In a creative
sense the general view is anything goes. There are no rules or requirements
to follow and sharing is encouraged and accepted as long as credit is given,
for the most part.
In the
traditional sense, it's more complicated. For the most part 'sharing' is
expressley, strictly prohibited. Beyond that it greatly varies between
differents Native American tribes.
A beading project starts with a design. Creating your own pattern is simplest if drawn out on graph paper. In some tribes certain basic patterns are loosely followed with added variations, other pattern designs are matematical in nature, and others use symbols that represent special meanings. Whatever pattern you create, one thing most common in patterns is repeating itself at least a time or two if the piece is large enough. If designing beadwork that will be done on a loom it's important to make sure each column has the same number of beads. You cannot vary the number of rows.
Part of establishing a pattern is choosing the colors. Colors can be just as important as the pattern itself. Nowdays a wide range of colors from basic to unusual blends are easily available. If shades/shading is important check the availability before completing your pattern.
After drawing
out your pattern and shading in your colors, you must now decide which
beading method is most compatible for completing your style of project.
Now you are ready to get your supplies.
