Wednesday, 30 April 2025

WIPW - The Tatted Princess

It is time to show a week's worth of progress for Work In Progress Wednesday.


Hexablooms

Once again, I managed to make a set of ten hexabloom blocks. The total is now 370.


Only seven more to reach 377!


Birthday Card

Here is the birthday card I made, and I only showed you a blurred photo of a couple of weeks ago.

I found the little piece of tatting made long ago in a box. As it looked like a tiara, I decided to draw a face, add hair, a gown and jewellery, before making it into a card.





Is there a special reason these cards are called window cards - you can actually make a picture of someone looking out of a window!

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Sunday Stitch School Stitch Sampler

More blue sequins were spilt out over the sampler.



Cross-stitch Bookmark

This piece has a few more stitches now.




Sunday, 27 April 2025

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 321: Cornucopia Chain Stitch

I saw the design for today's stitch on YouTube, but I did not keep the link and can not find it again. Nor do I remember the name of the stitch, if indeed it had one. 

So I have taken the liberty of calling it Cornucopia Chain Stitch. Should you know of an official name, please leave a message in the Comments below.

You might think it resembles #110 Russian Chain Stitch, 

but there are three  Detached Chain stitches at the top, not two, and they are smaller.


Make it like this:


 













Easy and decorative, don't you think?


Homework: 

Add here.



















Friday, 25 April 2025

Friday Revision Homework - Stitches 316 - 320

Why is Sunbonnet Sue wearing a bonnet? 

Well, if you are outdoors in the sun, you'd better protect your skin from too much sunlight. If you are shy, a wide-brimmed bonnet will cover up your blushing face. If you're someone famous being chased by the paparazzi, then the bonnet or a pair of sunglasses will give you a certain amount of privacy.

But why is Sue's face hidden behind a bonnet in the traditional quilt and redwork patterns of Sunbonnet Sue? I think the answer to that question is that it makes the appliqué pattern so much easier; there are no small and fiddly details to struggle with.


Now, those of you who have followed my series of Sunday Stitch School's stitch sampler portraits of Sunbonnet Sue know that I allow myself a lot of 'artistic license' and hide her face, not only with a bonnet but also with her own hair blowing in the wind or by portraying her from behind.





The point is that no one has ever seen Sue's face, be it in the traditional design or my own interpretations of Sue. That is, no one has seen her face until now. So take a deep breath and don't be alarmed when I now reveal her face!


Actually, she has put on such a pancake of white makeup and drawn a gigantic mouth, fixed a red ball on her nose and donned a pair of round sunglasses, that you're not really able to see her true facial features. Once again, she has tricked us!










Wednesday, 23 April 2025

WIPW - Progress In Spite Of Easter Holiday

Although work to make Easter a festive holiday within our ordinary work week (Easter is not a national holiday in Japan)  and preparations to tend to overseas visitors took up a lot of my time, I managed to make some things to report for Work In Progress Wednesday.


Hexablooms

By chance, I found two blocks that had been mislaid in a box. So I only needed to make eight blocks to reach the weekly quota of ten hexagon flowers.

The total is now 360, which means there are 17 left to make. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!



Sunday Stitch School Stitch Sampler

1/3 of the sampler has now been strewn with blue sequins.


Bookmark

Filling in the cross stitching on the bookmark progresses at a snail's pace.