This toggle clasp uses little peyote stalks to attach and hide parts of the clasp. I used a basic toggle clasp with a ring about 1.5cm (0.59 inches). The attachment loops were flat to the clasp. This design may not work as it is for different size clasps and the width of the stalks may need to be wider in order to cover the loops. Changing the width of the stalks might affect the flexibility and make it harder to fasten the clasp in order to wear it. It won't work if the attachment loops are at right angles to the clasp.
I like the way it looks though, with the raised attachment points on the main beadwork and it looping round the clasp. The toggle is a little less flexible so make sure you give it a longer attachment so it will still be able to go through the ring of the clasp.
Weave any loose ends into the beadwork and finish as you normally would for your choice of thread. Do not remove the final working thread from the beadwork at this point, in case you need to adjust the bracelet length.
Lay your working end on top of the main piece of beadwork, at the end with no working thread. The pale yellow beads show the approximate overlapping area.
The peyote stalk needs to be central in the beadwork and eight rows in. You will probably find that instead of sitting on top of the main beadwork, the beads of the stalk slip into the gap where the beads of the main beadwork meet and that's fine.
The diagrams show the two pieces of beadwork separately in order to show the bead path used to attach the two. You should pull the thread tight so the two pieces of beadwork actually fit snuggly. Stitch through the two beads highlighted in green on the bracelet as shown in the diagram below.
Stitch through the two beads highlighted in blue on the stalk. This creates a loop attaching the stalk to the main bracelet.
Repeat this loop, stitching through the two green beads firstly, then the two blue beads as before.
Now stitch through the two beads highlighted green on the main bracelet, then the two beads highlighted blue in the diagram below. Note that the direction has changed slightly for the green beads.
Continue stitching the end of the peyote stalk to the bracelet, moving on to the next pair of green and blue beads as shown below.
Move along again to the next pairs of green and blue beads.
Repeat again, stitching through first the green beads then the blue beads in the diagram below, but note that the direction has altered slightly for this last connecting loop.
Turn the beadwork over, so the raised connection is on the underside. Thread the peyote stalk through the main ring of clasp. Position the attachment ring of this section of the clasp on top of peyote stalk.
Move the clasp so that the middle of the entire length of the peyote stalk will sit on top the connecting part of the clasp between the attachment ring and main ring. The free end of the peyote stalk will be folded over and the other end attached to the bracelet in the same way as the other end. The diagram below gives an indication of the placement but the majority of the clasp has been cut away with just the brown circles showing sections of it.
Having worked out where the attachment ring will sit on the beadwork, you now need to stitch it to the peyote stalk. Thread through to the correct point.
With the thread in the centre stitch into the inner hole of another bead to form a loop over the attachment ring. In the picture below the thread comes out of the peach bead, goes over the attachment loop and into the green bead.
Repeat this using different beads so that there are a minimum of two loops holding this side of the peyote stalk to the attachment ring. Stitch along the beadwork to the corresponding point and make a further minimum of two loops to hold that side of the stalk to the attachment loop. The attachment loops should now be held firmly in the peyote stalk and should be largely obscured. The thread anchoring it to one side is dark pink and anchoring it to the other side it is light pink.
Stitch through to the free end of the peyote stalk and attach it in exactly the same way as you did the first end, but on the opposite side of the bracelet. Take this thread and weave it away and finish it in your normal way.
I like to make sure loops like this are well anchored. The tail thread can either be finished at this stage by weaving it into the main bracelet and away or you can use it to reinforce the points where the stalk connects to the bracelet. You may also want to stitch all the way along the length of the folded stalk again.
Do not stitch the two sides of the stalk together, they should only join at each end of the fold, where they are both stitched to the bracelet and where the attachment ring is anchored. If you stitch them together, the stalk will lose it's flexibility. This is especially important with the stalk for the bar section of the clasp as you need to be able to bed it through the main ring.
The stalk for the bar section is exactly the same, except for it's length. Mine was 74 rows long.
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