUE 38

my Husband’s business grew beyond him being able to handle the growth of his business as the sole executive, I resigned my Art Director career and became a partner in his business.

Continually throughout my career, I wanted to perfect my bead looming

skills by taking classes, but there were none available for this form of beadweaving. I knew it was time to up my game and work hard to create methods that will make bead looming

something every beadweaver would want experience. I also

wanted to create new means of bead looming to make it

easier and faster to complete the pieces, since most of my

time was spent working to build our business.

I have been perfecting my ©Warp Management Methods to the point

upon a previous creation. It is because of my diligent desire to loom beads that I have created new techniques. Not only an easy and fast ©Warp Management Method, but also incorporating unorthodox bead looming supplies like thick cords, looming small and large beads at the same time, designing outside the loomed edge and building up above the two dimensional plane of the loomed beads.

I continued to loom throughout my

Erin's Pansy Cuff won Best In Show at Bead Arts 2009

A butterfl y cuff with wire detail.

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37SUMMER SPECIAL 2012 • ISSUE 38 beadmagazine.co.uk

SEEmoreVisit Erin’s website www.beadsbeadingbeaded.comwww.beadsbeadingbeaded.blogspot.com

the beading world will be in for some real ‘bead loomed eye candy’.

Many of my design ideas come from wanting to try something new and di� erent with the loom. If I see a piece of jewellery, I wonder how I can replicate it in beads on a loom. Looming is a two dimensional art form and because of this it is necessary to create patterns and interest. Bead pattern programmes must be a consideration to include in your bead looming supply kit. Not only can you draw beautiful graphic designs, as opposed to using graph paper, but you can also learn to transfer photographs and clip art into looming patterns. Your design ideas can then be all around you. Just pick a subject, consider what type of piece you want to loom, create a pattern then also consider adding a bit more character by � nishing your piece with a three dimensional accent. It could be something hand woven or a favourite � nding you have never been able to incorporate into other beading designs. Don’t get discouraged by the small learning curve needed when realising how to use the bead pattern programme.

All of these bead looming techniques, ©Warp Management Methods and many other � ne points are being published in my � rst book. You can also learn more about how I am

Below: Pirates of the Caribbean inspired work in

progress.changing the face of bead looming on my Blog, or here in Bead Magazine. � e projects which you see in Bead will be exclusive and you can see more in my upcoming book, taught in my Facebook Group (A Bead Looming Intervention) and on my Blog. I also hope to be teaching some classes at Mirrex Looms in New Hampshire in the near future. I look forward to sharing all I know and have created to make bead looming an easy and comfortable means to create with beads.

Gerber Daisy cuff using Tex

400 cord.

Erin's popular Prosperity Dragon Cuff from Issue 36 of Bead.

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