TAST - Week 48

Arrowhead or Arrow stitch

Finally a very simple embroidery stitch - Arrowhead Stitch.  Can create snowflakes (if worked in a circle), decorative border work, etc.  

Not my greatest work - in a hurry to catch up - now that I look at the picture of my work, I can see that I cannot count as they are quite uneven!  

You can view many more samples ( all of which have even stitches - they obviously know how to count better than me...) at TAST.

TAST - Week 47

Portuguese Border Stitch

The Portuguese Border Stitch forms a textured braid like stitch - good for strong lines or stacked side by side to produce textured areas.

I used 3 strands of floss for the green sample; pearl cotton size 5 for the middle and size 12 for the end.  I did learn a few things:  do not pull the stitches, width of 'ladder' matters for the size of thread (to wide for the first sample and too narrow for the middle); not easy to go around curves.  

But I did enjoy the stitch and Sharon at TAST as well as 'The Embroidery Stitch Bible' were both a great help. You can view many excellent samples at TAST.

Stain Glass

When I retired one of the things I wanted to try was stain glass, but I was so busy with painting classes, photography, quilting and embroidery - plus all the lunch and physical activities.  Plus I really did not feel like driving back and forth to the city.  Then a local stain glass person, Carol Hiebert at Catch Yer Eye offered to instruct me - she had me come for four - 3 hour classes.  I really enjoyed the experience - probably as it is so close to quilting.  This is also very unfortunate as I discovered that this new 'hobby' is also very expensive!!  So this one hanging is worth a lot unless I get back there in 2013 and create more pieces - by the time you buy the cutters, pliers, solutions, etc., etc.

Right now it proudly hangs in my window and looks wonderful when the sun shines through it!

TAST - week 46

Checkered or Majic Chain

This week's stitch was fun to complete, after I was able to coordinate my fingers - it required the use of two threads in the needle and it is the Checkered or Majic Chain stitch.  I used pearl cotton #5 as trying to use floss would have been a mess....

More samples and wonderful creations with this stitch can be viewed at TAST.

I would like to thank the wonderful people who have been so kind and leave encouraging comments - one day I will take the time to see how to set my blog up to reply to comments - will need to add this item to my to-do list.

TAST - week 45

Open Base Needlewoven Picot

The Open Base Needlewoven Picot was the chosen stitch of the week.  I had (mistakenly) stitched a few of them in week 44, Closed Base Needlewoven Picot - now I do know the difference and I was able to stitch them much better.  I used 4 strands of floss for the first three, #5 for the next two and #12 for the last two.  I even tried to do a long one at the end - some of you must have used really long needles to wrap around or your sample was really small.

Sharon B at says it is a great stitch for lichen type textures on motifs of trees and bark; stacked in semi circles for great pinecones or worked in circles to form petals for flower like motifs - the leaves stand free from fabric in a 3D manner.  You can see many more samples of this stitch and some really great creations - corn, bananas, water creations, etc at TAST.

TAST - Week 44

Closed Base Needlework Picot

The Closed Base Needlewoven Picot or Needlewoven Picot Leaf stitch is known as leaf like to be used in floral motifs.  Another very nice raised & detailed stitch.

I think I made a few that were just Woven Picots (re Mary Thomas's Dictionary) - base was spread further apart and therefore much easier to find the outer and middle thread to weave through.  It is also easier to complete with Pearl cotton #5 thread than the #12 or 2-strands of floss!  But I could not get the final product to look as detailed (and as cob on the corn appearance...) as Sharon B at TAST (check here for instruction) or The Embroidery Handbook - practice, practice, practice.  

TAST - Week 43

Week 43 - Buttonhole Wheel Cup Stitch

Buttonhole Wheel Cup was the stitch of the week.  This makes a great textured embroidery and is based on the buttonhole wheel stitch and then combined with detached buttonhole.  One row of detached buttonhole produces a ridge, two rows a small cup and three a deeper cup, etc. according to Sharon B at TAST.  I again used a variety of floss and pearl cotton 5 & 12.  Definitely a sweet stitch!