Native American Beadwork: Projects & Techniques from the Southwest
by Theresa Flores Geary
Category: Crafts & Hobbies

Beadwork has been steadily gaining popularity among crafters, and no area of the genre garners more interest than the intricate designs of the Apache, Comanche, and Lakota peoples of the American Southwest, who use their designs to relate legends and pass down tribal lore. Here are 15 authentic projects using such traditional stitches as the flat netting technique, flat and circular peyote stitches, the Comanche weave, free-form feathering, and more. Projects include a Leather Medicine Bag, a triple strand Fetish Necklace, a Kokopellia Amulet Bag, Navajo Corn Earrings, and others, each accompanied by a rich explanation of how the colors, shapes and combinations of materials interact to tell a story. The instructions cover tools, choosing materials, special ceremonial beadwork and using a loom to create special effects, while abundant color photographs and illustrations provide a visual guide to an art form that reflects the spectacular natural beauty of the Southwest.