To make an easy peyote stitched donut bail, you will need the following materials and tools:
For the peyote stitch bail:
- 1 donut, stoneware, ceramic, gemstone or polymer clay
- Size 11 Japanese cylinder beads in color(s) to match or contrast with donut, 5 - 7 grams, depending on the size of the donut and the size of the bail
- Beading thread to match or contrast with Japanese cylinder beads - size D nylon thread, or 6 lb. test FireLine
- Size 12 beading needle
- Scissors or thread cutter
For an 18" beaded rope:
- Size 11 Japanese cylinder beads in color to match or contrast with beads used for bail, 10 grams
- Size 11 Japanese or Czech seed beads in color to match or contrast with other beads and donut, 10 grams
- Clasp of your choice
- Beading thread - size D nylon thread or 6 lb. test FireLine
- Size 12 beading needle
- Scissors or thread cutter
Resources:
- Stoneware donut: Artisan Clay
- Copper toggle: Artbeads
- Copper metallic seed beads used in rope: bead mix that I created using leftover amounts of my beads.
Getting Started
Cut a comfortable length of beading thread, no longer than 5 feet.
String a stop bead or use your preferred method for holding beads on your thread. Leave about a tail between 12 and 15 inches. (You will use this tail to stitch the tapered decrease on one side of the bail later on.)
Pick up a set of cylinder beads. The number of beads you will pick up will vary depending on the size of your donut. The donut I used was 50mm in diameter and I used 25 cylinder beads.
A good rule of thumb is to pick up a line of seed beads that will reach almost from one side to the other of your donut.
Make sure that you pick up an odd number of cylinder beads so that the decrease can be made properly.
Work the Body of the Bail in Flat Odd Count Peyote Stitch
Work the body of the bail in flat odd count peyote stitch.
When working in flat odd count peyote stitch, you will need to make a special turn at the end of every other row. You can do this in one of three ways:
- Using the figure-8 turn
- Going beneath the thread of the previous row
- Making the easy turn developed by Cynthia Rutledge
If you opt to make the turn by passing under the threads of the previous rows, make sure that you do not pull too tightly or the beadwork will pucker and curve.
As you work, measure the piece against the donut to check for size. You want the edges of the peyote stitch piece to come down almost to the hole in the middle of the donut, but remember to leave enough space at the top to fit the beaded rope or other necklace through. Keep in mind the size of the clasp as well if you plan on changing or removing the beaded rope or necklace from the bail.
Making the Tapered Ends of the Bail
After you've checked the bail for size against the donut, you will work an outside edge decrease in flat odd count peyote.
Work the decrease until you have 2 beads left in the "up" position.
Flip the beadwork over. Remove the stop bead if you haven't already and use the tail to work the outside edge decrease on the other side of the beadwork. Weave the tail into the body of the bail and trim the thread close to the beadwork.
Stitch a Peyote Strap for the Donut Hole
Check the size of the donut hole against the tip of the peyote stitch bail where the decrease tapers to a point. You may have to work one more row of decrease to make sure that the strap will fit through the hole.
Once you are sure that the strap will fit through the hole, continue to work on flat odd count peyote stitch. These rows should work quickly, since you will not be using more than 3 beads per row.
Check the strap every now and then by threading it through the donut hole to see how long it is. Remember not to make the strap too short so that you still have enough room at the top of the bail to thread your beaded rope, chain, suede or other necklace. It's better to have the strap be a few rows longer than to have it come up too short!
Thread the Strap Through the Donut
Feed the strap through the donut hole and match it up to the other side of the peyote stitch bail. Check to make sure that the two sides will zip together - if you have 3 beads in the "up" position on one side of the bail, there should be 3 beads in the "down" position on the other side as shown in the photograph.
Zip the Bail Together
To zip the bail together, pass needle and thread through the next "up" bead of the other side. Work back and forth to pass needle and thread through each of the "up" beads on both sides of the bail, alternating sides.
Pull the thread snugly so that the sides lock together.
At this point, you can do one last check for the fit of the bail on the donut. If you think that you need to make a bit more room at the top of the bail for your chosen necklace or beaded rope, add a few rows of peyote stitch to the strap before zipping the beadwork together.
Weave the thread back and forth through the joint several times to reinforce the beadwork and keep it secure. Knot the thread between beads, weave the tail in a bit more, and then trim the thread close to the beadwork.
The finished peyote stitch bail is now attached to the donut and a beaded rope or other necklace can be threaded through the bail.
A simple but lovely and easy accent for your peyote stitch beaded bail is a twisted herringbone rope made with Japanese cylinder beads and Japanese seed beads.
You can also use leather, suede, ribbon, silk or any other kind of necklace to thread through your peyote stitch bail.