I have used traditional beading thread which is easy to use for the beading but have also use artificial sinew and unraveled it and it holds up a lot longer. It takes a bit of getting use to but outlasts bead thread about 10 times over.

I gave up on Nymo beading thread years ago. I now use mercerized cotton sewing thread. Its a touch harder to thread the little size 12 sharps needles, but it doesn't stretch to no end, knots stay tied and the beadwork lays nice and tight.

Will keep that in mind never heard of it before does it come in different diameters??

Mercerized cotton is usually used for hand quilting and piecing. I use 40 weight, but my spools are old, and I am having a real hard time finding new spools in 40 weight. 50 weight will work, though it is a bit thinner and doesn't fill the beads out (size 11 and 12) as much as I'd like. Here's some Gutterman brand thread that I may end up using when I run out of my old stuff.

Thread

When I get home tonight I'll snap a pic of the spool I am using.

35 weight thread would work for 10/o beads, but there's no way I'd get a size 12 needle threaded with it. I struggle enough with 40wt.

Beautiful work, KS. Very nice leather too. And I thought some of my work is tedious ! Your bead work is so precise and orderly.

That means a lot coming from you. I struggle sometimes with how neat and orderly to make it. Modern beadwork can be darn near perfect sometimes, but pieces from the past often have lumpy rows, short stitches, mismatched colors. I think all that lends to the "wild" look of the older pieces that I find very attractive.

The leather took a lot of work, but I am happy with it. It is very, very easy to bead on. I doubt I'll ever work with chrome tan when doing beadwork again.

It will look great no matter which style you use. I like the wild look too, but maybe not "lumpy rows " .

I try to avoid lumpy rows for sure. Some of the old Crow beadworks is so flat, it's almost unreal.

What really hurts my brain is when geometric designs aren't symmetrical, or when there's a mismatch in numbers, like 4 "tipi" elements in one border and 4 and a half in the other border.

Very impressed. Wish I had talent like that!

Very nice, lots of work and patience . But it's going to look great.