For years I taught chainmaking at various places around the Bay Area (retail bead shops, shows, private workshops, etc). I've been mostly out of the teaching game since the recession crushed the business in 2008 but I still teach occasionally.
During the time I taught chainmaking actively, I developed more than 20 different workshops and taught them to hundreds of students. It was one of the most gratifying experiences I've ever had. Of those hundreds of students, all of them, save one*, left the workshops happy with what they'd accomplished. In fact, most were amazed at the beauty and complexity of what they were able to learn and make in so short a time.
You have to love an opportunity to be a part of something like that. William Morris, one of my heroes, always maintained that creating beauty (or helping to create it) was one of the most rewarding parts of his life. Maybe I can claim a bit of association with that ideal.
*Her eyesight was too poor for close work. But she really tried!
During the time I taught chainmaking actively, I developed more than 20 different workshops and taught them to hundreds of students. It was one of the most gratifying experiences I've ever had. Of those hundreds of students, all of them, save one*, left the workshops happy with what they'd accomplished. In fact, most were amazed at the beauty and complexity of what they were able to learn and make in so short a time.
You have to love an opportunity to be a part of something like that. William Morris, one of my heroes, always maintained that creating beauty (or helping to create it) was one of the most rewarding parts of his life. Maybe I can claim a bit of association with that ideal.
*Her eyesight was too poor for close work. But she really tried!
The chain projects listed below resulted from developing the curricula for my workshops, making examples for my students to see, and of course making gifts for my wife.
Sadly, for many of these pieces, the pictures of the work are all I have left after burglars took almost every piece of jewelry I'd ever made for my wife. I guess the only good thing about that situation is that I can always make more.
When I'm finished here, all of the chain patterns and projects listed below will have their own pages linked in the menu above. It's going to take a while, given how few good pictures I have of the chains and my limited photographic skill & equipment. But I'll get there!
Sadly, for many of these pieces, the pictures of the work are all I have left after burglars took almost every piece of jewelry I'd ever made for my wife. I guess the only good thing about that situation is that I can always make more.
When I'm finished here, all of the chain patterns and projects listed below will have their own pages linked in the menu above. It's going to take a while, given how few good pictures I have of the chains and my limited photographic skill & equipment. But I'll get there!
Chain Patterns & Projects
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Other Jewelry Workshops
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Jump Ring Chains
2-in-2 4-in-1 Flat Mail 6-in-1 Flat Mail Barrel Beaded Boa Byzantine Byzantine Charm Bracelet Byzantine Flower (Tapered) Byzantine Byzantine Strap Byzantine Variation Earrings Circular Ladder Closed Round Cross/Diamond Daisy Foxtail Helm/Parallel Jens Pind Open Round Queen's/Box Turkish Rope |
Fused/Soldered Chains
Boring old chain One-Way Double Loop-in-Loop Two-way Double Loop-in-Loop Two-way Single Loop-in-Loop |
Making Jump Rings Sawing and Soldering Basics Bead Caps |