Teaching courses of needlework

This is a wonderful plan of teaching such courses: a very well thought-out construction from simple to complicated, easily understood exposition, and another thing I like very much, which advantageously distinguishes them from the majority of others – an attempt to arouse student's imagination.

The majority of books on beadwork contains lots of patterns for some specific makes, by the way, as I can see now, many of those fond of beadwork, ask exactly for patterns. The result is rather depressing, more and more craftsmen and very few creators. But you see it is just like in the parable – give man fish, and you will feed him to satiety one time, teach him to fish and thus you will feed him for the rest of his life. This is what thisteaching course is good about, it teaches to fish.

I enjoyed the absence of the long drawn-out descriptions of threading each bead (which have been so common lately), with the exception of the most necessary, moreover there are very clear visual patterns. Extremely detailed enumerations of the numbers of beads have always depressed me, but visual step-by-step pictures – that is another matter, this way visual memory also works.

What is so unique about this teaching course? It is built upon principle “from simple to complicated” and is a wonderful text-book for the beginners. All the difficult questions for the beginners, which are usually brushed aside by skillful masters in a haughty manner, starting from the right choice of the thread for work and up to determination of the quality of beads are analyzed in detail in the very beginning.

Then the author reveals the secrets of all the main techniques of the beadwork, the descriptions of which are illustrated by detailed visual patterns. The very first steps in learning methods of beadwork will enable you to create quite complete original adornments, as the teaching methods offered by the author gives you an opportunity to create yourself, arouses imagination and reveals creative abilities of everyone willing to learn the art of beadwork.

But this teaching course can be interesting not only for amateurs in beadwork, but also for skillful masters. The author generously shares his own exclusive methods of beadwork, offers unusual methods of using generally accepted techniques and reveals for the reader the rarely used and almost forgotten secrets of work by the masters of past centuries.

So, whether you are a beginner in beadwork willing to learn this art starting almost from zero level, or you are a successful master collecting into the money-box of your own craft the experience and methods of other masters of beadwork, each of you will learn a lot of useful, new and interesting things from this teaching course. Welcome to the land of bead fantasies, where you are invited by a wonderful designer of bead works Irina Astratenko, an author of a great number of exclusive bead works!

Albina Polyanskaya

Of course, the work is gigantic and fundamental. It is splendid that the teaching course on beads doesn't have ready patterns of specific makes, instead, in the simple way are given all techniques and methods using which you can make a great number of variants. Indeed, there are very interesting methods for skilled masters.

As for the teaching course of tatting, here I can describe my impressions in a more detailed manner. I can say that if I didn't know you, I would have said all the same that it was done with much love and by a person of a wide and understanding soul. Such an excellent quality of graphic moments, very sensible advices. Just great! When I opened the book on new technologies, I glanced through it at a single breath. I send my applauses to you! I really have never seen anything like this before. Probably, this information was gathered grain by grain, moreover it is supported by authors' methods! It is just what one need for the work with beads! Thank you for your noble work!

Angelica Susoyenkova

Thanks so much. I think your teaching courses are wonderful, I have some russian bead books, but it's so nice to be able to read them in English! I am so impressed, I think you will do very well indeed. What a great idea you have and how beautifully presented the books are.

Amazing, I haven't felt such a pleasure for a long time! I received your teaching course of tatting and there was no end to my delight! Thank you for creating such encyclopedic edition on tatting, you have done an enormous job and it is needed not only by beginners, but also by mature masters.

I myself collect different technological methods using all the possible sources (I've been doing tatting since 1992). In some way you have brought my plans to life. I also wanted to create something like encyclopedia of tatting, but I lack physical time, I'm loaded up with work.

In my opinion, according to its significance your work on creation these teaching courses just cannot be estimated (appreciated), it is priceless and any master of tatting will confirm this.

 Valentina Shkreben

I received the teaching courses and am printing them now. Thank you so much. The directions are well written the diagrams are clear. I am so glad to have them and will get started with my new "lessons" after work. Again, thanks for teaching courses in English about the beautiful tatting/beads method.

Toni Veenschoten Pensacola, Florida USA

I just wanted to thank you for the teaching courses. I was successful in downloading them all. They are great resources and very complete and thorough in their instructions. I look forward to using them extensively in the future to learn more. You do very beautiful work. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with others!

Irina, well, I had to write... a time ago I ordered some of your books and patterns for the Ankars...they are just beautiful!! I have tatted several of the bracelets in the pattern...lots of work but oh so beautiful... I am not a master of this yet.... but my grandmother taught me to tat many years ago and I just enjoy it so much and now being able to add beads... oh, what a delight... thank you for making this method available to us...

Charlotte