Seed Bead Heroes

We all know that March is Women’s History Month — but it’s also officially “Seed Bead Month” at our Dupont Circle location!  These two celebrations are more connected than you might think.

Do you remember our “Guatemala Diaries” series?  It chronicled our buyers’ adventures in that country as they selected beautiful hand-made crafts to bring back to you.  The treasures they found included an abundance of intricate, breathtaking jewelry made from woven seed beads.

These necklaces are all for sale on our website; simply click an image to view its listing.

These incredible pieces were all made by women!

Some of the most talented women doing seed bead weaving are three sisters who run a shop together: Elena, Juanita, and Andrea.  They work too with their mother, also named Elena.

Andrea and Kathleen, October 2014

In an increasingly commercialized country, where younger generations often work in shops or migrate to the city, these sisters are proud to carry on traditional crafts and artistry.  Beadazzled, in turn, is proud to support their beautiful handiwork.

—

Interested in learning to weave seed beads yourself?  You’re in luck!  Our DC store is offering two special classes this month: Russian Spiral on March 15th, and Flat Peyote Stitch on March 22nd.

Above: Flat Peyote Stitch; Below: Russian Spiral

Just call us at 202-265-2323 to register, and come by to pick up your supplies at a reduced price.  That’s right, we’re also having a sale on seed beads through the month of March!

If you’re unable to join us in DC for classes, don’t fret.  Our Falls Church location regularly offers seed bead classes — just check out our website for the full schedule.

Thanks for reading, and happy Seed Bead / Women’s History Month!