Lisa BarthTimeless Wire Weaving: The Complete Course

love this book! lots of pictures and well written instructions.

I preordered this book way back in April after having purchased a few of Lisa's tutorials from Etsy. I have waited patiently for 6 months and I am so glad to finally have it!Nitty gritty about the book: The tutorials are very well laid out starting with a brief description of the tools you will need, wire, their gauges, and which tempers she prefers to use in her weaving and why. She then teaches you about each weave she will use in the book as well as her method for teaching them to you. She includes recipes for both lump and gel liver of sulfur and while she does not show all of her projects finished with this patina, you can see what kind of beauty it can add to the depth of a piece when the steps she gives you are done. Some of her pieces are left to patina on their own naturally and look just as stunning. There is also a whole section devoted to some of the techniques she uses to finish her pieces (which you can see just on the one cuff on the cover as an example.) She shows how to make her style of "gooseneck" hook closures as well as the way she embellishes her jewelry with beads.The book is then separated into project chapters by difficulty (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) with each difficulty having 4 projects in each and the advanced one having 5 projects. Followed lastly by a smaller gallery showcase of her work. Now I do say "smaller gallery" of her work because in the 3 years that I have been following her work, she has amassed a crazy amount of work that could fit many, many more pages than they had included. I wish they would have included just a few more of her works as her work is just incredible.For those that may be intimidated by the thought of trying this style of wirework out, let me say this: Lisa has made it very, very approachable! There are step by step pictures and thorough explanations for each tutorial. Each and every one of these projects is doable. There are projects that use cabochons and instead of using cabochons that you will never see that size of or a cabochon that you will never ever find, Lisa not only uses somewhat standard size cabochons, she tells you how to upsize or downsize the pattern of the wirework to make it fit the cabochon that you are using. This, to me, is highly important!If you are just starting out and this is your first time wire working and you want to see results fast, I would recommend starting with Spiral Woven Hoops. It is the very first project in the book and it was one of the projects that I had happened to purchase from her Etsy store. They do not take long to make, but they look like you spent hours on. They also teach you some really great basics on weaving and controlling your wire.There are not enough great things that I can say about the book and the author. There were not a lot of negatives I could say other than what I had pointed out, such as wishing there were a few more pictures of some of her work. I would have loved for them to include, for instance, a couple variations the "Mirror Image Bracelet." This bracelet has the ability to have so many variations depending on stone placement and weave placement based on just how you weave it. I learned that just by seeing some of Lisa's work on other sites.I hope my review helps someone who may be on the fence on whether to get this book or not. For me, it was worth every second I waited for it. :)

I bought it used and I got the book 4 or 5 days before the estimated delivery. Must've been pretty close, I guess, because it was just USPS and it got here in just a couple of days.The book is small, but what's in it is huge!I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner. Some of the projects are easier, but they are all intricate and geared towards intermediate and advanced crafters. I rarely make projects straight out of books, but some of the bracelets in this book incorporate techniques in such a way that I can see actually growing from completing them. The bracelets are some of the best projects and they're all complex and gorgeous.

Excellent book. So I’ve been making jewelry for three years. I’ve been trying many techniques. Practice, practice, practice! I was able to give really nicely made jewelry gifts for Christmas this year. So now I’m reading for more advanced wire weaving. I’ve been on YouTube watching videos and doing a little on my own. I hoped this book would help me by pointing out some things I didn’t quite get and it has. I was an educator in the past. So instructional books are not new to me. This one is clearly and precisely laid out. The detail is explained in depth. The picture quality is terrific. I found this book to be a great help. The videos I have been watching make a lot more sense to me now. I start to watch a new video then I realize that I already know how to do it. It’s awesome. I feel like it not only taught me to do these patterns but gave me a much greater understanding of how weaving works and how to put things together. I was a math teacher and that is exactly what I always tried to do for my students.I would highly recommend this book to a beginning wire weaver!

I was hoping this book would have more information specifically on Viking wire weaving, a form of braiding for pendant chains or even armor clasps. It is very good at illustrating and teaching other wire weaving techniques for jewelry making, and includes helpful suggestions for tools and supplies. I just wish it had been clearer that it does not offer much if any guidance in techniques beyond bracelets, earrings, and pendants. The actual weaving of substantial hanging chains or any form of Finnish coil weaving is not addressed at all. (To be fair, I did not expect much info on Finnish techniques, as they are very specialized. But I had hoped for more in the way of chain weaving.)

I was looking at books to further my basic knowledge of wire wrapping and jewelry making. I did some research, read the reviews and narrowed it down to 3 books I found here at Amazon. Unfortunately, I purchased one of the others that people raved about, but was very disappointed, especially in the projects. There was some good info on getting started, but the designs were repetitive (great for learning, but overdone), leaving many pieces just "clunky?" in my opinion. So, I decided to try this one, and I am so very happy that I did!! THIS is the book I was looking for! There are projects for all levels, and so many are inspired, stunning pieces of art!! You learn, but this time you have pieces you would actually want to wear or give as gifts. I took the author's advice and ordered copper wire, not that you have to as any color wire would work, but he explains that copper is less expensive and good to learn on. Besides, look at the bracelet on the cover. It is gorgeous in copper! Once you master a piece, then go to your more expensive wires, if desired. I am still waiting for my wire to arrive, and I cannot wait to get started! I will check back as I start to make some of the projects, as far as instructions and results....stay tuned!