Top 5 Tips for Mastering Circular Peyote Stitch with Melinda Barta

Melinda Barta is a celeb in the bead weaving world, for sure! She’s almost as famous as Cher and could go by using only her first name, I bet. She’s written dozens of books and taught many classes over the years. I often chatted with her about peyote stitch since she taught me how (check out this post: Top 5 Tips for Mastering Peyote Stitch with Melinda Barta). And she knew, once her students learned the basics, they would want to move onto variations of this stitch since it’s relatively simple and satisfying.

So, we took Melinda’s bestselling book, Mastering Peyote Stitch and turned it into a series of workshops. The first one is Mastering Peyote Stitch: The Basics with Melinda Barta. The second one is Mastering Peyote Stitch: Flat Peyote with Melinda Barta. Check out my post here: Mastering Flat Peyote Stitch with Melinda Barta.

We’re excited about launching this 3rd course in the series, Mastering Peyote Stitch: Circular Peyote with Melinda Barta. You don’t need to follow these workshops in any particular order to master peyote stitch, but I found it much easier to start with flat peyote stitch and then move onto the variations, like circular peyote stitch. Circular peyote stitch is all about the increases and decreases used when stitching and it creates a loop instead of rows as in flat peyote stitch. You keep adding beads around the outside of the loop and it grows into a circle. There are fun variations you can explore such as ruffles, coins, stacking circles to make buttons and patterned disks.

Here’s a sneak peek of Melinda’s Top 5 Tips for Circular Peyote Stitch

1. Inside Out
Most circular peyote pieces are worked from the inside out because it is often easier to control the shape of the beadwork by working increases instead of decreases.

2. Forming the first row
When stitching a disc with a very small opening in the center, make the first set of beads strung all Round 1 beads. For example, string five beads and tie a square knot to form a circle. Pass through the first bead strung, making sure the knot doesn’t slip inside the bead. These are your Round 1 beads.

3. Special effects
A large number of increases cause the work to ruffle, few increases cause the work to cup, and a moderate number of increases keep the work flat.

4. Clasp best practices
End your thread after completing intricate components and before starting clasps. If a thread does break between components or at a connection point, you’ll be left with an easy repair.

5. A color jump-start
If you’re hesitant to venture out into the world of color alone, look for seed bead mixes from your favorite bead supplier. Let someone else’s “bead soup” give you a jump-start on a color blend and then add other shades you love to make it your own.

Circular peyote is just like potato chips, you cannot make just one! By the time you’ve finished your first, you’re filled with ideas on what to do with your next! Along with learning the techniques in this workshop you also get downloadable instructions for 3 complete projects: Making Waves and Big Sky Bracelets by Melinda and Patterned Petals by Melanie Potter. Not only are these projects fun to learn, you can completely change the look by using different colored beads-perfect for your stash!

So, what are you waiting for? Your stash is calling! Grab some beads, a cup of java and this workshop.
Enjoy!

Creatively,
Kristal

Featured Image: Making Waves and Big Sky Bracelets by Melinda Barta.

Here’s more from Melinda!