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With tools prepared the sewing can begin. Sewing requires pairs of people to workon each side of the straw bale walls, after the bales have been stacked and thechicken wire secured on both sides as well as top and bottom. The sewing processstarts by measuring about ten meters of twine and threading it through the nose ofthe sewing needle hole. The other end of the twine is then tied to the chicken wireat the bottom of the wall. The sewing needle is then pushed carefully through thebale so that the person on the other side can pull it through completely (beingcareful not to impale anyone!). The second person zigs over about eight to twelveinches and up two to four inches, and pushes the needle back through from theother side. After pushing the needle back through, pull the remaining twine through,ensuring that each stitch is pulled taught. This continues until the top of the wall isreached or until the twine runs out at whic h point it is tied off on the chicken wire.Make sure that all of the chicken wire is pulled tight to the straw bales so that nogaps are left. The entire wall should stiffen up as more and more of the wall isstitched. Shifting over a foot or so, repeat the same process for the entire section ofwall. Many pairs can work in parallel during this process in order to complete thejob quickly like a quilting bee! Make sure that holes and gaps are filled with strawaround doors, windows and corners before sewing tight.Preparing for StuccoUse a large wooden mallet, like the hand -made model pictured below, to flatten andstraighten the walls as desired. Make sure no gaps or weak spots exist. Trim all loosestraw sticking out of the chicken wire with a weed whacker. Spray a borax/watersolution on the bale walls as a fire retardant. Check to make sure that all corners arewell prepared with additional stucco mesh formed to the desired shape. Rememberthat entranceways, windowsills, and corners need to be abl e to resist many impactswithout cracking or breaking.Depending upon the number of volunteers helping and the number and complexityof straw bale walls, this phase may take a full weekend to accomplish. In my ownexperience the two main phases, assuming a good number of volunteers (betweenten and twenty people), the straw bale wall raising can be done through a singleweekend. The stucco process usually then takes another weekend or two dependingon weather and other factors.147