If you’ve ever wanted to create your own pattern for your beadweaving projects, blackgiraffe.com is a great resource online for copyright-free graph paper! There are free, printable graph paper for peyote, peyote 2-drop, brick stitch, and three different kinds of right angle weave. Just print it out, draw in your pattern, and start stitching!
Just a couple of tips for when you start working on your peyote pattern:
1. Use a post-it note or a magnetic board-ruler (made for cross stitch and embroidery charts) to keep track of which row you’re working on. It’s especially useful when you have to step away from your project for awhile and come back to it!
2. Lay your beads for the row you’re working on out in a line for easy beading! For example, in the bracelet above, a row might require the following: 2 cream, 1 dark teal, 2 aqua, 2 pink, 1 aqua. Lay them all out in a row and pick them up as you stitch them. It removes the guesswork and lessens possible mistakes.
3. Use colored pencils to bring your pattern to life on the paper and to make it easier to visualize what the final product is going to look like. Start with pencil to get your basic pattern in, and don’t color them in until you’re sure of the color!
Have fun creating your own patterns, and let your imagination run wild!
–Michelle
