Native American Theme Bracelet

My first experiment with a peyote counted pattern. I found the pattern for this Native American theme beaded bracelet in Bead and Button magazine. The beading was a little tough, but the result is stunning. The bracelet button closure was all of my own doing, as I recall, and it did not work. My ingenious design made the beaded loops too tight, so I could hardly push the buttons through. I was too afraid to loose the bracelet. It was the best and the most elaborate thing I had ever beaded at that point! Unbuttoning was even worse. In about a week of wear, the cuff itself gave way. So I had to repair a few rows of peyote and the button loops. But oops, once again, I made the beaded loops too tight!

I love it, but I don’t wear it. The bracelet serves as a reminder that there’s always room for improvement. It was a major wow-factor, though, when I was wearing it….