oven
Wgeometrics
Create bold shapes
with peyote
and brick stitch
by Nicole Schlinger
I
t is fascinating how you can make a solid form from beads
and thread. Neither material has a shape of its own and yet you
can build incredible structures by combining them. After
working in brick and peyote stitch for a number of years, I
devised this interwoven geometric design.
stepbystep
Start by weaving a four-bead peyote strip. Then weave a brick-stitch
row to outline the connection points for the diagonal elements.
Weave the diagonals in brick stitch.
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beadandbutton.com
start
figure 1
a
figure 2
figure 3
start
figure 4
bracelet
Measure your hand (photo a) to
determine the length needed to
slide on the bracelet. Use 24-in.
(.6m) lengths of Nymo. Trim the
threads only when instructed.
peyote strip
Pick up an accent color (AC) bead
and three main color (MC) beads,
leaving a 9-in. (.2m) tail.
Work in peyote (see “Basics,” p.
180), picking up an AC along one edge,
until the strip is the length determined
above. The number of edge beads must
be divisible by six. Photo b shows the
strip in process.
Make a second strip.
brick-stitch outline row
Working with the AC edge at the
bottom, start a new thread so it exits the
top left MC.
Pick up an AC and a MC. Work in
brick stitch, using the thread bridge
between the second and third beads on
the peyote strip (figure 1). Work two
brick stitches using MCs.
Work three ACs and three MCs.
Repeat this sequence (figure 2) to the
end of the strip, ending with two ACs.
Repeat steps 1-3 with the other strip.
b
diagonal panels
All the diagonals on a strip slant in the
same direction. Turn the piece after you
complete each row of brick stitch.
Hold the strip with the AC edge at
the bottom and start a new thread. Exit
the first brick-stitched AC.
Working in brick stitch, pick up an
AC and a MC. Then work two MCs and
an AC (photo c). Turn the piece.
Pick up an AC and an MC. Increase
at the beginning of the row (figure 3).
Work two MCs and an AC (photo d).
Pick up an AC and an MC. Work
two MCs and an AC increase at the end
of the row (figure 4).
Repeat steps 2-4 for 17 total rows.
To begin the next and all subsequent diagonals, start a new thread.
Exit the third AC on the brickstitch outline. Repeat steps 2-5
across the strip. Photo e shows
the spacing of the diagonals.
Repeat on the other strip.
c
d
connect the diagonals
Use the thread tail to sew the
beads of the end row of a diagonal over the corresponding beads
on the brick-stitch outline row.
Overlap the strips with the AC
edges on the outside (figure 5).
Bead & Button • June 2004
97
Following the established pattern,
weave and connect the remaining
diagonals. Tie off the remaining tails.
e
f
g
Weave the diagonals on one strip
through the diagonals on the other
(figure 5). To connect the woven
diagonals, line up the end row of a
diagonal’s beads over the outline row
on the other strip (figure 5, inset).
Using the thread tail exiting from
the AC on the diagonal, sew over to the
AC on the outline row. Go through the
AC (photo f) and through the MC on
the diagonal. Then sew over to the MC
on the outline row. Connect the other
beads on the diagonal to the outline row
in the same way. Photo g shows a
finished joint.
Tie off the tail by working it through
several beads. Tie a half-hitch knot (see
“Basics”). Dot the knot with nail polish
or glue. Sew through a few more beads
and cut the thread.
Repeat steps 2-4 to connect each
diagonal along the length of the
bracelet. Don’t connect the last
diagonals until the bracelet is formed
into a circle.
Repeat these steps to connect the
diagonals on the other strip.
finishing
Use the tail to zip the ends of the
peyote strips together (figure 6, a-b).
Secure the thread in the beadwork.
98
necklace
Start with a peyote strip outlined in
brick stitch. Then weave Vs with legs
that slant in opposite directions.
Embellish the Vs with fire-polished
beads. Then interweave and connect the
Vs along the brick-stitch outline row.
band
Measure your neck to determine the
length of your necklace. The beadwork
on mine is 141⁄2 in. (.36m). The clasp
adds about another inch (25mm).
Follow steps 1-2 of the peyote strip
instructions. The final number of edge
beads must be divisible by seven.
Work steps 1-2 of the brick stitch
outline instructions. Then work a
repeating pattern of four ACs and three
MCs across the row.
first leg
Work steps 1-3 of the diagonal
panel instructions for a total of 11 rows.
Pick up two MCs and increase at the
beginning of the row. Work two MCs
and an AC (figure 7, row 12).
Pick up an AC and an MC. Then
work two MCs and an MC increase
(row 13).
Repeat step 2 (row 14).
Pick up an AC and an MC. Then
work two MCs and an AC (row 15).
the point
Pick up an AC and MC. Work an
connect
here
figure 5
connect
here
MC and an AC (row 16).
Pick up an AC and MC, then an AC
(row 17).
Pick up two ACs (row 18).
Pick up an AC, a fire-polished bead,
and an AC.
Skip the AC and retrace the thread
path, but go through the AC adjacent to
the starting AC (figure 7, a-b).
Sew through the three ACs along the
edge (b-c).
second leg
With the thread exiting the AC, pick
up an AC and sew through the adjacent
MC. Then go through the AC again
(figure 8, a-b).
Pick up an AC and MC and increase
at the beginning of the row. Sew
through the adjacent MC. Then go
through two MCs diagonally and exit an
MC in the row above (figure 9, a-b).
Work two MCs and an AC increase
at the end of the row.
Pick up an AC and MC and increase
at the beginning of the row. Then work
two MCs. Sew through the adjacent AC
and back through the last MC added
(figure 10, a-b).
Pick up an AC and MC and work a
stitch on the thread bridge between the
two MCs on the previous row (figure
11, a-b). Work two MCs and an AC
increase at the end of the row. This
establishes the five-bead pattern for the
second leg.
Pick up an AC and MC and work an
increase at the beginning of the row.
Work two MCs and an AC.
Pick up an AC and MC. Work two
MCs and an AC increase at the end of
the row.
Repeat steps 6-7 three more times to
complete the second leg (11 rows total).
Do not connect the leg and do not cut
the thread tail.
a
Skip two ACs on the brick-stitch
outline. Repeat these instructions to
make Vs along the outline row. Do not
start Vs on the last two AC segments,
they will be used only as connection
points for other Vs.
connect the second leg
Follow figure 12 to interweave the
legs of the Vs.
Connect the tops of the Vs to the
brick-stitch outline on the peyote strip
as in the bracelet instructions.
Carefully join the legs of the last two
Vs to the peyote strip.
finishing
Work in peyote, using the tail
remaining at either end of the necklace.
See figure 13, beads 1-9 for the
sequence. Your sequence may vary.
Pick up two ACs (beads 10-11), one
part of the clasp, and the last two ACs
(beads 12-13). Sew back into the beads
of the peyote strip. For added security
go though beads 8-13 several times.
Weave back into the peyote strip, tie
a half hitch, and dot with glue. Weave
through several more beads and trim
the tail.
Repeat steps 1-3 at the other end of
the necklace with the other clasp piece.
Tie off and weave in any
remaining tails. w
b a
b
figure 6
figure 10
Row 12
Row 13
Row 14
Row 15
Row 16
Row 17
Row 18
figure 7
c
a
b
b
a
figure 11
b
a
figure 8
figure 12
connect
here on back
Contact Nicole via email,
[email protected] or write to her at
1842 400th Ave., Brooklyn, Iowa, 52211.
materials
necklace and bracelet
• 40g Japanese seed beads or cylinder beads
(Delicas), main color (MC)
• 30g Japanese seed beads or cylinder beads
(Delicas), accent color (AC)
• 10-12 5mm fire-polished beads, each,
of two colors
• clasp
• Nymo D beading thread in a color to match
main beads, conditioned with Thread Heaven
• beading needles, #12
• G-S Hypo cement or clear nail polish
b
a
a
figure 13
figure 9
Bead & Button • June 2004
b
1 5 8 9
10
4 7
2 6 12 11
3
99
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