TAST - Week 51

Knotted Cable Chain stitch

Yeah - I am so proud of myself - I completed all the weekly challenges for TAST 2012!!!  (I'll use the excuse that I started later in the year, so I am excused for not finishing in December...)

This last challenge was for the Knotted Cable Chain stitch.  Sharon at Pintangle said it is used as a linear stitch and creates an interesting textured line.

I must admit I had trouble grasping the instructions - as seen by the purple stitching, using perle #12 - which I removed at least 5 times!  Then the bottom pink row I followed the illustrations in Crazy Quilting - I used perle #5 and it seemed to look a little more like it should.  For the pink variegated pink curved line, I followed instructions in Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches - again I had used perle #5.

Now I'm ready for Sharon's TAST 2013 challenges...

TAST 2012 - Week 50

Berry Stitch

This is the Berry stitch - also called the double lazy daisy stitch or double detached chain stitch.  It is made up of two detached chain stitches.

I used floss for the pink, perle #5 for the burgundy and perle #12 for the purple.

More beautiful creations of this stitch can be viewed at TAST 2012.

TAST 2012 - Week 49

Week 49 - Buttonhole Eyelet Flower Stitch

Sharon found this stitch in the A-Z Embroidery Stitches: v. 2 - it is called the Buttonhole Eyelet Flower Stitch.  

You first work a buttonhole wheel and then you work bullion knots around the edge of the wheel. I got a little carried away wrapping the thread around the needle for some of the petals... the loops are a bit loopsided...

I used 4 strands of floss for the orange flower, Perle #12 for the purple and perle #5 for the orangish flower.  You can see many more samples at TAST 2012. 

Bella's Christmas Quilt

This is the finished quilted wall hanging that I gave to our granddaughter, Bella, this Christmas.  It is the 'Storybook Snowmen' quilt from the Stitch Connection.  I hand embroidered and hand quilted it and it is 48" square.  She is only 20 months now, but hopefully she will treasure it when she is older - I had fun embroidering while watching TV at night.

It's not the greatest picture - I had just finished it Christmas Eve afternoon!! so I could only photograph it Christmas night after she had opened it.  

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!