TAST # 140 Threaded Cable Chain Stitch

This is the last TAST (Take A Stitch Tuesday, read all about TAST at Pintangle) stitch of 2014, but we hope to learn many more next year. The stitch is called #140 Threaded Cable Chain Stitch.

You start with a foundation stitch, Cable Chain, and then thread it, either with the same thread or with a different one for  impressive impact.

First I worked on Aida

 It can be tricky to get the threaded loops even, but I try to control the tension by placing my thumb on the loops that have already been formed and taking care not to pull the new loop too tightly. Patience and practice.

On the sampler I used metallic thread in the first example and in the second, I pulled the red thread through the cable links. It made a new pattern!

Many thanks to Sharon Boggon who has taught me so many new stitches and opened doors to how to use these TAST stitches. Have a good TASTy rest in December.

Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival 2015 - Information

This morning I found that NHK and Tokyo Dome City have posted information for the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival 2015.
Check it out here.

Be prepared to meet Laura Ingalls Wilder in her Little House on the Prairie - the quilt version!

WIPW - Sorry its Blurred

Work In Progress Wednesday helps you work towards completing needlework projects. Check it out at Pintangle.

 I have taken most of the photos with my mobile phone, so the pictures are blurred. Sorry!

Kafferepet
I have almost come full circle on the embroidery quilting of the inner part of the lace.

Next step is to embroider the other edge of the lace.

Pile 'em On
More rough embroidery has been piled on, and you can see a circle beginning to emerge...

TASTy Beads Galore
I tried to use TAST #116 Beaded Vandyke Stitch for the yellow flower. Not easy, not well made, not looking good... I can not put the blame on the blurred photo!

Chicken Scratch
I had the opportunity to make another train journey and continued working on this piece. Although I have not much left, I begin to feel the pattern is rather boring and will see if I should add some more designs, maybe in a heavier thread...

Swedish Cushion

Yesterday we got a new TAST stitch, #140 Threaded Cable Chain, and this will be added to the cushion and shown next week.

There are still a few blank areas on my fabric which could benefit from a cluster of stitches, but with #140 I will have added all the non-beaded TAST stitches we have learned. I don't want to repeat the same stitches again, so what should I do? I am calling this the Swedish Cushion so why not add a true Swedish stitch, although it is not, and might never become a TAST stitch? 

May I introduce you to the Anundsjö stitch:

It starts like a split stitch, either splitting one thread or dividing two threads.

The anchoring stitch goes into the fabric outside the split stitch.

Then you add another stitch, either as a detached one or following a line.

I think the charm of the stitch is its irregularity and scratchy look. 

The story has it that it was 'invented' by Brita-Kajsa Karlsdotter who took up embroidery when she was elderly and her vision had become slightly impaired, explaining the uneven look. 

I used it on the cushion to make small emblems like these:

The centre is worked in Chain Stitch and Laid Filling Stitch often found in Halland Embroidery, another traditional Swedish style from the west coast county of Halland.

WIPW - The Chicken Scratches Again

Read about Work In Progress Wednesday, check the links, and why not join in. Click here.

Kafferepet

I have turned a corner with the embroidery on this quilt.

Swedish Cushion

To even out a blank area I added a cluster of TAST #30 Cast On stitches, although I already had inserted four Cast On stitches in another spot on the cushion in June.

 

TASTy Beads Galore

I worked three leaves in TAST #139 Beaded Bard Stitch. Sorry for the blurred picture.

The stem of the #135 Beaded Fern Stitch plant was extended and there is now a flower made with the same stitch as well.

Pile 'em On

More stray ends of orts ended up on this 'rough' free form embroidery.

TAST Reference Chart

TAST #138 Barb Stitch and #139 Beaded Barb Stitch found their way to the right boxes on the reference chart.

EXTRA! WIPW Chicken Scratch goes travelling again

On my Chicken Scratch cushion,  that I started two years ago, and haven't work on since last November,  I worked as far as I could on a recent train journey. Will I not progress on this again until next year November? Then I wonder how many years it will take to complete?!

TAST #139 Beaded Barb Stitch

TAST #139 Beaded Barb Stitch.
This is just as fun and easy as the unbeaded version. Learn it from Sharon at Pintangle.


On Aida I used coton a broder and seed beads.

On my sampler I used perle #5 and seed beads as well as bugle beads.

TAST #138 Barb Stitch

After having had some trouble with two recent stitches, I was very pleased to learn this new one, TAST #138 Barb Stitch. It was easy peasy and I am very happy with the result.

I have just realised that our teacher, Sharon, has worked her whipping stitches from right to left so the centre stitches are slanting in the other direction. Actually I don't think it is so important, and I won't undo my left-to-right-whipped stitches... You, however, who probably will read the instructions more carefully, can learn the correct way from Pintangle. Have fun!

TAST #137 Beaded Knotted Buttonhole Band

I am late in posting TAST stitch #137, Beaded Knotted Buttonhole Band.

Go to Pintagle to learn this stitch and what TAST stands for.

I tried to place the beads in two ways, between the knots and in the knots. It was much easier to get a good even look when the beads are placed between the knots.

Compare, black beads between and pink beads in the knots.

In the picture below, the best result was when the red beads (working down the left side of the bar) were placed between the knots.
The silver beads are also placed between, but they are worked down the right side (lefthanded stitches?) and the thread has twisted them slightly out of place.

The light blue and golden beads worked inside the knots make a mess! Excellent for rough, wild and boisterous embroidery only, especially when worked down the right side (golden beads).

WIPW - Cramming It In

It has been a busy week and I have tried to cram in as much needlework as possible to have something to report on in WIPW. Most of you already know that that abbreviation stands for Work In Progress Wednesday and that it is a great way to nudge oneself towards completing an embroidery project.
Read more on Sharon B's blog, Pintangle.


Kafferepet
Cramming in stitches.
The lace I basted last week is now being anchored to the blue edge of the quilt. I am using TAST #68 Slipped Detached Chain Stitches in perle #8 in yellow, light and medium green.

Swedish Cushion
Cramming in design.
Here I have been quick off the mark and added the TAST stitch that was introduced to us yesterday! #138 Barb Stitch. I used Sharon's crazy quilting templates to draw the paisley.

TASTy Beads Galore
Cramming in beads.
The stitch that came out out to play was #118 Beaded Buttonhole Stitch. I used bugle beads as well as seed beads. A few unbeaded Straight stitches were also crammed in.

Pile 'em On
Cramming in orts.
Going to the quilt show in Yokohama was great fun, but the visit and writing up three blog posts 'robbed' me of quality stitching time, so I let off some frustration by digging up orts from my crammed jar of short thread ends and cramming them into this rough stitch bed.

TAST Reference Chart
Cramming in another TAST stitch.
#137 Beaded Knotted Buttonhole Band was a bit of a struggle but is now recorded on this chart.

It is not an easy stitch to bead, but then the beads are crammed in!

22nd International Quilt Week Yokohama, 2014 - Part 3

This is a continuation of part 2 of the quilt show report from Yokohama, and it will feature the remaining of my pick of the show.

Traditional quilts have always been popular in Japan and here are some 'old' and some more 'modern'.

 日栄順子　Junko Hiei

The title is 'Log cabin is ∞!!'
As you can see the pattern has been used in 'endless ways' and in shiny silk as well! It shone beautifully under the spotlight.

 菅野成子 Nariko Sugano

If you fancy working with small pieces, maybe this is for you. The title is Piece Peace Piece.
Note the charming border.

 横田弘美 Hiromi Yokota

I thought my friend Pamela of Hokkaido Kudasai would have loved seeing this quilt, as she is herself working on a large impressive hexagon quilt.

 沖津明美　Akemi Okitsu

Here are some of the Flower quilts.
Both Julie and I stood and drooled in front of this quilt of dandelions.

 She probably enjoyed the complex piecework, and I the rich embroidery. Look at the fluffy dandelion seed balls.

 押野悠美子 Yumiko Oshino

These flowers are a bit similar, thistles. The fabric is Japanese, and I can just picture it coming from old recycled floor cushions.

 The quilter has used the fabric in an inventive way; back and front.

山村久子 Hisako Yamamura

Large and impressive with exotic flowers and plants.

 平谷久美子 Kumiko Hiratani

A favourite of mine! Lotus flowers and seed cups.

馬場八千代 Yachiyo Baba

 Among the Japanese (Wa) quilts this was a stunning picture of Miyajima shinto temple.

原田千代 Chiyo Harada

A masterpiece of craftmanship. Add to that crazy quilting, embroidery and beautiful material... and you can understand that I was drawn to this quilt.

有賀満里子 Mariko Ariga

Anyone who has followed the amazing work and documentation Carolyn Foley of Caro-rose Creations has made on Kogin embroidery from Northern Japan should recognise this kind of pattern darning. The title is Kogin Children. Making Kogin buttons is now very popular and the quilter has added a lot of them.

柴山みさ　Misa Shibayama

Finally I have this colourful tree full of wild life.

 鈴木美知子　Michiko Suzuki

I hope you have enjoyed my pick. Don't forget to head over to Julie Fukuda's My Quilt Diary to see her reports from the show.