Learn how to Bead - Peyote Stitch

Hi! I’m Terri Gable, owner of Studio Baboo, a Big Little Bead Store. Today, we’re talking about basic beading. In this clip, we’re going to show you how to do basic peyote stitch. I have chosen to use a larger bead. This is a size 8 hex bead, it’s actually a little hexagonal bead. It’s quite square, so you’ll see the pattern of the stitch quite clearly and how the beads are going to fit together. It’s really easy to scoop the beads up with your needle, like this on. And if you find a bead that’s not correct or is a little bit broken, just pick that out, put that aside. We’re just going to do a small little patch today. In Peyote stitch, it’s important to know that the first bead that you string on, these beads I am stringing here are actually my first and second rows. I’m going to actually take two of those off so it is not quite so long. So now this is actually my first and second row. I like to get a little tension on the thread. I’m going to pick up my first bead. I’m going to skip over this bead and I’m going back in the direction now towards the stop bead on my tail thread. I’m skipping over the first bead and I’m needling through the second bead. It’s handy to pinch that between your fingers.You’re going to push that bead up and it wants to sit just like this. Stop bead is kind of handy too. You need to keep tension and that’s what you want to see. My second bead is going to be a silver bead and again, I’m going to skip over this bead and I am going to needle through this one. I’m trying to keep my hands out of the way so you can see while I’m doing. I like to hold everything in place with my fingers, so you don't want that bead to flip or the thread to twist. It takes a little extra time for the first row because you want to get everything just right. Pinch that tight and make sure that is nice and snug.

We’re going to continue across the roll like that. As you’re working with peyote, you have to be careful that this doesn't flip over. You want to try and keep everything in order. First row is always the most difficult in Peyote stitch and just continue stitching in this manner until you reach the end of the roll. I’m ready to go back in this direction. You can see how I need a blue bead. I’m going to make a stripe just like our little sample swatch here. I’m having a stripe, two beads in a row coming up. So I know I need the blue bead because my blue bead is here. Pick up a blue bead and now, I’m going to stitch through the bead that is actually sticking up. I’m going to needle through that. Hold that tight. Now you can see I have a little ditch between the blue and the silver bead. I’m going to pick up a silver bead. Skip over that little ditch, needle through the next bead that is sticking up. Hold everything nice and snug. Pinch and push against that stop bead and that’s actually our first three rows. Here is that you count one, two, three, so we have done three rows. We’re ready to go back with our fourth row. Pick up a bead, little bead. You can see, it’s going to sit right here.

So we need a blue bead next we’re going to stitch through. We’ll see it is just going to sit right snugly in there. Pick up a silver bead. We want to stitch through that bead that is sticking up and the tail wants to get in the way there. A blue bead, a silver bead, because if I drop the bead, I don't go chasing it. They’re too small. You’ll never find them, and another blue bead. When you have stitched several rows, this is what your piece is going to look like. And that’s how we do Peyote stitch. In the next clip, we are going to learn how to do Brick stitch.


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