WIPW - The Candle

Work In Progress Wednesday helps you progress on those unfinished needlework projects. Read more, see more and share at Pintangle.

For my part:

Kafferepet
I worked on the block with the candle and matchbox.
Stitch: TAST #59 Breton Stitch.
Thread: Silky by De Haviland Embroidery

 

Swedish Cushion
Most of my progoress was on making up a design for the second half of the cushion. The only needlework I did was a small area of TAST #51 Raised Herringbone Band

Excuse the awful photo, bleak, shaky...

Extra Work
I also spent some time this last week working two birthdays cards:

 Did you spot TAST #99 Eastern Stitch?

WIPW - The other flower

Work In Progress Wednesday, time to report. Learn more about WIPW from Sharon of Pintangle, click here.

Kafferepet
I quilted the second of the flowers with TAST # 83 Siennese Stitch.

Swedish Cushion

I played around with #94 Reveresed Buttohole Bar

TAST #100 - Beaded Eastern Stitch

TAST #100 is called Beaded Eastern Stitch and what could be a better stitch to celebrate the 100 stitches we have made since January 2012.
THANK YOU, Sharon for all the hard work, inspiration and enthusiasm in teaching us all these wonderful stitches.

You can guess from the name that this is a beaded version of last week's stitch. The bead really sits nicely in the middle, don't you think?

Here is a picture of my work on the 100 stitches we have learned, loved and maybe not liked so much:

I really enjoyed adding #15 French Knot and #19 Bullion Knot to my stumpwork portraits.

I was thrilled with the striking result of the simple #34 Pistil Stitch

#63 Scroll Stitch instantly made me want to write a letter.

Algerian Eye #29 gave me a headache - why? Because the eye gets so crowded, I guess.

I am most pleased with these two pieces, the dress worked in #42 Open base Needlewoven Picot, and the cardigan in #43 Magic Chain Stitch, although that took a LONG time to make!

The rest of my TAST stitches can be seen under the three TAST lists at the top of this blog.

Now I don't want to put any pressure on you Sharon, but I do look forward to the next 100 stitches!

I hope at least one non-TAST member has been inspired to join in the fun. Click here to read all about it on Pintangle.

TAST #99 Eastern Stitch

As soon as I saw Sharon's 'Detail 643 on the For the Love of Stitching Band Sampler' and the smart stitch that was featured there I knew I wanted to learn it. My request was granted, my dream came true - TAST #99 is called the Eastern Stitch, and it is SO beautiful.
It is a joy to stitch, and as it can be used in a number of arrangements it is a highly versatile stitch.

It makes a great border and filling stitch as well as a smart individual stitch. Annet, who has some tempting suggestions, said it remined her of  a  Chinese character, and I think it is excellent as a little star or a bow or a ribbon. Or a dancing stick figure!

Do you want to learn how to make it? Get needle and thread ready and head over to Pintangle.

HINA 2014

In less than a month's time Japanese households with girls will celebrate the Dolls' Festival, Hina Matsuri. Imperial dolls or other ornaments are displayed for about a month leading up to March 3rd.

Every year I make three new ornaments for my Hina doll mobile. You can read about this tradition and see the ornaments I have made in the past if you click here.

For 2014 I made a goldfish

a peach

and a ball

I would also recommend you to read the blog of my friend Tanya on this topic.

WIPW - May I treat you to one?

It is time to report on the progress made since last Wednesday; that is what Work In Progress Wednesday is all about. You can read more about this on Pintangle, see other's work, and of course share your own with the rest of us. Come on, join in!

Kafferepet
I have quilted a leaf pattern of TAST #14 Stem Stitch underneath the platter of 'Sju Sorters Kakor' (seven kinds of biscuits).
May I treat you to one? Full of fibre and not one single kcal!

 You might also spot ordinary running stitches around the appliquéd biscuits.

Swedish Cushion
Here I worked Split stitches (no TAST number) for the swirls and outlines. I then filled in the shapes with random straight stitches and #14 Stem stitches before

 covering them with #13 Satin Stitch.

TAST #98 Beaded Shell Chain

TAST #98 is a beaded version of the previous stitch, and called Beaded Shell Chain Stitch.

I should not have crowded the stitches with so many beads... 

Look at Anneliese's clear stitches. I should have made something similar...
Isn't Mary's star wonderful?
Maureen's fantastic seaweed is awesome.
Carol's clear beads are like raindrops.
Angela has embedded her stitches on a hairy surface.
Pamela always checks out how the stitches look in different thread.
Annet never lets us down with some fantastic combinations.

If YOU, too, want to learn how to broaden your stitch library, head over to Pintangle and let Sharon teach you.

Stumpwork Lady

Tanya of By Taniwa writes a most interesting blog on quilting and life in Japan. It was a real treat to actually meet this fantastic lady in person, at the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival, as I have followed her blog with interest for some time. She was just as energetic and cheerfull as I had expected, and of course, full of kindness. She presented both Julie and me with a beautifully made quilt with the perfect message: Bloom Where You're Planted! After all we, 'foreign wives', are not native to Japan, but 'planted in the Japanese society'.

This quilt is right by my side and puts a smile on my face every time I glance at it.

Sorry to say I had not prepared a gift for Tanya, and wondered what I could give in return. It was some time since I made a stumpwork portrait so I stitched up this card:

Can anyone identify the TAST stitch that I have used for the collar? Yes, it is #58 Woven Detached Chain, and I anchored the stitch with a bead for a bit of fun.  

TAST #97 Shell Chain Stitch

TAST stitch # 97 is called Shell Chain Stitch, and Sharon B of Pintangle, who is running the TAST stitch challenge, says she found it in Edith John's Creative Stitches (p.43).

It is a book I am not familiar with, but the photographs that Sharon has taken of her own stitches and posted on her blog show clearly how this stitch is worked. 

Now if I only could pay attention! You see, I've done it again - looked at Sharon's instructions too casually. They made me think of my collection of Totsuka's Embroidery Stitch Books:

where Book No 3 in the series is full of chain stitch variations. Sure enough I found the 'Shell Chain', although it is simply called 'alternating chain and open chain stitch'. (Note also that almost all Totsuka stitches are worked away from you, which I find difficult, and I usually turn the books upside down to follow the illustrations).

Anyway, I grabbed my needle and thread and made these two rows,

only to realise that they are NOT the TAST stitch Sharon had given us!

I was so upset that I decided to keep them on my sampler just as a good reminder to do a proper job in the future! The Shell Chain Stitch should look like these:

Sorry Miss B,  for not paying attention in class. Will I get detention? Or worse, be expelled?

WIPW - Almost half done

My Work In Progress Wednesday Report this week is as usual on two ongoing projects, the quilt called Kafferepet,  and an embroidered  cushion.

WIPW is a way to make progress on your unfinished fibre related projects and sharing the work with others. Head over to Pintangle for more information.

Kafferepet

No interesting work here, just a few ordinary, but uneven quilting stitches on the blocks with blue fabric and lace. For a full picture of the quilt top before quilting started, click here.

Swedish Cushion

I filled the circle I created last week with TAST #68 Slipped Detached Chain Stitch.

In last week's comments I got some requests for a full view of the progress so far. I have completed almost half the piece of fabric. The cushion will be rectangular with this embroidery on one side and the yet to stitch design on the other side.

We have just got some new lovely TAST stitches that I look forward to adding.

TAST # 96 - Beaded Linked Chain Stitch

For the next TAST stitch, Sharon of Pintangle offered a beaded version of the previous stitch, so TAST #96 is called Beaded Linked Chain Stitch.

I like how the link stitch opens the chain enough for the bead to sit inside the frame of the chain.
Do you feel tempted? Want to try? Click here to learn how.

TAST #95 - Linked Chain Stitch

The first TAST stitch of the year is #95 - Linked Chain Stitch. It was easy and great fun to make!

To participate in TAST and learn new interesting stitches, go to Pintangle and join Sharon B on a grand 'stitch journey'.