By: Robin Payton

Simple Indian beadwork patterns

These are *authentic* patterns.  The colors take advantage of modern beads/
stitching.

           *               *                * - turquoise blue
           b b           b b                b - black
           b r b       b r b                r - metallic red
           b r r b   b r r b                Y - yellow
   * b b b b r r r b r r r b b b b *
     b r r r r r r Y r r r r r r b          This symbol represents
       b r r r r Y Y Y r r r r b            the sun.  The sun
         b r r Y Y Y Y Y r r b              represents "God," or
       b r r r r Y Y Y r r r r b            whatever you choose to
     b r r r r r r Y r r r r r r b          call the Creative Force
   * b b b b r r r b r r r b b b b *        in the universe.  Therefore,
           b r r b   b r r b                everything radiates from
           b r b       b r b                the Sun.  In a strip-beading
           b b           b b                the Sun should be at the top
           *               *                or beginning of the piece.

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                        g g g
                      g r g g g
                      g g g
    g g g g g g g g g g Y g g g g g g g g g g
    g g g g Y g g g Y Y * Y Y g g g Y g g g g
    g g Y Y * Y Y g g g Y g g g Y Y * Y Y g g
    g g g g Y g g g g B g B g g g g Y g g g g
    g g g g g g g g   g g g   g g g g g g g g
    g g g   g g g     g g g     g g g   g g g
    g g               g g g               g g
    g g             g g Y g g             g g
    g             g Y Y * Y Y g             g
    g             g g g Y g g g             g
                g g g g g g g g g
                g   g   g   g   g
                g   g   g   g   g

    g - golden brown                    This is the Thunderbird.
    r - metallic red                    The Thunderbird is the Great
    Y - metallic gold or yellow         Spirit's representative, or
    B - black                           working force in the world.
    * - turquoise blue                  The Thunderbird gets its power
                                        and authority from the Sun.
                                        In all beadwork, the Thunderbird
                                        should be below the Sun, or
                                        after the Sun in a line.  The
                                        Thunderbird is the part of "God"
                                        we see by observing nature.

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I will create the patterns for "man" and "arrow of force" tomorrow, or
the next time I feel like doing this.

    On my jacket, I have a strip of beadwork running from the top of my right
shoulder, down the front of the jacket, and disappearing just under the sleeve.
 At the top is a Sun symbol with an arrow pointing down from it to the
Thunderbird, then an arrow pointing from the Thunderbird down to a man symbol,
then another arrow pointing to me.  This is a "Chain of Being" type statement,
made in Native American symbolism.