WIPW - Nearing the Finishing Line

Work In Progress Wednesday.

My snails on
Trinity Green
are slowly nearing the finishing line.

I have endured the heat and quilted 10 lines. The count now stands at 32/37. Five more to go! I can almost see the sign 'Finish' somewhere in the distance.

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 34: Japanese Stitch

Welcome back to another geography lesson at Sunday Stitch School. We are still in the Asia region and will focus on Japan with this Japanese Stitch found in Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches.
There, it is grouped in the section of Solid Filling Stitches, but I think it would be a good canvas stitch, too. Basically it is a slanted Satin Stitch.

Of course it also features in the Japanese publication, Nihon Shishu wo Tanoshimu, as well as on various Japanese websites, for a bit of light reading, check this out.

The Japanese name for this stitch is Wari Nui 割繡い.
No Swedish name has been found.

Work it like this:

Here,
 and on my Aida sampler

 you can see that it is not suitable for Aida cloth which has a wide grid.

It looks much better on Canvas

and on a tightly woven fabric,

here in Japanese embroidery style, but using perle on cotton.

Homework:
1) a challenge of 'real' Japanese embroidery with proper flat silk and kimono silk fabric.


2) Fill a square on this piece of fake canvas.

Friday Homework for Lesson 33: Chinese Knot Stitch

Student: Phew, phew. I'm sorry I'm late. Here's is my homework.
Teacher: You'd better have a good excuse for handing in your homework a day late.
Student: Well, yesterday my brain boiled dry in the heat.
Teacher: I've never heard such rubbish!
Student: But it's true, Miss, I promise.
Teacher: Stop wining and hand over the work.
Student: Here it is.
Teacher. Hm, not too bad considering the overcooked brain. I'll give you, 'Pass'.
Student: Oh, thank you, Miss.

WIPW - Over Cooked? Over Heated?

Work In Progress Wednesday.

I've been 'cooking,' i.e. quilting, more pasta on

Trinity Green

but either the torchietti is getting over cooked, or the sewing machine is as over heated as I am.

The snails don't want to form the way I want them to, especially when they have to slide over a bumpy seam.

Even the camera is struggling to stay in focus in the heat!

Although the snails are uneven and ugly, I will keep them as they are, to remember the heat of the summer of 2017.

Anyway, I have quilted five more strips of the sashing. 22/37 means there are 15 more to go! Cooler weather  soon, please!

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 33: Chinese Knot Stitch

Welcome to another geography lesson at Sunday Stitch School.

We are still focusing on China, and will work the Chinese Knot Stitch. Its other names are Blind Knot and Forbidden Stitch.
Mattia tells me these are the French names:
- point de nœud de Pékin
- point de nœud aveugle
- noeud oublié
In Japanese Embroidery (Nihon Shishu) the stitch is called 輪相良繡い(sorry uncertain of pronunciation) according to Toshiko Nagayama's book 'Nihon Shishu wo Tanoshimu'.
Swedish name, Kinesisk Knut.

It is basically a French Knot with one wrap round the needle - a 1/2 French Knot? The name Blind Knot is said to come from the fact that the stitch is small and difficult to see. The Forbidden Stitch because the tiny stitch is forbiddingly small.

This is a free school and you can skip this lesson and this stitch!

Anyway, this is an easy way to work it:

Tighten the fabric in a hoop.
Use both hands.

Pull the thread tight.
Place the needle underneath the thread,
wrap the thread over the needle away from you.


Insert the needle near where you came out.
Pull the thread tight.


You have your first knot.


Make another knot nearby.

 Make more knots close by.

Not so neat on the Aida sampler.

Homework:
Use this silk thread and this this kimono silk to make a nice pattern.
Take plenty of rests to rest your eyes!

Friday Homework for Lesson 32: Chinese Cross Stitch

Oh, the Chinese Cross Stitch was a fun stitch to work!

On the linen I had a wee bit of trouble as the thread and fabric are of similar shades.

Real enjoyment was had on making this funky free form embroidery, though.

I placed French Knots and beads in some of the squares.

WIPW 17/37

The progress on

Trinity Green 

I have made is quilting five strips.
I now have 17 out of 37, so there are 20 more to go. Sigh!

No need to comment.

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 32: Chinese Cross Stitch

Today we are having a Geography lesson. We are visiting China to learn the Chinese Cross Stitch.

Unfortunately I have not found any information regarding its name, nor its origin, and the only book I have found it in is in Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches.

I wonder why, as it is an easy, fun and most attractive stitch with its pleasant geometric pattern. Any information you might have, I'd be happy to hear about.

Work it like this:

Now you have one individual stitch.

To make a nice row, come out in the lower leg of the right cross,

 and start all over again.

Then start over from the upper leg.

 It is quick work, and you will soon have a nice geometric pattern,

or make individual stitches in alternating lines.

It would be fun and easy to change the length and height of the 'arms' and 'legs', and create free form patterns.

Also the little squares created at the intersections could be filled with French Knots, Cross Stitch or beads.

On the Aida sampler I made individual stitches:

Homework:

1) Add a row of Chinese Cross Stitches:

2) Play with free form:

Friday Homework for Lesson 31: Braid Stitch

Oh, if all homework were as easy and fun as working with the Braid Stitch!
What a delightful stitch!
I made a couple of monograms for greeting cards.

This was completed in 15 minutes!

The polyester thread had a nice sheen, but was a bit slippery. In spite of that the stitches sit nicely.

Here I used Coton a Broder, which has a better grip, but does not look as even and smooth as the blue polyester thread.

WIPW - 12/37

It is HOT in Tokyo and progress can only be made at night.

Trinity Green
I have now managed to snail stitch (no pun intended) 12 out of 37 strips of the green sashing on this quilt.

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 31: Braid Stitch

Are you ready for another stitch at Sunday Stitch School?

I thought it was time for a challenge stitch, one of those I have tried and failed many times, and stubborn as I am, just felt I needed to master. It is the Braid Stitch, and also goes by the names of Cable Plait Stitch, Gordian Knot Stitch, and in Swedish, Bandstygn. French names: Point de Galon or Point de Nœud Gordien.

In most illustrated embroidery books there is drawing of the Braid Stitch,
like this:

Although very clear I have never managed to control the twist of the thread.

Then I checked Mary Corbet's Braid Stitch video tutorial over at Needle 'n Thread.
It looked so easy, I just had to try it her way.

It was easy, and after a couple of stitches, truly addictive, and fast, to boot!

This is how it is worked:

Draw two parallel lines.
Tighten the fabric in a hoop.
Work with both hands.

 Come out on the left and hold the thread tight.

 Wrap the thread over

 and under the needle.

 While keeping the thread tight, insert needle on the right line,

 and come out on the left one.

 Pull the thread to the left and under the tip of the needle.

 Tighten the thread again.

 Pull the needle through

 carefully so you don't loose the shape.

 You have your first stitch.

Repeat from 1) in the same way

                           
until you have a line.

Once you got the rhythm, you can't stop!

This is what it looks on my Aida sampler.



All books say the Braid Stitch works well on curves, it performs best with a thread that has a good twist,
and my opinion is that it looks neatest if rather crammed together and not too long.

Homework:
Do some penmanship! 'Write' a letter on this letter printed fabric.