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Hi! My name is Frieda Bates. I started beading when I was twelve years old, doing Applique with seed beads and sequins. At age 20 I met a Navajo woman who taught me basic looming (hat bands) that was my beginning. I, in turn, taught her crocheting. With two small children and no place in a small town to buy beads, my beading went on the back burner. At age 23, I decided I wanted to paint cars. I was already doing mechanic work, so I had most of the tools I needed. I enrolled at Eastern New Mexico University for a one year class on paint and body work. I just loved it! To take something that is bent, rusted, and ugly and make it beautiful again is a real rush. I did that full time for 6 years in my own body shop. I sold my shop and now I only paint occasionally for my car nut husband. Doing body work was very hard on my hands so not much beading was done during that time. The beads called to me again. I was living in a better location and able to get supplies so I started beading again. I began making very crude pencil drawings of split loom necklaces. When I showed them to my girlfriend Jan, she told me about Ray Davis' book "Twelve Award-Winning Necklaces." Then she showed me her copy and I started beading seriously. |
When I was 30 I was inspired again, when at that time I saw a Lee Hutchings split-loom necklace in Santa Fe, NM. Well, that did it. I had found my nitch. Looming is both my passion and obsession so for the last 18 years when I am not working I am beading (mostly all night). Through long nights and trial and error it has really come alive for me. By combining looming and the square stitch together it gives looming a whole new shape and dimension. I don't know if beading is inherited or contagious but my daughter Marie likes to bead. Also my first grandson David loves to string my beads and has since he was 3 years old. My sister Ann, and both of her children also bead. I have tried many other crafts such as macrame, crocheting, fiber weaving, knitting and embroidery but I have always returned to beads. My favorite is looming. I also enjoy peyote stitch, square-stitch, brick stitch earrings and beading on leather jackets. I live in Artesia, NM where my husband and I recently sold our motel. (yes, we got picked on many times because of the movie "Psycho" with the Bates Motel but ours was called The Starlite.) We also have a mobile home park and apartments which keeps us very busy. I live with my very patient husband, Tom, and my loyal Shih-Tzu, Chantilly. I am so thankful for my husband who puts up with my long nights of beading and for taking me to bead stores all over the country. I hope that everyone finds the one thing that will give them as much joy as I have found in beading. Frieda Bates |
Now that you know me, how about e-mailing to tell me about yourself?
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