This two-tone carved gourd has diamond shapes which are a variation on the circle carving pattern except that for this shape the carving is started in the center and carved toward the outline of the shape. The diamonds are not exact because of the curves on the gourds, and starting the carving in the center allows more flexibility in adjusting the carving to fit the more irregular border.The horizontal and vertical guidelines are probably not necessary but they emphasize finding the center of the diamond to begin carving. Start with four sliver-like chips in the center and add four more in the next round. Then add additional chips in a round when it becomes difficult to make chips long enough to fill in the space allotted. The chips on the outside of the diamond are shaped to fit the available space without carving into the border of the diamond.

It is also possible to start carving along the outer edge of the diamond and work in the way you would do for a circle, but turning abruptly at each corner. It is not usually necessary to draw guide lines into the middle, just try to make chips of about equal spacing within each row. Carving all the way around the border of a shape is shown in the triangle design shown below. Another common pattern where it is necessary to "fill in" space is the heart design. Begin by carving around the outside of the heart. Afer several rows, skip to the center and carve a few rows around the bird house hole, and then just merge the two sets of chips interlocking stop-cuts whenever possible.