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Making Peyote Stitch Samples Part III Circular Flat Peyote Beadwork June/July 2002 Return to Sampler Main Page I have eliminated the Navigation Bar on this page so that you can make your own personal copy. Just return to the Main Sampler Page to move around Beadwrangler's. |
Circular flat peyote is a new evolution of the stitch. Many well-known beaders such as Joyce C. Scott, David Chatt, Carol Wilcox Wells, NanC Meinhardt and Barbara Grainger have developed their own version of the stitch and taught this technique in recent years. Joyce C. Scott (Fearless Beadwork), Carol Wilcox Wells (Creative Bead Weaving), and Barbara Grainger (Dimensional Flowers, Leaves & Vines) authored these books that include this technique. Flat Circular Peyote may have been used in the past; however, I have not found any references or photos of vintage beadwork with this technique. It is considered more freeform because after about the first 12 rounds, it is difficult to work up a formula that is equally distributed in the same number of single and double beads for every round, requiring the beader to experiment and find formulas that work. Both Beadwork and Bead & Button magazines have included flat circular peyote projects in past issues. |
Materials
Czech 11/0 seed beads in 3 colors designated as C1, C2
and C3
Delicas in 3 colors
Size A Silamide thread, #944 Ash Gray or #533 Lt. Brown
Notions
Size 12 sharps or beading needles
Scissors
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What do the Stars mean?
In both crochet and knitting, there
are many repeats of the same stitches in a pattern for both rounds and rows. It
would take too many printed pages to repeat the same stitch over and over and also become
confusing as to where one left off. The Star* was created to make it easier to
follow repeat sections in a pattern and save printing space. There are usually two
stars*, one at the beginning of the repeat section and one at the end of the repeat
section. After the last *, instructions are given as to how many times to repeat
this sequence. Example; Rnd 7 (means round 7): *2-bead double in 1
space, then 1 bead in next space, rep from * around. For this round 2 thin beads
(2-bead double) is placed in a space between two beads of the previous round, then 1 bead
is placed in a space between the next two beads of the previous round. The word
"around," means you repeat the stitches as many times as required until you are
at the end of that round. There is a number in parentheses at the end of each round
telling you the total of beads that should be added for that round.
For These Samplers
Seed beads form more attractive flat circular
pieces than beads that are tubular shaped or squared off at the ends such as Delicas and
silver-lined beads. The Czech 11/0 sample lays completely flat and is very soft in
texture, while the Delica samples is lumpy and stiff due to the beads not adapting to a
circular shape. Delicas work better in geometric patterns. The type of beads
used will make the difference on how flat the piece becomes. You can use all those skinny
beads you usually cull out. Pick beads that have variations in thickness, some
thinner than the rest. Look at the sample with Czech beads compared to the Delica
sample.
The increases in these samples require 2 beads added in a space, which is actually about the size of 1-½ beads; two thin beads work up to about that same size. These 2 beads will be identified as a “double.” Color 1 uses more doubles than Color’s 2 and 3. Each time doubles are used in one round, a bead is placed between them in the next round, splitting them. To finish a round, take the needle through the first bead strung on the previous round, then pass through the first bead strung on the current round before beginning a new round.
After the second round, the beads change position and form spaces between them. In rounds that follow, a bead is placed in each space and between each double from a previous round. For doubles, take the needle through the first bead of the double, string a bead, then take the needle through the second bead of that double and continue adding beads in the spaces. The sample is worked in 20 rounds, alternating the three bead colors, making it easy to see the end of each round. Start with 30” of single working thread and leave a 5” tail to stitch back into the sampler. When finished, stitch in loose thread and cut off excess. A total number of the beads per round are provided in parenthesis at the end of each round. The illustrations are right-handed. Lefties work in the opposite direction.
| How to Make This Sampler Start in color sequence, Rnd 1: Color 1, Rnd 2: Color 2, Rnd 3: Color 3; alternate colors in each round.
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Conclusion
Experiment with various seed beads
and see how the sample will look depending on the beads used. After making flat
samples and culling for thin beads, take a break. Use 3 colors of size 6/0 beads,
both standard size, fat and more tubular in each color, no thin beads, and watch the piece
get rumpled and form unique shapes.
| I wanted to show how different beads work better when forming certain shapes and patterns so I made a six-sided geometric piece with Delica beads using the pattern from Peyote Quilt Bracelet by Judi Wood, Beadwork issue, Feb/Mar 2001. I had to rewrite the pattern as I made the piece because some of the rounds did not add up correctly. Then I added enough additional rounds for a total of 20 rounds and formed a larger sample. This sample becomes more concave as you add rounds. A wider base could be worked in each of the six sides to keep it flat and geometric in shape. Look at the Delica image that is raised and more geometric in shape. When it comes to publishing how to projects, the changes that go back and forth between both author and editor, plus the possibilities of errors during printing often result in incorrect instructions rather than it being all author error. |  |