Notes for beginners:  You may wish to work the peyote stitch bracelet without decreasing the peyote.  You will still get shaping because of the bead size changes.  And you may wish to add the focal piece and the crystals after completing the peyote base, because that would be much easier.  If the edging is too difficult for you, you can leave that off also, and still have a beautiful bracelet.  And you can try a simpler clasp.

Notes for intermediate:  You may wish to add the crystals after completing the peyote base.  But try all the other steps.  If you find anything too difficult, see the notes for beginners for assistance.

Notes for advanced:  I designed this bracelet with the focal and the crystals applied during the peyote process, a great learning adventure for me.  Doing so gave a nice curved shaping to the bracelet.

Materials:

3x3 cubes – 122 pcs  (I used color 2035)

Size 8 triangle shaped seed beads – small amount (mine are a lined topaz luster)

Size 11 triangle shape seed beads – small amount (mine are olive matte)

Size 11 round seed beads – small amount (match the cubes)

Size 15 seed beads – small amount (copper metallic # 457E)

Focal – metal butterfly 1 ¾” wide, 1 ¼” high, or similar sized shape

Crystals – 6 pcs 6mm, 20 pcs 4 mm, 24 pcs 3mm. 4 pc 2mm

Clasp of your choice, or nylon snaps (¼”, Dritz item 85)

Thread of your choice (I used 6 lb smoke Fireline)

Using 2 yds of thread and 3x3mm cubes, peyote 12 beads high for 5 rows, then sew the butterfly on with 15 seed beads.  My focal had a shank, which I left on the piece, but pushed the shank down in between the cube beads (to prevent ruining the focal). Sew through the shank on the butterfly a few times, as well as stitching at least twice through the 15s that hold the butterfly to the peyote band.  You may skip one cube bead where the shank comes through.  At this point I added peyote stitches on the other side of the focal.  When I got to 6 beads horizontally, the butterfly looked centered and I started to decrease the band, using the odd count peyote technique of stitching through the end threads, then back through the previous bead.  Decrease 1 each side, and continue peyote with 10 beads vertically (5 ups, 5 downs).

After completing 11 rows of cubes, with the focal centered, continue to work on the right side of the bracelet and switch to 8 triangle shaped seed beads.  The bracelet will start to curve and narrow.  After 6 rows of 8 triangles, sew 3 6mm crystals into the middle “ins” of the peyote, as if you were working peyote, turn and go back through the thread path, adding 15s between the crystals.  Turn back again and continue the peyote under the crystals as if they weren’t there (push the crystals to the front) (technique is shown in picture, which is row 4 of the crystals).  This completes row 1 of crystals. Continue peyote.

After completing 10 rows of 8 triangle seed beads, switch to 11 triangle seed beads.  After 1 row the thread was at the bottom and I added 4 4mm crystals in the “ins”, turn and stitch back downwards to reinforce, adding 2mm crystals between the 4mm crystals.  This completes row 2 of crystals.  Continue peyote.

After completing 4 rows of 11 triangle seed beads, switch to 11 round seed beads.  After 3 rows add a row of 4 4mm crystals as before, except stitch 15 seed beads between the crystals.  This completes row 3 of crystals. (see picture of this row) Continue peyote.

After completing 10 total rows of 11 round seed beads, the thread is at the top, add a row of 4 crystals (3mm, 4mm, 4mm, 3mm) as before, stitching 15 seed beads between the crystals.  This completes row 4 of crystals. The beads are now so small they may look distorted under the crystals.  Be patient, and just maintain the 10 beads of peyote (5 ups, 5 downs).  Continue peyote.

After 16 total rows of 11 round seed beads, and with the thread exiting the top, add a row of 4 3mm crystals, as before, with 15 seed beads between the crystals.  This completes row 5 of crystals.  Continue peyote.

After 20 total rows of 11 seed beads, switch to 15 seed beads for peyote and decrease 1 stitch at each end of the row.  Note I needed to fudge by adding an 11 in the first row of 15s, just inside the final “outie” 11 seed bead of the previous row, to prevent an odd jog in the edge shaping. Now there are 8 beads vertically (4 ups, 4 downs).  Continue peyote.

After 6 rows of 15 seed beads, add 3 3mm crystals as before, with 15s between the crystals.  This completes row 6 of crystals.  Continue peyote.

After 14 total rows of 15 seed beads, add 2 3mm crystals, as before, with 15s between the crystals.  This completes row 7 of crystals.  Continue peyote.

Odyssey Bracelet was designed as my entry to the Muse III contest, fall, 2009. We had to make a project using the butterfly and whatever beads we selected from the kit and our own stash.  Gasp, I didn’t like the butterfly!  Happily, I just needed to be pushed out of my comfort zone, because I enjoyed the process of making this and loved the results so much that I wanted to share with you.  I hope you enjoy this pattern.          Sharon Erwine

www.sharonerwine.com

Sharon Erwine © 2009 All rights reserved

After 22 total rows of 15 seed beads, add 1 3mm crystal as before, adding a 15 at each side of the crystal. This completes row 8 of the crystals.  Continue peyote to the desired length, work the left side to correspond, and add your clasp or nylon snap.

Edge embellishment; See picture detail.  Starting even with the single crystal, and with thread emerging from the top edge, add 5 15s, skip 2 beads and sew back into the third bead, into the bracelet.  Sew back out to the edge 1 bead back toward the start.  Continue to make these overlapping loops the entire edge, pushing the frill back each time and bringing the needle to the front.  In the area of the 11s, continue to use 5 beads, but skip only 1 bead.  In the area of the 8s and the cubes, sting 6 beads and skip 1.  For a mirror image on the bottom edge, do the same, except push the frill to the front of the work and bring the needle up behind the frill.