Scandinavian Loom Beading, Level-2
Scandinavian Loom Beading, Level-2 with Laura Berlage
Ready to take your loom beading skills to the next level? In this course, you’ll learn to work with smaller beads (size 11), a more complex pattern inspired by Nordic star/rose motifs, and how to transform your creations into beautiful bracelets. Using the Erindale beading loom from the Level 1 course, your new materials include beautifully selected Miyuki glass beads, size B silk thread, large-eye needles, and pre-assembled bar ends with toggle clasps for finishing the bracelets. Additionally, we’ll dive into the Scandinavian meanings behind common motifs and colors as we bead!
This small group class is presented in collaboration with John C. Campbell Folk School and Lessonface. Participants should enroll at least two weeks before start to ensure materials kits arrive in time. If registering after this point, your kit may arrive after the first session. Students are invited to attend an optional Orientation and Closing Ceremony to connect with various online Folk School classes.
Class Materials
Your class registration fee includes a materials kit with a value of $137 shipped to your door. Residents outside the USA will pay the difference in shipping.
The kit includes:
Scandinavian Loom Beading, Level 2 kit includes:
• Size B Silk Thread Spool
• 2 beading needles
• Size 11 Miyuki seed beads, with plenty extra for interpreting the colors differently and future projects
• Bar end sets with split rings and toggle clasps for 2 bracelets (4 ends)
• Drafted patterns for the projects
• Digital access to a process photo essay and video tutorials
Why two projects? Loom beading is a much more straightforward process than tapestry weaving. Some students will take their time, while other students will zoom ahead. While I will be teaching the students one project, taking my time to offer troubleshooting and process discipline, I also want to keep the speedy students engaged. Students who only finish one project during class will have something to look forward to afterwards. Practice is always good! Plus, they can choose to keep one bracelet and give the second one away to a friend. This method has proved immensely successful in loom beading L-1 classes.
Why silk? The industry standard in contemporary beadwork uses nylon thread. This is NOT my material of choice for several reasons. Nylon will not hold knots and must be melted (typically with a lighter) in order to hold. As a weaver, I am much more confident tying knots than melting threads. Also, nylon was not historically available. Silk holds knots well, works smoothly, is easier to thread than nylon, and is a natural fiber. Silk, as a protein fiber, is also incredibly strong and durable, meaning many years of enjoyment of the finished project. It also feels wonderful in your hands!
The thread and beads included will make many projects, inspiring future explorations. Having full packets of beads means students are not restricted to a specific length for their bracelet, so it can fit all sizes. They also have the freedom to choose to use the colors differently than specified in the designs.
Students will also want to provide:
Students must provide a sharp thread scissors, good lighting, and magnification if helpful.
Course Overview
3 2-Hour Sessions, a week apart with homework between sessions.
Week 1: Warping our loom and beginning beading at this finer scale. Tips and tricks, as well as ways to avoid common problems.
Week 2: Bead, bead, bead! Calculating the right length for the bracelet. Changing threads at a smaller scale, as well as delving into symbol and color meaning in Nordic cultures.
Week 3: Finishing our piece, including the tedious but magical process of burying all the warp ends. Adding the finishing touches with bar ends and toggle clasps. Time to wear our bracelet!
Burying the warp ends back into the beaded work.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of class, students will be able to:
• Warp their beading loom for finer projects
• Start and stop a piece without using a header
• Read a graph chart for beading patterns
• Bury a finished thread and start a new one
• Fix common problems
• Finish their piece by burying warp ends
• Attach bracelet fitting onto the beading
Age Range
All Ages
Skill Level
Intermediate
Contact the Teacher
Send a direct message from the teacher's profile page with any questions you might have about the class.
About the John C. Campbell Folk School & Lessonface
Since 1925, the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina has transformed lives, and brought people together in a nurturing environment for experiences in learning and community life that spark self-discovery. Since 2012, Lessonface has connected more than 30,000 students with over 2,500 great teachers for live music, language, and arts lessons online, delivering on our mission to help students achieve their goals while treating teachers equitably.
When
The class will meet for three weekly 2-hour live online sessions.
Enrolled students receive 60-day access to the video recordings of the classes.
How It Works
Enroll above to save your spot in the class. Lessonface will send you a confirmation right away, and a Zoom link 24 hours before the class start time. You can log into your Lessonface dashboard to access class materials, communicate with your instructor, join the live Zoom session, and access the class recordings and chat transcript afterward.
Refund Policy: To cancel an enrollment or request a refund, contact [email protected]. For 30+ days before, we refund 95%. Between 30 and 5 days, receive a 75% refund. No refunds within 5 days of class start date. Materials kit fees are non-refundable.
Students Say
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It was interesting and I learned a new technique.
This was really a fun class!
Excellent instructor. Good use of camera for detailed demonstration. Easy to follow. Well organized.
Very interesting ..
Fabulous presentation. What a cool fibershed you are fostering.
Laura is the best of the best! She has a passion for every aspect of her farming and her craft! What a DELIGHT!!!
Great presentation! An interesting inside view of a hard-working, multi-tasking, creative farm with environmental and community scruples that's making a real go of it. Thank you!
I was only able to see a bit of it, and will finish it soon. But, we should all appreciate important roll farmers play in all our lives.
EXCELLENT!!!! Very interesting & thorough presentation. Presenter was extremely knowledgeable & has vast experience on the topic.
Wonderful discussion at the end as well-plenty of time given to answer all questions.
Great. I enjoyed the class. Laura is a good teacher
The class was fun - I would have appreciated more time spent making shapes and needle-felting, but overall the pace was good, and my little soap is very pretty :)
Thoroughly enjoyed
dELIGHTFUL WITH CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS. RATE 10.
It was fun to get together with other creatives this evening. I would have had a wee bit more success if I had been instructed to cut out two circles in advance of class. Still, I was able to complete the project successfully after the class concluded. I think I'll make a few more pin cushions.
I enjoyed the teacher's story and song as well as the photos of sheep. Because of this teaser class, I'll sign up for another class with the instructor. 😊
It was fine. I'll watch the recording and sew along as I watch.
Great. Enjoyed the class
great fun!!! have tried to do this before and now I know what I was doing wrong!! thank you so much
All steps were well demonstrated and clearly explained. Instructor took the time to answer questions, troubleshoot concerns and celebrate completed work
Project, content and teaching style were excellent. One improvement that could be made would be the focus of the camera shot during the process. It wasn't a big problem for this particular craft, but best clarity is always preferred when learning to do a new skill.
Laura was such fun, friendly encouraging and a pleasure.
Excellent
WONDERFUL, I LEARNED NEW SKILLS AND WILL BE ABLE TO COMPLETE MY PROJECTS WITH CONFIDENCE. THANK YOU LESSONFACE.
It was excellent. I wasn’t able to get to the class, as it was happening, but watched the entire class from the video. I’ve felted soap and done wet felting, but learned some different techniques. So thank you, Martha!
Excellent . Well paced, upbeat style of teaching, enjoyable encouraging
It was informative, supportive, and entertaining. I especially enjoyed Laura as an instructor. She is knowledgeable and gave a lot of information about the history of the design work.
Great class. Great instructor
i had a fantastic time. Laura is an excellent teacher. Went way beyond my expectations
Fabulous. I learned so much.
fantastic. Laura is an excellent teacher. went beyond my expectations
It was wonderful. Laura is a masterful embroiderer and teacher and enthusiastically shared her skills and passion. The sampler project was perfect for beginners - practical and pretty - and Laura’s live demos, plus clear, written/illustrated instructions, PLUS video stitch library were amazing resources. Laura also sang to us and shared a story! All that was missing was a fire on the hearth and a cold winter’s night.
The class was excellent and the teacher was so very knowledgeable about the history of tapestry weaving and the process of tapestry weaving. She was very organized and well prepared for class. Her tutorials and instructive videos were excellent!
The class was well paced, with a new technique or two introduced each session. Laura is very knowledgeable and she was always cordial and helpful. She is very open minded and encourages exploration. She is a great storyteller and always kept the class interesting.
It was an exceptional class. Laura is a fabulous instructor and her videos are incredibly helpful when we are not in person working.
Terrific I’m now working on my own.
I really enjoyed the class-- the instructor provides great pacing, fosters a community atmosphere, and good support materials as well.
Note that while I didn't attend the Orientation, I did review the video of the Orientation. The class, as usual for a class with Lura, was EXCELLENT.
Very enjoyable. The teacher's written guide and videos were excellent
Laura is an outstanding instructor. She clearly loves what she does, has a tremendous depth of experience and knowledge, and is very skilled and creative. She uses multiple approaches for teaching the material so students can use what works best for them as individuals. She knows what challenges will arise for those who are new to tapestry and she provides practical solutions to help. She also brings a multicultural perspective to the class as she shares her detailed knowledge of the folklore, history, songs, and weaving techniques of centuries of tapestry around the world. Wonderful class for an introduction to the artistry, technical skills, and history of tapestry...and, you end up with a very nice landscape tapestry.
Good! The best part, however, were the recorded tutorials that Laura provided on her website. Laura is an excellent teacher and very comfortable with the technology, which really helps. If you can’t have an inperson experience with learning a craft, the next best thing are the tutorials that this instructor provided on her webpage. I felt like I was getting one-on-one help when I’d sit down with her on my computer!
Terrific!
Great! Laura was very encouraging and engaging. Her knowledge of the technical issues with online viewing made it really easy to be able to see. Her demonstrations were awesome. The folk tales she shared were interesting. I feel confident in the tips she shared to be able to use my tapestry in making a pillow.
Fabulous. I learned so much. Clear and concise instructions backed by tutorial videos available on demand.
Just fabulous. Laura is a great instructor and the content was fabulous. Bring her back for more classes!
This was an excellent class, and I have taken (and taught) many online classes and trainings over the past several decades. It was a small group from distantly scattered locations, but we had much in common, especially concerning our interests. I LOVED the instructor. She was extremely well-prepared and polished, relaxed and present, and flexible. She has mastered several fiber arts and demonstrated great independence and expertise with her examples. While we were working together on our projects online, she shared folk tales from Northern Europe, and playfully sang a few seasonal songs with us, too. She has a lovely voice and is not shy but a bit playful and fun. This seemed right in line with the JCCFS in-person culture! The kit she provided was beautiful and fully functional, and I like her designs and the thoughtful effort she put into using them in teaching the techniques. It was wonderful to be working with wool from her own sheep, and I appreciated the tools (especially the scissors!) being included with the materials. It seemed like an excellent value for the tuition/fee. I also really appreciated the online resources she had for us, particularly the videos, which greatly enhanced my experience. It works well to stay at home, have time between class sessions to work on the project(s), access the videos and the handouts, and not feel any of the stress and rush to finish that's always there with weekend or weeklong in-person classes. In many of the latter that I've taken in person at JCCFS and elsewhere, the classes became so rushed and stressful that my classmates and I made more mistakes, leaving us frustrated and without really finishing or even learning how to finish the projects. Not this class! We had time to correct our mistakes or make adjustments between classes, and we ended well with a whole class session devoted to the finishing techniques. I hope to be able to take more classes with Laura to keep advancing in my punch needle and other fiber arts techniques, including tapestry.
Informative, inclusive, paced so everyone could participate at their personal level and capability. The teacher was very clear and articulate, and the time just flew by. I enjoyed the experience.
Comfortable and well paced. I was hesitant to take an online craft instruction class but it worked. I realize it lacks all the community aspects on site classes at John Campbell (which is unique and I love) but this worked Thanks for employee Laura she is a talented artist and teacher
Laura is an excellent, generous instructor. She shared her expertise and enthusiasm in equal measure. I learned more than I had hoped to.
Wonderful. Very thoroughly explained.
I loved the class and instructor. Very informative with discussion of other ideas for this project.
Always lovely to learn a new skill, and Laura did an excellent job.
I just loved the class and Laura have such clear instructions.
My bookmark came out very well and we had a great time.
I look forward to more of her classes.
Jackie
Fabulous!!!
It was great, a lot of fun, and the presenter has a huge personality!
Informative and fun!
Thoroughly enjoyed the class! Great project for gifts. I had tried to make them myself years ago but they did not felt up. From Laura’s class I have been able to resolve my issues. It looks great!
Laura did a great job teaching the class. I really enjoyed it.
It was delightful. A great group of people and Laura really kept everyone engaged. I love that she told a story and sang songs. Really gave me a feel for fiber arts of old and how just the practical part of fiber arts continued oral traditions (spoken and musical). The class also opened the door for simple gift making :)
Very fun and the instructor was knowledgable and very helpful.
I was very pleased with the content and presentation of this course. I was hoping that I would be able to make felted soap to give as gifts. My goal was achieved.
Laura was a great teacher, made us all feel welcome, stayed on task and was very entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed the class!
I really enjoyed the class. The instruction was clear and it was a lot of fun!
I enjoyed the class and learned so much. It was a lot of fun with all the participant’s input and Laura is an amazing instructor! I would definitely recommend to others.
It was lovely. Teacher was great. Highly recommend!!
Class was great! A nice project that participants took ahold of and made their own with many creative ideas to take to the next level.
Our class was excellent and fun to have comments and tips from across the US and Scotland. We were able to complete our projects in the time allotted and have ‘Show andTell’. I’m looking forward to more classes with JCFS LesdonFace.
It was so much fun and doable! The instructor’s teaching style was very effective but relaxed and fun. And the project was perfect for the amount of time. A lot of other information was available as she interacted with students too. Thank you so much for this class I hope to take many more on zoom!
Excellent!!
Good discourse with instructor and students alike.
All our question were not only answered and we were given lots of options in which to move forward.
Book 1:1 online lessons with Laura Berlage on their Lessonface profile.
Laura Berlage
Laura is a contemporary Renaissance woman living and working on her family’s century-old homestead farm outside Hayward, WI. From fiber arts to creative writing, music to storytelling, she never tires of the magic of transforming idea into form and overlapping narrative and visual.
About Lessonface, PBC
Lessonface's mission is to help students achieve their goals while treating teachers equitably. Since 2012, we've hosted more than 30,000 students and 2,000 teachers for over 500,000 music, language, and arts lessons and classes online.