Rainbow key pendant

After I finished the gears and key necklace I posted about last night, my fingers were itching to pick up a needle and stitch something.  I know exactly what's going to happen when I stitch, unlike working with moveable, twisting around pieces.

A while ago I picked up a number of large keys.  The ones I usually design for are around 2" long, and these new ones are over 3" and a lot thicker.  I sell the large ones for $5 each with stitching suggestions (how big of a peyote strip to go around the key) and two patterns.  The patterns differ based on the key.  Some of them are abstract, and some of them have designs, such as an eye, hearts, or an iris:

I really wasn't planning on designing an iris, even though it's my favorite flower.  (There are irises all around the house, unfortunately for Steve.)  I was trying to design a fleur de lis, but an iris came out instead.  Because of the way the beads stagger in peyote, it's a little hard to design, especially in a small area.  When the iris started appearing, I said, "Fleur de what?"

One of the other challenges is designing a pattern that will line up in a tube.  I talked about this a bit when I showed you the Star of David key.  With designs like the iris, there's white space on each end, so I don't have to worry about the back of the tube.  One of my designs for the large keys has diagonal stripes in a rainbow pattern.  It looked like it would line up fine, but because I'm a bit neurotic, I'm never really positive until I've stitched it.

Since I'm "gearing up" for the Gardens and Gears steampunk show at Mitchell Park Domes on February 16th, I thought now would be a perfect time to stitch the key up.  It matched up perfectly (like I knew it would), and I think it's pretty cute!

If I were to do it again, I would want a brighter blue, purple, and green to better match the red, orange, and yellow.  I wanted to use what I had, though, and I think it looks fine.

If you'd like to purchase this copper key with the rainbow pattern, the silver one with the iris pattern, or if you'd like information on the other large keys and their patterns, e-mail me at traci@creative-pursuits.biz.  For you to stitch yourself, it's $5.  For one all stitched up as shown, it's $30.  Plus shipping and applicable taxes, of course.