Working on Naomi Sakuma's beaded lantern has been quite a challenge. Working eight rows per hour is fast compared to how long it took me to complete the same amount when I first started working on it. I consider myself a speedy beader - I can whip up a sample of whatever it is I am writing about quicker that it usually takes me to write up the intro to the article, but that is what I do, it is what I am good at. But the pace of the loomwork panels has stopped me in my tracks. This isn't such a bad thing, considering one of the reasons I love beading so much is the meditative state it puts me in, but it is strange to spend my time at work beading all day. Of course meetings, phone calls, and other duties keep me from constant looming, and it will be a while until I get to actually finish this project.

The amount of time spent working on the panels has revealed a few techniques that will make working on this larger project easier. First of all, separating the cylinders into separate trays, according to season, and numbering them to keep track of each color makes transitioning from row to row much smoother. Next, working with long needles not only delivers the space to pick up at least a third of the row at a time, but it weaves back through the bead rows in fewer passes, making the weaving go quicker. Lastly, our illustrator Kellie added a helpful grid to the panel patterns to make counting a breeze. Why didn't I think of that sooner?

Working at your own place in a comfortable chair with good light is essential, taking breaks to look up, and standing up to stretch now and again. I am sharing this because it is mesmerizing to work row by row, slowly revealing this beautiful depiction of the seasons. I know Naomi spent months meticulously choosing each color, changing it again and again until it was perfect. Unfortunately I was not able to find each color and, on the schedule of the magazine, didn't have time to order each one. For the sake of time and ease in purchasing the colors, I stuck with one brand and had to change a color here and there. Naomi's color list will appear in our online Resource Guide, siting all the colors she used, as well as ours, which ran in the June issue.

I am happy to inform you that this is one of those projects that we will enhance by adding some video instruction on our Web site. As the August issue hits the stands, we will have some tutorials that will assist you in the assembly of the lantern and some of the embellishment techniques. Although it is a large project, it has been worth the effort, and I can't wait to have a finished lantern to liven up my office.