Swedish Wool Embroidery Collar
I completed the 'kavelfrans', aka napped edging.
The wool was tufted with a comb and brush. A tedious job if ever there was one!!!
The tufted wool was trimmed with scissors. Wasting wool?
The trimmed edging was steamed to make the wool more compact.
The completed kavelfrans pretending to be a hairy twisted creature while waiting to be attached to the collar. More on this next week.
Swedish Cushion
At first I disliked the two TAST stitches, #129 Lock Stitch and #130 Double Lock Stitch. Then I got over my fobia, began to like them, and finally enjoyed them so much I just had to add them to the Swedish Cushion. There was space for the Lock stitch,
As you can see I can fill them with another TAST stitch, so this cushion is still not done!
TAST Reference Chart
I added the two most recent stitches, #129 and #130. Then updated the chart with the missing name labels.
Haven't we got an impressive number of stitches under our belts now? Thank you Sharon for teaching us all of them, and hopefully many more to come.
I used my TAST reference chart to select the next quilting stitch. I looked carefully at the back of the chart to find a stitch that would not leave long 'toe catching' stitches on the back of the quilt. In the end I chose the simple, well known, and by me much loved Chain Stitch.
This will take some time to quilt. No doubt the traditional quilting stitch (Running stitch) is much faster, but I really want this to be an embroidered quilt!
It has been a productive week. I wonder if my fingers will be as nimble for next week's report. See you then!
36 comments:
You have got so much accomplished this week! I love the "hairy twisted creature",
tame that thing!
You have the double lock stitch under control for sure with fabulous results.
Thank you Janie,
It is kind comments like yours that makes me want to master new stitches, however troublesome they are at first, and to tame 'hairy twisted creatures'!
the wool is going to look lovely on the collar, did not know about the steaming process.Good to see you have added the disliked stitches just as well Queenie as I would have sent the stitch police to see where they were! Chain stitch has worked beautifully such an adaptable stitch and woks more or less wherever you use it.
Oh that hairy twisted creature is wonderful. I'm going to have to try that. And the cushion just gets better.
Ha, ha! Don't you dare to inform the stitch police! I'd be chained by the Chain Stitch, locked up by the Lock Stitch or serve double time with the Double Lock Stitch.
I love your comments, Margaret!
A fluffy Kavelfrans WOULD make a nice toy! And it is totally harmless, no teeth or stinging tail in sight!
Everything is moving along. I look forward to seeing all these things with the last stitch ... though it is hard to see how you can fit one more into that cushion. The chain is looking just fine.
I, too, am looking forward to some finished projects, but I might not have as much time on my hands this coming week...
So much progress, you've been very busy! Love the look of your kavelfrans, I'm sure it would look stunning on your collar. And the lock stitches on your cushion are neat, love the change in size. I finally understand the help of your TAST reference chart, never thought it would be necessary to know how a stitch looks at the backside! Chain stitch is a very good stitch for quilting, I hope you enjoy the rhythm of the chain stitch in the coming week!
I cannot wait to see your next report on your wool collar. The tufted wool edging looks time consuming, but it is lovely! I love the variety of colors. The lock stitch and double lock stitch made fantastic outlines. And I look forward to seeing how your chain stitched quilting enhances your Kafferepet!
The cushion is impressive! I'm amazed at how many stitches you are able to include.
I love your wool work! To gorgeous!
Lock stitch grew on me too, it looks lovely on your cushion. I'm intrigued by the woolly edging!
I, too, am very pleased with how the different size Lock stitches follow the shape of the paisley design.
The TAST Ref Chart is not a work of beauty, but a tool, where I can compare the weight of the different linear stitches, see if the stitch is a thread-eater (by looking at the back) or which stitches stand out from a distance, like #64 Laced Square Herringbone. The TAST Ref Chart is even better than I thought at first!
The next step is to stitch the hairy creature onto the outer edge of the collar and then line it.
I think the Lock Stitch can be a fantastic filling stitch as well. Didn't Annet of Fat-Quarters made a Triple Lock Stitch that looked like knitting?
If you cram the stitches you can really fill in a rather small area! Sumptuous Surface Embroidery!
Thanks Angela. I am always so grateful for your kind comments.
I was amazed when I saw others' take on the Lock Stitch; it can be shaped into flowers (with other stitches of course), beautiful knitting-like filling, chains and garlands. I just love seeing how a single stitch can blossom into all these patterns and designs.
My cat is intrigued by the wooly worm, too!
great accomplishments. Congrats! the completed kavelfrans look like hand made flower garlands or streamers[ common in India]. very decorative. I can't take my eyes of your Swedish cushion, it is growing more and more beautiful with each additions. the lock stitch paisleys looks lovely. the reference chart is neat and handy. looking forward to you progress on the quilt.
What a mountain of work you have achieved this week Queenie.......You are so talented !
The Kaveltrans has turned out fantastic, cant wait to see the completed collar !
How good does the lock stitch look, my goodness it was soooooo meant to be on that cushion and I just love the chain stitch on the kafferepet, it adds an extra something !
Everything I touch this week seems to go wrong for me.......I need a 'dollop' of creativity to land in my lap....Just a phase I'm going through I suppose ! !
hugs
Chris Richards
xx
I have to tell you how much I love your Swedish Cushion! And your wooly collar - fantastic - I'd never heard of that - wonderful!
Wool work - a worm - oh, the cat is delighted but it is not for her! - something new and interesting to me - a lot to be seen on your post here. I love the complete sight of the Swedish cushion - the stitch index is such a good idea.
The wool edging has turned out lovely it is going to be gorgeous on your collar. Your cushion is amazing such an inspiration to all the tast stitchers!
If the kavelfrans hadn't been warm and woolly I am sure it would look like an Indian garland of flowers.
The Swedish cushion is difficult to photograph, but this time it is quite near to its original colours. YOU inspired me to try the paisley design, thank you Chitra.
The ref chart IS handy, there are no inspirational varieties or experiments, but it is useful to see the basic TAST stitches collected in one place.
Yes, I have been doing some mountain climbing! I hope to have the time and energy to climb a bit more.
Although embroidery stitches are slow to use for quilting the result really adds something extra.
I am sure your are just having a short Stitchers Holiday, collecting ideas and letting them brew a bit and once that dollop lands in your lap you will be back cooking your usual fantastic eye candy. Enjoy your holiday!
Thanks Jules.
It is nice to have a project to put the TAST stitches on, like the Swedish Cushion. As soon as it is completed I will have to start another 'TAST Show Case'.
I had a look at your dolls on Stitchin Fingers - they are great!
Don't pity the cat - she has lots of other toys and should stay away from the Swedish Woolly Worm!
With all the fantastic knitting you do, you also know how wool yarn can vary. Some of the yarn in the kavelfrans was a pain to comb and tuft - it just did not want to tangle, especially one kind of purple yarn. That sheep must have had a stiff perm!!!
I have not used many filling stitches (I should try to fix that), but you are right! Several of Annet's samples would be perfect for that. Her examples are fabulous. I do look forward to seeing the hairy creature tamed. ;)
Thank you, paisley has so many possibilities.
Your kavelfrans is lovely and your swedish cushion is wonderful, it's a great work!
Thank you for your kind comment.
I am now struggling to tame the woolly creature and fix it to the collar. Slow work!
Making the kavelfrans is quite the process. Looks really good and so nice and colourful and tufty. The lock stitches on your Swedish Cushion look wonderful. I haven't heard of seen this stitch before and I certainly want to try it out now. Your TAST reference chart is looking super and what a great reference it will be and probably already is! A great post of all of your stitching and pictures.
Hello Queenie, I've just spent a lovely hour going through your posts in each section. What an amazingly talented needlewoman you are. I just love your Swedish cushion, it's looking beautiful. You are so disciplined, I think that is a Japanese trait and one well worth adopting. My needleworking as dwindled over the last couple of the years, I became sick and disabled and am trying hard to get my mojo back. There is so much inspiration around but I find I am often tired, but your work is something special and I really would like to start again. Thank you so much. Kind regards Mandy Currie
Thank you for your kind words, Jenny.
I am so glad I started a blog and began to document the process of things like the kavelfrans. Too often I have forgotten how I did something; the blog is a 'reference chart' in itself! The TAST Reference Chart has turned out to be SO useful. Many times I have admired other participants' 'coffee table sampler books' but I really wanted a 'work horse'. I can select a stitch at a glance, compare the weight of two stitches or see which stitch would make up a pretty flower.
Do try the Lock stitch! I hope you will learn to love it.
Hi Mandy, your words are very kind!
I agree with you that the Japanese are very disciplined, they are trained from babyhood. It was harder for me coming to Japan as an adult but once you get 'into Japanese life' you just flow with it.
When I was facing health issues, needlework was one of my best medicines. It was a pain killer, making me forget the aches while concentrating on the work, it was a stress reliever - I was angry with the tangled thread rather than my body, and it was fascinating to see how the embroidery grew while my medical problems shrank. If I hadn't got better I think I still would have been very proud of what I had managed to achieve.
My advice to you is to start a small embroidery with no time limit, take a few stitches and then put it down, come back to it for another ten minute a bit later, and if you don't feel like it just give it a rest. I used Free Form embroidery where I could pile the stitches on top of each other, and a mistake or tangled thread was nothing to fret about.
I wish you all the best.
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