Sculptural

cuff
Embellish a peyote band with a garden
of herringbone flowers
by Bonnie ODonnell-Painter

culptural beaded jewelry has a

tendency to grow to magnificent
proportions, overwhelming its
petite wearers. This bracelet
offers beaders the chance to add plenty
of surface embellishment while keeping
finished size in mind. Its up to the
individual beader to decide how wide
to make the band and how elaborate to
make the sculptural elements. The piece
can be subtle when stitched in soft,
monochromatic colors or vivid when
worked in bright hues.

Pick up eight, ten, or twelve beads

on a comfortable length of Nymo. Work
in even-count peyote (see Basics, p.
180) until you reach the desired length.
Attach the clasp to each end of the
band. To attach a single- or multistrand
clasp, make small bead loops through
the clasp loops (photo a). Reinforce the
loops by going through them several
times. (To make a button-and-loop

stepbystep
preparing the base
To determine how long to make the
peyote band, subtract the length of your
clasp from the finished length of the
bracelet. The fit needs to be comfortable
around your wrist, but not floppy.
Bead & Button June 2004

93

c
b

figure 1

materials

clasp, see Stephanie Eddys article on

p. 126.) If you have less than 2 ft. (.6m)
of thread left, secure it in the beadwork,
trim the tails, and start a new piece.
Weave through the base and exit
from one of the edge beads at either
end. Pick up three 150 seed beads and go
under the thread between the first and
second edge beads (photo b). Pick up
three more 150s and go under the thread
between the second and third beads.
Repeat, covering both long edges with
bead ruffles.

embellishment
Make herringbone flowers in varying
sizes and color combinations and space
them randomly across the base. Fill in
the areas between flowers with strands
of assorted beads.
To make the smallest flower, weave
through the base and exit any bead
except an edge bead. You can start at
the center of the band or at either end.
Pick up two 150s and go through a
neighboring bead in the same row
(figure 1, a-b).
Pick up two 150s, skip a row, and go
through the next bead (b-c).
Pick up two 150s and go through the
neighboring bead, as in step 1 (c-d).
Pick up two 150s and complete the
94

10g Japanese cylinder beads

6g 150 seed beads, main color
3g 150 seed beads, each of 3 or more
accent colors
assorted crystals, pearls, gemstones, and
seed beads
single- or multistrand clasp or button
Nymo D
beading needles, #12

circle by going through the bead at the

starting point (d-e).
Go through the first 150 strung in
step 1. Pick up two 150s, and go through
the next 150 (figure 2, a-b).
Pick up one 150 in an accent color
and go through the next 150 (b-c).
Continue around the row, adding
two spine beads and one accent bead
until you reach the starting point.
Work three or four rows, adding
one more accent bead between spine
beads with each new row (figure 3).
When you finish a flower, work back
through the 150s to the base beads.
String an accent bead and secure it in
the flowers center. Then weave through
the base beads and exit where you want
to place the next flower.
To make larger flowers, increase the
number of spines, as shown in figure 4.
Once youve stitched flowers across
the band, string 150s, crystals, pearls,
and other small accent beads and stitch
them into place around the flowers
(photo c). The embellishment can be as
dense as you like. Check the reverse side
of the base from time to time to make
sure no thread shows on the back. w
Contact Bonnie via email at
cubuffnut@aol.com.
beadandbutton.com

b
c

figure 2

figure 3

figure 4

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