On this page
Every Pixel Zone pattern is a printable PDF laid out the same way, whether it’s loom, peyote or 2-drop peyote. Once you know your way around one, you know them all.
The cover page
The first page shows the finished design plus five details:
- Type: the technique, like Loom or Peyote. Each one is worked differently, so check this before you buy beads.
- Width: how many beads across.
- Height: how many rows from top to bottom.
- Finished size: about how big the piece will be in inches, using Miyuki Delica 11/0 beads. Different beads give a different size.
- Total beads: every bead in the design, added up.
The same details are on each pattern’s page here on the site, so you can check the size before you download.
The chart sections
Most designs are too big to print readably on one sheet, so the chart is split into numbered sections, each on its own page. Section 1 is the top left. The sections run left to right, then down, like reading a book.
Near the end there’s a Sections page: a small picture of the whole design with the section numbers drawn on it. Use it as a map when you’re not sure which page comes next. Some sections near the edge are mostly empty because the design doesn’t fill them.
On each chart page:
- Every square is one bead. The letter inside it tells you which color, and the color list at the back tells you which bead that letter is.
- Row numbers run down both sides and bead numbers run along the top and bottom, so you can find your place from either edge.
- The little arrows at the top and bottom mark the middle of the design. They’re handy for centering on a loom.
Peyote charts look staggered, like bricks. That’s because peyote beads sit half a bead up or down from their neighbors. The guide to peyote stitch explains how to follow it.
The word chart
After the sections comes the word chart: the same design written out as text, one line per row. A line like this:
Row 1 (L) (1)A, (5)D, (1)A, (3)D
means: on row 1, pick up 1 bead of color A, then 5 of D, then 1 of A, then 3 of D. Many beaders find this faster than counting squares, especially on long runs of one color.
The letter or arrow after the row number is the direction to read that row: L or ← for right to left, R or → for left to right. On peyote patterns the direction flips every row, because you work back and forth. Newer patterns also say which corner to start from at the top of the word chart, like “Starting bead: Top Right”.
On peyote patterns the first line is often Row 1&2. That’s because rows 1 and 2 go on together as your first string of beads. The peyote guide shows how.
The color list
The last page lists every color in the design:
- The letter used on the chart.
- The bead code, like DB200. This is the number to search for when you shop. Our patterns use Miyuki Delica 11/0, so every code starts with DB.
- The color name, like White or Matte Opaque Charcoal.
- The count: exactly how many of that bead the design uses.
The counts are exact, with nothing spare. Buy a little extra of every color, because a few beads always end up chipped, odd-sized or on the floor. Read more in Delica beads explained.
You’ll also find the color list on each pattern’s page on this site, so you can shop for beads before you download.
Tips for following along
- Print it. Screens are fine, but paper lets you cross off rows as you go. Many beaders use a highlighter or a ruler under the current row.
- Mark where you stopped before you put your work down. A sticky note on the chart saves a lot of counting later.
- Sort your beads by letter. A bead mat with a little pile of each color, labeled with its letter, makes picking up much faster.
- Check every few rows. Hold your work up to the chart. It’s much easier to fix a mistake two rows back than twenty.
Using our patterns
Our patterns are for personal use: make them for yourself, or to give as gifts. Please don’t share or sell the PDFs. If you’d like to sell pieces you make from them, send us a message first and we’ll let you know what’s OK.
