TJ Wald – 2020 Brinton 101

TJ Wald and her husband Nate ranch outside of Lodge Grass, Mt. where they raise horses and cattle. Her weekdays are spent teaching school on the 40 Mile Hutterite colony. TJ beaded her first project in the fifth grade as a Campfire Girl. She particularly enjoys Peyote stitch beadwork which is done by threading one bead at a time.

TJ loves the look of a strip of beadwork separated by rawhide buttons tied by her husband, Nate.

“Before the beading begins a good piece of leather is chosen and then cut and stitched into a quality piece of gear. I love English bridle leather because of its pretty shiny black color and its durability. My headstalls are custom-made for me by Sheri Sullivan at King’s Saddlery in Sheridan, Wyoming.

The beading project begins with measuring the dimensions of the piece, choosing colors, then creating a pattern, and finally, sitting down, stringing beads, and watching the pattern appear.

I truly love the feel of rows and rows of beads in my hands and I feel blessed to have the addition of Nate’s rawhide work on every piece I make.

And in my mind the project is completed when it is resting on the horse.” TJ Wald