Show Us Your BEAD WORK, Pards

[Highlander999]

So many talented folks here.  I plan to work on a knife sheath this winter and bead it.  I appreciate all of the talent here and may be asking questions...

[ChuckBurrows]

Hi

I haven't tried Beading yet, but I have a couple of items to try.  I currently have some 11/0 beads from Springfield leather in Light blue, navy blue, white and red.  I'm looking at trying a test sheath in some patriotic design.  I also have 100 sheets of 11/0 graph paper from Crazy Crow, so I'm a bit stuck on 11/0.  

I'm in kind of a hurry for one deal, I'm planning on beading a snow man picture on a knife sheath.  I've gotten a good sized sheath built to overlay the buckskin on.  I don't have the beads yet, but OBVIOUSLY 11/0's are my preferred size cause I've got the graph paper.  I need white, black, red, green (ever green trees in background), brown (limbs), and sky blue. Is there any reason to buy Czech, French, old French, or German beads?  I read about them on Crazy Crow, but didn't work out a preference.

OBVIOUSLY this one won't be all that authentic....  

Thanks

Regarding the type of beads from Crazy Crow since you are just starting and doing a modern pattern I would go with the less expensive Czech beads. For most of my work I prefer the Old time French or German (have started using the German since the French are no longer made and some colors are no longer available). For specialty work such as repairs on old work or making a museum copy, I look for the old, original beads - Crazy Crow carries some now and again or got Beadmatch.com - the latter are not cheap but when needed they are a great resource. 

[1961MJS]

Thanks
Will order later today.

Mike

[St8LineLeatherSmith]

Very VERY Nice work!

A buffalo hunter's sheath with Cheyenne style beadwork


A pipe bag and pipe tamper with early (pre-1850] Cheyenne style beadwork

top of the pipe bag


a couple of gun cases and a sling with Crow style beadwork





A strike-a-light pouch copied from a Kiowa original


A close copy of an original Cheyenne quiver and bow case


A tomahawk drop or sometimes called flag - one side Cheyenne style geometric work - other side floral Metis style



A "medicine" bag for a friend - the pouch shape and some of the beadwork is copied directly from a Cheyenne  original -  I added several other bits and pieces of beadwork from other original Cheyenne pieces of the same era (1850's)
   

   

and sometimes less is more - a simple skipped bead outline motif on the sheath


I use 8/0 pound beads for most of my work which is most often pre-1860. Some beads are originals from the 19th Century while others are new old style stock from Crazy Crow. All beadwork is sewn directly onto the leather - either real braintan or the German tan from Crazy Crow - or wool trade cloth. Stitches used most are the Cheyenne style lane stitch (formerly lazy stitch) and the embroidery/applique stitch for floral or certain tribal styles such as Crow or Blackfoot. Crow work will often use 3 different stitches for different areas/effects.
For thread I use:
1) real sinew - elk or buffalo preferred, but deer will work
2) narrow imitation sinew - split in two
3) Cotton covered poly thread
4) Silk thread - my favorite and what I use on high end bench copies. I use fishing pole binding silk thread.


Along with the tutorial noted above see:
www.nativetech.org under glass beads http://www.nativetech.org/glasbead/glasbead.html
Also WIlliam Orchard's book - Beads and beadwork of the American Indians : a study based on specimens in the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation - is available for free download here:
https://archive.org/details/beadsbeadworkofa00orch

My best suggestion for learning is to pick a particular tribal style or two and copy the originals as close as possible. Once you're comfortable doing that working on coming up with your own patterns based on those styles. Generally the various tribal styles are post-1860 and are seldom if ever mixed - keep to one style until you're really familiar with the differences and how they may mix under certain circumstances.

[1961MJS]

Hi

I have a bead work question.  What is the best way to transfer a picture or design to the Buckskin?  I'd like to track what I have, but I guess I could re-draw it free hand and with a compass like I did in the first place.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

[KidTerico]

Chuck the work you are showing is by far some of the BEST I have ever seen. KT

[CraigC]

One I just finished. The body of the sheath is 8-9oz vegetable tanned cowhide from the most flea-bitten, scar covered hide I've ever seen, carved in a crosshatch/quilted pattern. The metal spots are antique brass. The cuff is deerskin. The stitching was all done with artificial sinew. The smaller pound beads are modern Czech made. The larger beads are a mixture of modern trade beads, crow beads and  antique red padre beads. The tin cones were antiqued with muriatic acid and peroxide. The bone hair pipes were also antiqued. The fringe and tin cones are decorated with black horse hair. No less than four colors of both water and alcohol based dyes were used on the various components. All in all, I think it turned out pretty good.




Beadwork detail.


Fringe detail.


Stitching detail.




The knife in question is a 5" clip point from ML Knives.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

That looks great, Craig. Very nice work. Thumbs-up!

[Johnny McCrae]

While out in the Black Hills with my Grandson, I saw this Saddle at the Crazy Horse Memorial Museum

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Well, that sure represents a few hours of work. Fascinating bit of history there. Thanks for posting the photo, Johnny.

[KidTerico]

 

CraigC that's just plain beautiful. KT

[Good Troy]

Nice work CraigC!
Inspiring!

[Professor Marvel]

Great work Craig - was there any particualr inspiration for the design?
I  hope we can see more of your efforts

yhs
prof marvel

[santee]

Beautiful work

[CraigC]

Thanks guys! I can't say that any particular sheath inspired the design but I'm sure you'll see bits of everything in Chuck's work. Seems like the beadwork pattern came from one of his sheaths and I just changed the colors. I really like red, white and black together.

[Firewind]

Hi guys, greetings from Europe. Just stumbled upon this thread, lots of talent here, and thought I'd share some of my modest work, hope you enjoy.

This piece is a recreation of a beaded trade blanket from the second half of the 19th century, in a typical style of the Northern Cheyenne. The blanket itself is a 4-point size, 75×90″. The strip is over 6′.

The strip is beaded using the lane stitch technique onto Canadian deerskin with pure cotton thread, and sewn onto the blanket with 100% red wool. All seed beads are vintage Salvadori and antique Venetian, in traditional Cheyenne colors: white, Bodmer Blue (translucent), Cheyenne Pink, light blue, corn yellow, catlinite red.

The rosettes are complemented in typical Cheyenne style with twisted deerskin dangles, ornamented with antique Venetian crow beads in cobalt blue and Cheyenne Pink, brass beads, antique brass thimbles, and antique dark blue French silk ribbon.

The finished piece was smoked over a campfire, with white sage, juniper and cedar.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Thanks for sharing, Firewind. That's some fine beadwork. Nice work.

[Firewind]

Thanks for sharing, Firewind. That's some fine beadwork. Nice work.

Many thanks Will. 

[Silver_Rings]

Howdy Firewind,

That is some fine bead work.

Silver Rings

[Firewind]

Howdy Firewind,

That is some fine bead work.

Silver Rings

Thx Sir, much appreciated.

[KidTerico]

  This is my latest. Not done yet . I am having it matted and framed. KT

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Nice work Kid 

tEN wOLVES 

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Very nice, KT. I have yet to do any bead work. It looks like it could be fun.

[KidTerico]

Thanks T W and Marshal Will. Its a pain in the BUTT. I cant see very good and shake way to much. It takes  for ever. KT

[KidTerico]

Finally done. I got it framed. KT