What is Off-Loom Beading?

I mentioned off-loom beading as one of my interests and several people have asked me what was. Off-loom beading is making a solid beaded object without the use of a beading loom. I'm not sure that is the "official" explanation but that is what I think it is.

Several years ago some friends and I were fortunate enough to take a class from a serious beader and I made some needle cases and then moved on to what are called amulet bags. They are small bags worn as a necklace. I think I ended up making five of them. The one shown in the photograph was for a special friend of mine, Sharry. They are done with Delica beads and are sort of, I guess, tedious to do but fun if you like fussing with little things.

The second photo is one of the needle cases, also worn as a necklace. The beading is done and then fit over a purchased wooden needle case in two pieces (the top and bottom) and then the fringe is applied.

You do the work with very thin needles and a special type of thread. You work from a graph or a chart.