| The Other Brick Stitch |
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A while back on one the beading e-mail lists, there was a discussion about Brick Stitch. Some of the beaders expressed their discomfort with the standard brick stitch method of catching the threads between the bead in the previous row. They felt that the fabric made using this method was less secure than other stitches such as peyote where each bead is connected to the others by going through other beads. As several list members pointed out, there is another way to do brick stitch that involves going through the beads in the previous row rather than under the threads. If security is a concern for you, give this method a try and see if you don't like it better.
The base row is constructed in the same way as in standard brick. Tie two beads together leaving a tail long enough to weave in later. Then go through the bead closest to the knot. Pick up a bead and go through the bead your thread is coming out of from the side opposite the thread. Then go through the bead you added on the same side your thread is now on. Continue adding beads in this manner until you reach the length you need.
The second row is where we start to see some changes. To begin, pick up a bead and go down through the second bead from the end.
Then go back up through the end bead and the bead you added.
Pick up another bead, go down through the third bead from the end, then come back up through the second bead from the end and the bead you added. Each subsequent bead is added in the same way.
To increase by one bead, at the beginning of a row pick up two beads, go down through the second bead from the end, up through the end bead, then up through the second bead you picked up.
At the end of the row, pick up a bead, go down through the last bead in the previous row, under the thread between that bead and the bead next to it and back up through the bead you added.
Any further increasing is done by extending the row in the same manner as you built your base row. In other words, exactly the same way as in standard brick.
Here is a cute cow pattern you can use to practice your new stitch. For the tail, weave your thread so that it's coming out of the bottom of the bead at the point of the back of the cow. Pick up 10 beads, skip one, and go back up through the rest including the point bead. Skip the point bead and go back down through the first 6 beads. Pick up 4, skip one and go up through the rest, including the point bead. Repeat this 3 (or more) times to add more fringes to the tassel at the end.
~Emily Hackbarth
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