Peyote stitch pattern maker

Peyote stitch, also called gourd stitch, sews seed beads into a flat or tubular fabric one bead at a time. Each new row fills the gaps left by the row before, so neighbouring columns sit half a bead apart, which is what gives peyote its smooth diagonals. Chromattice draws a peyote pattern with that offset, in the beads’ real shape and colours.

A peyote stitch design shown bead by bead — An example made in Chromattice

What the designer does for peyote stitch

A chart offset like the stitch, every other column half a bead lower, one-drop or two-drop, in the shape of the beads you choose.
Sizes to start from (bracelet, cuff, wide cuff, choker, belt, earring), with the finished size in centimetres and inches.
Colours from Miyuki Delica, Toho and Preciosa colour charts, found by name or code, each with its bead count; metallic finishes drawn with their sheen.
Count as you stitch: one stitched row at a time, starting with rows 1 and 2 strung together, each run of colour listed and odd-count turns marked.
A printed chart numbered as it’s stitched, with the starting steps, a key of bead codes, grams and tubes to buy, and a row-by-row count.
Fit a wrist works out how many rows a cuff needs from your wrist, the ease you like and your clasp, with plain rows at each end if you want them.

Good to know

In flat even-count peyote, the first beads you string make both row 1 and row 2; row 3 is the first you stitch, adding one bead, skipping one and passing through the next. (interweave.com)
To count peyote rows, don’t count down one edge: count the beads along a diagonal, or in a zigzag. (interweave.com)
Odd-count peyote suits a motif that comes to a point or is centred on one bead; one edge takes the odd-count turns. (interweave.com)
Begin with a stop bead and a tail of about 10 inches; the first few rows are the trickiest, and the work goes much more smoothly after. (firemountaingems.com)
Delica cylinders are even in size and shape and line up in straight rows, but round seed beads work well in peyote too: the choice is yours. (potomacbeads.com)

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