The front of this sumptuously beaded bag, featured in the book Crochet Jewelry by Waejong Kim and Anna Pulvermakher, is embellished with crocheted flowers, and the purse is finished with a fringe and a strap of strung beads. The back is worked in unbeaded single crochet so that the purse remains quite flexible and is comfortable to wear.

This gorgeously geometric peyote-stitched bag was inspired by the quilts of Loretta Pettway, one of the talented African-American women who have put the Gee's Bend community of rural Alabama on the map with their bold and distinctive quilts. Written instructions for this bag may be found in the June/July 2005 issue of Beadwork. Read more about these amazing women and find inspiration for your own bag in The Quilts of Gee's Bend by John Beardsley, et al. (Tinwood Books, 2002).

Heather poured her heart and soul into this peyote-stitched amulet bag as a way to help her cope with an illness that necessitated a hysterectomy. On one side of the beaded bag is a woman with her arms outstretched to the universe, asking and receiving healing. On the other side are Native American symbols that Heather hoped would serve as a bridge to the divine. Within the bag are mementos of family and friends, constant reminders of the loved ones who helped her through her troubled times. This beaded bag project is from the editors of Beadwork.

This exquisite beaded bag was tapestry crocheted with pearl cotton and beads. The beauty of tapestry crocheting with beads is that each thread can be loaded with one color of bead and only the color that is needed at the time is crocheted to form a pattern while the other thread is carried. The result is a sturdy cloth with unlimited pattern potential. This project is from the editors of Beadwork.