Peyote Design Techniques by Barbara L. Grainger

Aloha Shalom Publishing, P.O. Box 5264, Oregon City, OR 97045, $19.95 plus $3.50 shipping and handling, softcover, 88 pages

This is Grainger's second book, her first being Peyote At Last! A Peyote Beadwork Primer, a book every peyote lover should own. Peyote At Last is the best instructional step-by-step book I have ever seen for beginners. Along with big print and graphics, it also includes projects. "Grunt, leave that book alone, you don't know how to do peyote, you little dirtball!" He already stole my wigjig tool; I see it sticking out of his teapot! If you are a beginner to Peyote, you should work your way through this book before you begin Peyote Design Techniques.

Now let's move on to her new book, Peyote Design Techniques. Grainger begins with acknowledgments and a note about herself, such as her founding The BeadAcademy and you can write her for more information or e-mail her at WMAT78A@prodigy.com. She includes a bibliography and references other books of interest. The table of contents is separated into six sections: Part I - Introduction, Part II - Odd Count Flat Peyote, Part III - Even Count Flat Peyote, Part IV - Even Count Tubular Peyote, Part V - Odd Count Tubular Peyote and Part VI - Intertwined Designs. Parts II through Part V included five sections each: Basic Technique, Reading Graph Paper, Separated Motifs, Horizontally Joined Motifs and Mixed Multiples. I bet you didn't know there could be so much information about one beading technique! Part VI is pre-charted designs and order information.

Grainger authors an academic study of Peyote technique that opens new avenues of expression for all of us. Part I introduces beaders to Peyote and includes basic odd and even count Peyote information. Helpful hints on understanding color is included. Parts II through V gives a break down of the technique in easy to understand explanations and graphics. An example would be Part III, Odd-Count Flat Peyote. Section Two starts with reading graph paper, how to identify columns, where the original strand is, how beads are counted in horizontal rows and how to count horizontal rows. An example is included in each section. A short review is added at the end of section. Many formulas are included for learning to cover shapes.

Here is the meat of this book. You will learn to cover any three dimensional shape or form you choose in Peyote using the techniques in Grainger's book. You can design any flat piece using your choice of motif and have the ends match each other if you decide to sew the ends together. You will be able to follow any Peyote graph in magazines and other books with ease. Have you recently taken a class in Peyote and covered a bead or object with an exact formula that fits that bead or object? Then you go to buy beads of another size to cover and find you can not use that same exact formula? Most classes you attend are to introduce you to Peyote and give you an example with an exact formula you can complete during class. It is up to you to continue to experiment and learn to cover other size and shape items. If you really use Grainger's book and do a complete study as she advises, you will be a Peyote expert when you are through. There are no other books like this on the market and I wish more magazines would emphasize this difference in their reviews. This book is not full of pretty beaded photos; it is an in depth book of practical Peyote instructions that are easy to comprehend. Peyote Design Techniques is a real tool for Peyote bead lovers. Grainger's book is spiral bound so that you can lay the book flat as you work. Peyote Design Techniques definitely goes into my library; that is, when it is not in my travel purse for reference.