Free Beading Pattern! Brick Stitch a Spring Maiden 
Here is a little glint of spring for you! This brick stitch pattern was designed a decade or so ago when I was passionate about creating patterns for seed beading in all kinds of stitches. Its one of my favorites because it has potential to be made into so many different kinds of beadwork.
 
Potential galore!
I’ve seen it created as an amulet bag, a wide banded cuff bracelet, a wall hanging, an ornament and at one time I incorporated it into one of the Beadin’ Path Round Robins in a Moon Goddess themed bag owned by Judy Regina. I’ve  been lucky to receive e-mails from other beaders who have brick stitched this pattern up and its so fun to see what they do to it! One beader did fringe on an amulet bag to simulate her skirt on her dress. Another beader created her arm holding a bouquet of 3-dimentional flowers.
 
Instructions for new weavers
If you’re not familiar with brick stitch, there are a bunch of ways to learn. You can take a class, which is really fun. Or you can hop on line and research it. There are books and magazines that explain it, also. In this day and age, there are tons of ways to figure it out. So give it a whirl!
 
Want to make your own patterns? 
Here’s a tip for making your own designs to bead weave. Do a search on the web for bead graph paper. You can search under specific stitches, like peyote or brick or herringbone. Then print out a copy and make sure the size of the beads shown are pretty accurate to the size of a real seed bead size you plan to use. Then take that copy to an Office Max or Staples and have them photo copy it onto a clear sheet of plastic. Now all you have to do is lay that clear graph onto an image, and you’ll see that you can pretty much bead anything! Start with something simple until you get the hang of it. Good luck and happy beading! 
 

Oh, and happy, happy new year! May 2011 be bead-bountiful for you!