Brick Stitch, also known as the Cheyenne Stitch or Comanche Stitch, is a
bead weaving Bead weaving (or beadweaving) using seed beads can be done either on a loom or using one of a number of off-loom stitches.
On-loom beadweaving
When weaving on a loom, the beads are locked in between the warp threads by the weft threads. The mos ...
stitch in which individual beads are stacked horizontally in the same pattern as
brick
A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...
s are stacked in a wall.
The technique has been used by
Native Americans and in Africa, the Middle East and South America.
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by Hon ...
n examples use beads of size 22/0 and smaller.
This is an off-
loom
A loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but t ...
technique perfected by Native Americans. It is a relative of another off-loom technique called
peyote stitch
The peyote stitch, also known as the gourd stitch, is an off-loom bead weaving technique. Peyote stitch may be worked with either an even or an odd number of beads per row. Both even and odd count peyote pieces can be woven as flat strips, in a ...
or gourd stitch. A brick stitch pattern can be worked as a peyote stitch pattern if turned through 90 degrees.
Brick stitch is different from other stitches in bead weaving as the beads are attached to the thread in between the beads, not to the last bead added, as in other stitches, or to beads in the previous rows.
There are many variations of brick stitch in bead weaving. These include flat brick stitch, circular brick stitch or tubular brick stitch. A popular use of brick stitch is to bead around a component, be it a closed jump ring or another larger bead.
It is easy to increase and decrease in brick stitch by skipping a thread bridge or forcing two beads into one thread bridge, making it a versatile stitch to shape bead work with.
See also
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Quillwork
Quillwork is a form of textile embellishment traditionally practiced by Indigenous peoples of North America that employs the quills of porcupines as an aesthetic element. Quills from bird feathers were also occasionally used in quillwork.
Histor ...
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Peyote stitch
The peyote stitch, also known as the gourd stitch, is an off-loom bead weaving technique. Peyote stitch may be worked with either an even or an odd number of beads per row. Both even and odd count peyote pieces can be woven as flat strips, in a ...
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Square stitch
References
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External links
Brick Stitch Instruction
Beadwork
Indigenous beadwork of the Americas
Indigenous culture of the Great Plains
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