DAISY CHAIN STITCH

10 - 10mm long Transparent Green Dagger Beads
60 - Size 6/0 White Beads
10 - Size 6/0 Orange with Red Stripe Beads
60 - Size 8/0 Transparent Green Beads
#12 Beading needle
White Nymo D Thread
2 - Gold colored Clamshell knot covers
1 - Gold colored Lobster Claw
1 - Gold colored Split Ring
527 brand or E6000 brand Adhesive
Wax or the thread conditioner of your choice
Chain nose Pliers



Before beginning, please note that this will make a very long (10 inch) anklet. Each set of daisy and stem equal about 1 inch, so you can shorten or lengthen it by adding or subtracting one set of daisy/stem for each inch.

1. Begin by threading your beading needle with about 4 feet of Nymo D thread. We will be working with a doubled thread, so this will be a bit easier to manage than it sounds. Stretch the thread well and pass it over the beeswax or other thread prep product.

2. Knot the end of the thread and place one of the clamshells on the needle, shell opening out, away from the needle. Place it over the knot and add a dab of glue. Close the clamshell with the chain nose pliers.

3. Add 4 transparent green beads to the thread, then add 1 transparent green dagger bead, and 2 more transparent green beads.

4. Add 4 white beads, and 1 orange/red stripe bead. Pass the thread through the first white bead closest to the last green bead strung, pointing the needle back in the direction from which it came. Pull snug.

5. Add 2 white beads to the thread, and pass the needle through the 4th white bead added in Step 4. This will be the bead closest to the red/orange bead.

6. Repeat from Step 3 until your chain reaches the length desired.

7. Add the other clamshell to the end of the thread, shell opening toward the needle.

8. Make a large knot very close to the clamshell, so that the thread holds tight and add a drop of 527 glue. Alternately, if you have trouble getting the knot close enough to the clamshell, cut the thread off of the needle, add a single size 11/0 bead to one of the threads, and tie several overhand knots around the Size 11/0 bead. Add glue to the knot and the Size 11/0 bead.

9. Close the clamshell with your chain nose pliers and trim the threads.

10. Add the lobster claw to one clamshell end, and the Split Ring to the other.

Enjoy your "New Leaf" Daisy Chain anklet. Try using yellow beads for the flower petals with a dark brown center bead, to make a sunflower. Or a dark purple center with light blue petals for a Morning Glory vine! Make them a bit shorter for wear as a bracelet! Pretty cute!

Peyote Stitch One - Flat Even Count Peyote Stitch Beading

Peyote Stitch One

Flat Even Count Peyote Stitch Beading

The name "peyote stitch" comes from the Native American Church where the peyote cactus is eaten ceremonially and considered a sacrament. A form of the stitch (not the more common version discussed here) is used to embellish fans, rattles, and other items used in peyote ceremonies. For this reason, some members of the church say that the name peyote should be applied to the stitch only when used in this manner and whenever the stitch is applied to secular items it should be called gourd stitch.


Most beaders continue to use the name peyote stitch simply because the vast majority of people know the stitch by this name. We don't want to offend anyone, but we don't want to confuse anyone either. Perhaps a whole new name is needed! While gourd stitch makes sense when applied to tubular peyote, it's rather inaccurate when applied to flat peyote. Where would the gourd go?


Flat peyote with an even number of beads in the base row is very simple. Tie a bead to the end of your thread and go back through it once. Now pick up the number of beads needed to complete your base row, plus the first bead of the next row. Following the diagram, you would tie on one blue bead and pick up 1 red, 1 blue, 1 red, 1 blue, and 2 red. Now go back through the blue bead closest to the end. Pick up another red bead and go through the next blue bead and so on until you reach the end. You will notice that the red beads in the base row are pushed down as you add beads on top of them. In peyote stitch, the three red beads you just added are considered one row. The base row is considered two rows. Confusing, I know, but it's less confusing than trying to follow a row on a pattern when it's zig-zagging up and down.



Now we fill in the spaces to form the 4th row. Pick up a blue bead and go through the first red bead in the third row. Pick up another blue bead and go through the next red bead and so on until you come to the end once more.



That's basically all there is to it. I will cover increasing and decreasing in a future column as well as flat odd-count, and odd and even tubular peyote. For now why not practice with a groovy faux leopard print bracelet? Here the pattern progresses horizontally rather than vertically. Repeat this pattern block until you reach the length you need.




Matte black, black lined orange, and clear orange size 11 seed beads were used for an interesting mix of colors and textures. This is how it looks made up.




This content created by Emily Hackbarth