Beginning Peyote Stitching

[Mariposa]

:Help Hi folks, I'm a pretty new beader, I've been beading for just a few months, and have such desire to do brick stitch/peyote stitch...but starting it takes me at least 10 minutes just to get the first row together without tangling everything up....Does any Angel out there know the best way to get the 1st and 2nd row started without wanting to just take the thing, throw it on the floor and step on it?

:dontknow:

[R I Whiteside]

Start-up for peyote stiching

Kola Hau

If you get any GOOD answers, PLEASE PLEASE forward them to me. As an older person who's fingers don't always do what the mind says, this gives me fits.

If you don't get any good answers, just rember that there are lots of others cussing the same problem. (Misery loves company, eh..)

[powwowbum49]

Mariposa & Whiteside

There are 2 types of gourd (peyote) stitch. I will try to explain both. Feel free to ask questions if you need.

First would be the set up for both. I always wrap the piece I am beading in leather before I start. This cushions the beads and keep them from breaking easily if the piece is dropped. Then I thread up a needle doubling the thread and waxing it well. I use Nymo size B for 11/0 and 12/0 and I use Nymo size A, 0 or 00 for size 13/0 or smaller. I tie a knot in the end leaving about a 1/2" tab past the knot and run the needle through the leather to the knot. Then I burn the tab of thread behind the knot down to the leather and smash it with the lighter so it is flat and can't pull through.

2 bead drop
This is the easier of the two style to start. You put enough beads on to go all the way around the piece so the beads meet flush. Make sure the number of these beads is an even number. Now run your needle through the first bead and pull the thread taunt. Now keeping the thread taunt pick up a bead and then run your needle through the third bead. As you pull the thread taunt use your thumb to keep the bead to the bottom of the initial row. With this style the biggest trick is to keep the beads on the thread taunt. Continue doing this til you get back to where you started and then angle down through the first bead you put on to drop down to the next row.

3 bead drop
You put enough beads on the needle to go all the way around the piece so the bead meet flush. (Do not stitch yet) Now count them and divide by 3. If the number is not divisible by 3 then add or subtract beads (which ever is closer) to get to one that is. Pull off one third of the beads and then run the needle through the first bead on the string and pull the thread tight. (keep in mind that the more number that the one third is divisible by the more patterns you can make. i.e., 54 beads to go around the piece means 18 is one third and that is divisible by 1,2,3,6,9,18) Now pick a bead up on the string and run your needle through the third bead on the string. Heres the trick, as you pull the thread taught keep the bead you picked up against the third bead and on the bottom of the row. This is its' correct position and by keeping it there it saves the headaches. Another trick is to use an awl to adjust the bunches of 3 beads from left to right to tighten or loosen the packing of the beads as needed. Continue doing this til you get back to where you started and then angle down through the first bead you put on to drop down to the next row.

The biggest type is to KEEP THE THREAD TAUNT!!!!

Hope that helps!

[Blackbear]

One question for you though...I think powwowbum very well covered round peyote..but did you want flat as well?

[Blackbear]

I just re-read pwb49's post....in case there is any confusion in the way you learned...what he is calling two drop is what I call regular peyote and you can do it with an odd number of beads, but the row is finished each way around with a different step...while with the even you have to finish the row by going through two beads..and odd number count just keeps continuing the same way through. What I learned as two drop some call netting..but it is the same as how he explained but you use two beads at a time and go through two beads at a time (wow, I bet I am confusing the hola heck out you now huh?). Anyhow both of us are here if you need any help or have any other questions. This is the type of beadwork I have been doing for years now .

[Mariposa]

Ok,PowWowbum, now how would you like to hop on a plane and come to NY and teach me that?...cause I lost you after the 2nd sentence.:Thinking Gee I better get me the tape by Full Circle cause i need a re-run of everything...I must have played my other tapes about 20 times before I actually started beading..

[powwowbum49]

Mariposa

I think my wife might protest about that trip...

I have not seen the full circle video on gourd stitching yet so I can't tell you anything about it.

Blackbear

I didn't mention the odd # cause I have always preferred starting with a even #. Seemed to run smoother for me and look better too when it came to making patterns in the piece.

[Blackbear]

the only reason I like the even number is because it makes matching up diagonals and diamonds easier LOL...well that and you know exactly when the row ends in some more complicated patterns.

[LumbeeWife]

I do not have alot of experience putting links on a reply to posts, so please be patient, This is a link for instructions on Peyote Stitch, they have large pictures and very detailed instructions, The instructions posted in the replys above are VERY GOOD, I even learned the two drop from reading these above instructions (I already knew the three drop, but this two drop is GREAT!), maybe this will help you. Good luck!

http://www.guidetobeadwork.com/book/gourd/GS0.html

[BeadedPony]

Hey, PW49
You did a nice job of explaining. I might even want to begin beading again!!:Jumping:

[SHand]

I was reading about the three drop instructions, and one piece of info was passed that might not always work... The instructions said to make sure that your bead count is divisible by three, but actually it should be six. The reason this is like this is because you won't get stuck with two "high" patterns coming around the item and meeting up. What I mean is, if you had 15 beads, a number divisible by 3, and your bead pattern repeated every 3 beads, OR every 5 beads to divide evenly, your high area on the beads would come around and meet each other and make your pattern wop sided. If you use a number divisible by six, no matter how big you item is, your pattern can always have a 3 bead high and low pattern and match evenly all the way around. It is more of a hassle to have a number divisible by six, because then you may have to monkey around with your padding to get the right size for a total divisible by six, but it will save you a ton of head scratching trying to figure out why your pattern won't match up...
I hope this makes sense. I'm not thinking to straight as its about 1am. I should have gone to the powwow tonight but I stayed home to finish some of my sons dance clothes so he will be ready for the bigger main event tomorrow night... :) :)

[ingrambead]

I have been beading for a long time but peyote is something I do not do on a regular basis. The Full Corcle Video really does help. I bought the tape so I can get a jump start everytimg I need to use this stitch, usually when I get an order for a peyote stitch item. Some places rent the tape or maybe your library has a copy. It sure has helped me a lot when I had no one to turn to for instructions. Its nice to have the visual.

Sally

[Moonphasefull]

New Beader needs SUPPLIES!!

:D
Aho!
Folks I am just happy to know that I am not the only new beader out there!
My Grandmother is a craftswoman. She supported her family by making clothes and dolls for years and years.
And, although she has passed on to the Spirit side, I know she is proud that I am continuing to create with my hand, ...sewing , beading etc.
I plan to carry on the tradition. But, I need help and have many questions...First and most important: I need to know where to get good supplies for Beading! I don't do this as a hobby, this is my People's craft and I am a first generation beader, 3rd generation crafter....Help!
thanks

[Blackbear]

Check the links page or the thread on wholesalers and suppliers for where to get stuff.

[powwowbum49]

????

SHand

I am not sure what you are doing wrong that your pattern bumps into itself, but I have done many pieces that had an odd number of beads to a row. I assume the 15 you mention is the one-third # that I mentioned earlier. It is divisible by 1,3,5 & 15. Now as you said you start a design that is working every third bead. So here is the row you would put on. (I will use your description to show you what I mean, P will stand for beads used in the pattern and B for background beads and the # will be for the actual beads in the row.) 1-P, 2-B, 3-B, 4-P, 5-B, 6-B, 7-P, 8-B, 9-B, 10-P, 11-B, 12-B, 13-P, 14-B, 15-B at this point you are back to the #1 bead and ready to drop down a row. Now, as you can see, once you have that row on all of the pattern beads are evenly spaced and pattern beads do not bunch up in one area. As I said I have no clue what you are doing that would cause that to happen to you but you are really going through a lot of extra hassle to get to a number that's divisible by 6 that you do not need to do. I will say that I try to avoid prime number as a total for a row because then you have only 1 as a design number and that is kinda limiting, but outside of that having a row total divisible by 3 has never failed to work correctly for me in the last 25 years.

This is also why I use an even number on the two bead drop. An even number always has an even spacing between designs that are based on more than 1. When an odd number is used then the design can bump into itself and not be spaced even in one area of the design.

Oh, by the way...aho beaded pony

Hope this helps