On the Bench Today - Making Gourd Stitch Needle Cases

Beading patterns, is all about math...Gourd Stitch (as I call it) is based in sections of 3.

There is Peyote Stitch which is a basic 'one up - one down' pattern. It looks like laid bricks when done...and also looks like brick stitch, though that is a completely different stitch. (I am left handed, so if you are right handed you might need to download and reverse the images to learn)

This is Peyote Stitch (sorry for the blur, some are old photos)

Then there is Gourd Stitch...which is based in groups of three, like this...

Keeping in mind, that this is what I learned to call them. Some people call them the reverse. It gets complicated sometimes :O

So...beading in 3's...you can find gourd stitch graph paper online possibly. Some places also call it Sacred Peyote I think.

I know the needle cases take 36 beads around...to begin this stitch I will add 2/3, so 24 beads...and yes, the rest is left empty thread. It will get filled in on the next row.

Next, for the fill-in row...The only thing to remember, is "over one, through the next". So pick up one bead, slide two beads over, then go over the first, and through the second. Let the new bead fill a space between the two slide beads.

Repeat all the way around, then at the end, step up.

You should end up with a neat row of little 3 bead sections like this. If not...take it out and try again until you get it. This first row and the fill in row are the hardest to learn, and also the most important to get right.

Once we have that neat little row...we can start patterns. I will be using multiple colours for this design, but even simple patterns with 2 or 3 colours come out really nice.

You can make a graph template to copy, so you can use it over and over...or find one online, or just do the math in your head and learn what works with practice.

For the beading, from here on out (because it is a straight tube) we will just continue "over one, through the next" always going through to highest bead.

Continue to the end, and step up.

The math comes in as we create the patterns...

When we change patterns, knowing that the next design stage will have X amount of repeats, dividing the total beads by the repeats, then counting the spaces to know where to add which colour bead...

How many design elements will fit in the height of the piece...and how to space them evenly around so when finished one can roll it and have no pattern break.

This is as far as I got on this needle case, but I will post photos when I get a few finished.

I strongly suggest learning basic peyote, well...before attempting gourd stitch. It is much easier to learn when one can easily do peyote stitch. But if you do try, have fun and I would love to see what you make!