7. Wrapping Beads

 

There are some situations, in which you can't use either lane stitch, or crow stitch, or the weaving technique. It is when you want to cover a round object, like the handle of a drum stick or an awl case, with beadwork. There you'll need the so called "gourd stitches".

There are several ways possible, like peyote stitch, comanche stitch and wrapping beads.

The first step is to wrap the object with buckskin. You can either sew it around or take glue, but the surface has to be smooth.

Then take a perlon thread and fasten it at one end of the piece. The beads should also be even, when you work with more colors, just like those for weaving.
Now it depends on the design how many beads you can take on the thread.
If you work with only one color you can string up the beads up to 15cm. Now wrap the beads around very tight. At the end of the string of beads you have to fasten the row with at least one backstitch through the last 3 or 5 beads.

Then you can take up the next row.

When you work with different colors I recommend that you string up only one color at a time.

Make sure that the thread is taut throughout your work and that the beads of the right color are in place.