The Entrepreneur
My name is Laura and I finally found a crafting project I love to do that I can share, never get bored of and most importantly FINISH! I have always loved crafting and I have tried many forms over the years, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, sewing etc. Although I still will occasionally pick up my knitting needles or a crochet hook, I find myself setting it aside, unfinished, and going back to my Mirrix Loom to bead.
Loom weaving has always intrigued me and before I got my first Mirrix, I purchased another loom to try my hand at tapestry with yarn. I did some research, watched some videos, purchased my supplies and was ready to create something worthy to hang on my wall. Well, that did not go too well! The loom was not very user-friendly and I could not keep the warps threads straight, tight or even. After MANY attempts and much frustration, I came up with the brilliant idea of having my husband put nails in the top bar (the loom was made of wood) to keep the threads separated. I did make a few “pieces” about 10 rows long, very uneven, and only worthy to put in a box as attempts rather than display as wall-hanging. Not to mention that the loom looked ridiculous with all the nails sticking out of it. Not something to proudly display as a work in progress on any level. So, frustrated, I took it apart and put it in the closet alongside other unfinished projects.
Not too long after that, I stumbled across a video of a woman weaving with beads on a loom and creating the most beautiful tapestry. I was fascinated by what she was doing: weaving tiny glass beads into a picture. That was it! I decided I would weave beads! And this time it worked! I now have finished framed beaded tapestries hanging on my walls and have made and given away many beaded bracelets.
What made the difference this time was a lot more research, using the right products and many online videos to teach myself to bead weave. I searched for a loom that was sturdy, that was large enough to make a large size tapestry, and most of all one that would help guide my warp threads and keep them straight! That is when I found Mirrix Looms. I purchased my first Mirrix loom, the 16″ Big Sister, and after a few trials at warping I successfully warped my loom. What a difference it was to work with this loom then my last weaving attempt. After that, I was very happy weaving, but the tapestries took a long time to complete. Working full time and weaving when I could meant that each tapestry would take 6 to 9 months to complete. I still loved doing this but wanted to make some small, faster projects while working on the larger tapestry. I purchased another smaller Mirrix loom, the 5″ Loreli loom. I use that loom to make bracelets and travel with.
I have been weaving beads for several years now and always have a work in progress. I have a few items for sale on Etsy and created a web page as well: www.beadapestry.com. I have taken over a room in our house and my stock of beads and supplies has grown! The most important part of my success was the loom. Starting with a loom that frustrated me caused me to give up and not have any real intention of trying again. Luckily I came across that video and Mirrix Looms. My next loom will be one of Mirrix’s larger looms. I created a large pattern a few years ago and purchased all the beads for it. However, I decided to wait until I became a bit more skilled at beading before attempting a tapestry of that size. A few years and many tapestries and bracelets later I am ready to start that project sometime in the near future.