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TAST – Fern Stitch Sampler

February 19, 2017 Embroidery

This is my last TAST embroidery sampler to revisit old stitches for now.

When I first stitched fern stitch I was busy trying to catch up and didn’t really explore it as much as had wanted to. So I drew a few leaves and a spiral on a vintage serviette and had another go.

(Click on the photo for a larger view)

The large central fern leaf and the small leaf on the upper left are worked in stranded embroidery floss. I used 3 strands for the pale green and light apricot on the larger leaf, and two strands of dark apricot on the ends. For the small leaf in the upper right I used 2 strands of pale blue and one strand of aqua held together throughout.

The darker blue leaf on the top right is a mohair/silk embroidery thread.

The spiral on the bottom right is again, 3 strand of embroidery floss and the leaf on the bottom left is knitting yarn.

This is one of my absolute favourite pages so far. I’m really glad I took the time to have another go.

Next up: the first new stitch for 2017!

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TAST – Fancy Bobbin Edging, at Last!

February 18, 2017 Embroidery

Continuing on my TAST embroidery adventure, it took me a long time, but I finally figured out how to work fancy bobbin edging.

I just couldn’t get Sharon’s instructions to work for me, so I ended up using some that I found in a 19th century book called The Ladies’ Work Table Book. Apparently my brain is just seriously old school.

Instructions for working fancy boobin edging

In the centre of my sampler, I worked fancy bobbin edging over the hem on the yellow fabric before stitching it down. Then I appliquéd the heart in place.

I worked it flat in the centre, then around the edges, working two rows of UK double crochet (US single crochet) into the lavender sides.

Next up: my final revisit of an old stitch, before beginning the new ones for this year!

TAST Sampler – Satin Stitch on Canvas

February 17, 2017 Embroidery

Satin stitch worked on canvas.

I think this sampler for the TAST embroidery challenge is pretty self explanatory! Blocks of satin stitched worked in needlepoint wool on canvas.

Next up: I finally figure out a stitch I never thought I’d be able to wrap my head around.

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TAST Revisiting Blanket/Buttonhole Stitch

February 16, 2017 Embroidery

As well as running stitch, blanket stitch (also known as buttonhole stitch in some quarters), is another favourite stitch of mine I have chosen to revisit in my TAST embroidery journey.

I like to collect retro and vintage embroidery books, and one of my favourites is Constance Howard’s Book of Stitches. I hope to do a proper review of it at some stage, but a very basic description is “an in depth exploration of various embroidery stitches with mostly black and white photos”. (If you buy a copy get the hard cover, the photos are better).

I decided to record some of my favourite blanket stitch explorations from the book.

A buttonhole/blanket stitch embroidery sampler inspired by Constance Howard's Book of Stitches.

I think most of it is pretty self explanatory. At the top left I worked several rows of blanket stitch in different heights and widths, and wove the bars of the longest stitches. Underneath that is a sample of a similar combination of blanket stitches, but without any weaving.

I also worked some large blanket stitches in a sturdy thread (top, 2nd from the left), then worked close blanket stitches over the threads. Those long snakey things on the bottom right are long straight stitches covered in blanket stitch.

The one design that took me a few goes and a bit of extra study to figure out was the hexagon configuration. After a few tries, I realised some of the sides were added afterwards. So if you’d like to have a go, it’s worked in steps like this:

Blanket stitch worked in diagonal steps.

and then you add the other straight stitches.

The design of my next page is due entirely to a bag of unwanted patchwork bits I found at the op shop a couple of weeks ago.

Applique sampler with found fabrics

I wanted to record that blanket stitch is great for appliqué. Lo and behold, what turned up in a bag of fabric scraps, but the main part of this page, the kitty and bird block, the heart shapes and creepy eye. However, on closer inspection of the bird block, I realised the mother bird had gone to her now empty bird house to feed the baby bird that had obviously been eaten by the cat! Who on earth would want to immortalise baby bird killing in a patchwork block?

So I stitched baby bird in the nest, and kitty only got a couple of feathers as mum flew past. Bad kitty!

Finally, I didn’t need to stitch any more buttonhole wheels but I did anyway because they deserved a page of their own 🙂

I used my scrap threads because I find it’s a great way to come up with new colour combinations.

Embroidered sampler with many circles stitched with buttonhole or blanket stitch.

Next up: Satin stitch on canvas!

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TAST Revisiting Running Stitch

February 15, 2017 Embroidery 1 Comment

I decided to revisit running stitch in my TAST embroidery adventure.

Running stitch is not only just about the simplest embroidery stitch there is, it’s also one of the most versatile, and one of my favourites! I’ve worked four pages of it so far and I still haven’t covered everything you can do with it.

I worked these three samplers to record some more information on what can be done with running stitch embroidery.

Firstly, an appliquéd sample inspired by Japanese boro embroidered fabrics. Various cotton fabric scraps stitched with my very first handspun cotton.

Blocks of cotton fabric stitched to a background using running stitch.

Next, a sample of using running stitch to imply motion. I drew some circles and filled them in different ways using running stitch. Then I drew lots of spirals in the background and stitched those, then filled in the spaces in between, following the lines of the spirals.

This sampler is worked in various stranded cottons, soft cottons and handspun cotton.

Embroidered running stitch sampler with swirls and circles.

For my next running stitch sampler I had to use a magnifying glass! I worked pattern darning on tiny even-weave fabric using 2 strands of stranded embroidery cotton. The charts I used are from a basic book on Fair-Isle knitting.

Running stitch embroidery worked in various patterns on even weave fabric

I still have one or two more running stitch samplers I would like to make. Next up though, I revisit blanket/buttonhole stitch and buttonhole wheels.

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