Catching Up: Friday Revision Homework - Stitches 61 - 65

A day late, here is the completed Sunbonnet Sue Stitch Sampler.

While making the yellow Madam Totsuka's Tasselled Chain Stitch flowers I came up with the idea of using a pin to make the loops even.

 I am pleased with this trick and will update my instructions of #64 Madam Totsuka's Tasselled Chain (10th June, 2018).

Now you can see that the 'boob' is really a knee!

Friday Revision Homework: Stitches 61-65

Here is a bit of Sunbonnet Sue. Too many distractions have hindered my completion of this stitch sampler.
Hope to be able to post a finish tomorrow.

WIPW - Framed and Sorted

Work In Progress Wednesday, well soon to be Thursday...


Crazy for Crazy
I has been a hectic week, but I managed to put the binding border on the Guinness block.

I then sorted out fabric and some thread for the next block. What shall I call this colour scheme?

Vanilla and lavender ice cream?

Sunday Stitch School - Revision: Stitches 61 - 65

It is time for Sunbonnet Sue to come out and play with the most recent five stitches taught at Sunday Stitch School.

To see the instructions and read previous blog posts, click on the heading for each stitch.

61 Raised Fishbone Stitch
As it is a raised stitch it gives a plump look, good for 3D embroidery and, if worked in a straight line,  filling in any space. It can be used both to make thick leaves or a nice rope like braid.

62 Pearl Stitch
Not difficult at all to make a nice knotted line with this knobby stitch.
A great advantage is that the knots are not really knots, so reverse stitching is not a knotty problem.

63 French Knotted Chain Stitch
The marriage between the Chain Stitch and the French Knot must be celebrated!
Just remember to  use a hoop, then it is easy to make, and will look good in a straight line or on a curve.


64 Madam Totsuka's Tasselled Chain
Here is a fiddly stitch that grows on you - the more you make, the easier it gets and the more you like them.
You can keep them as they are, or cut open the loops.

65 Rosette Stitch Rose
One can never have too many floral stitches. This will make a nice bud, the centre of any flower or indeed a rose. Also, as has been pointed out, they can look like coffee beans or balls of knitting yarn. So, both useful and easy.

Homework:

Use the five stitches on this Sunbonnet Sue design.

Cheat by using crayon and molding mat.

Wa Quilt Show at Gajoen in Meguro

I went to see an exhibition of Wa quilts at Gajoen in Meguro.

Wa stands for 'Japanese', and such quilts have either a Japanese theme or are made from Japanese fabric. These quilts were mainly made from kimono silk and quite perfect. Not one boro quilt in sight.

A selection of Japanese patterns (sashiko designs e.g.) in this quilt

平沼淳子＊Atsuko Hiranuma

Miroku Bodhisattva of Kouryu Temple in Kyoto

made in Mola quilting technique

 細井郁子＊Ikuko Hosoi

 A round window with 'paper' panes and bamboo growing outside

 塚原やすこ＊Yasuko Tsukahara

An incredibly small and perfect Mariners Compass

 島野徳子＊Tokuko Shimano

entirely stitched by hand

Gajoen was established in 1928 as a first class Japanese restaurant with banquet rooms, hotel accommodation and rooms for wedding ceremonies. Read more about it here.

Gajoen's Hyakudan Kaidan is also used for exhibitions. The walls and ceilings are decorated with paintings, there are tatami straw mats on the floor (shoes have to be removed and everyone walks around in socks or stockings, as you can see). The quilts are hung from black lacquered kimono stands (used to hang kimono for airing before being folded and put away in a drawer).

秋田景子＊Keiko Akita

 This quilt looks like a modern Western quilt, but look at the close up...

平野直子＊Naoko Hirano

 yes, there are raw edges (pinking) and machine quilting, but the fabric is hand tied and dyed shibori silk

 In this quilt many blocks have been folded into origami bows.

 木村ひろみ＊Hiromi Kimura

Colonial Knots give this quilt a new dimension 

 齋藤礼子＊Reiko Saito

My absolute favorite was this Suffolk Puff (Yo-yo) quilt. Can you see that there is an electric cord at the bottom left? There is a lamp behind the quilt, and the phosphorus green dots is light coming through black lace. Look at the detailed photos below.

 田中由美子＊Yumiko Tanaka

 I have never seen lace used as a background for a quilt, well, technically it isn't a quilt, there is no quilting, and I was not the only one standing for a long time in awe in front of this quilt.

 This quilt had some traditional toys, a cat, inflatable paper balls and a rattle.

利根川加代子＊Kayoko Tonegawa

Finally I got some ideas for my Hina Dolls for next year. I need to make an aubergine eggplant and a chrysanthemum flower.

Friday Homework for Lesson 65: Rosette Stitch Rose

The Rosette Stitch Rose was easy to make and will be a good building block for flowers. It could be a rose bud, the centre of a rose or other flower. It could be rose apples on a tree, and if worked in brown and many wraps it could become a roasted coffee bean - Rosette Stitch Bean?!

Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart

Aida Sampler

Teal  Wool Tailoring Scribble Cloth

WIPW - Beading

I am writing my Work In Progress Wednesday report while the rain is pelting down.

The beading I have added to
Crazy for Crazy
looks like raindrops, but the photo does not show the glitter and sheen.

I have added beads in the circled areas:

Embellish work on the Guinness block is now completed.


Next job is to add the binding and think up a new colour scheme for the next block.

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 65: Rosette Stitch Rose

I found today's stitch in the excellent book 'A-Z of Embroidery Stitches 2'.
This stitch will make a nice flower, or part of a flower.

Make it this way:

 Wind the thread anticlockwise around the needle.

When you have the desired number of wraps,

fix the top wraps with a pin,

pull the needle through and anchor the lower wraps,

remove the pin and anchor the top wraps.

Finished!

Homework:
Aida Sampler,
SSS Reference Chart
Teal Wool Tailoring Scribble Cloth

Friday Homework for Lesson 64: Madam Totsuka's Tasselled Chain

It's been one of those weeks when nothing is 'normal'. Now it's SUNDAY, and I am rushing to hand in my FRIDAY homework for Madam Totsuka's Tasselled Chain Stitch.

It is a fiddly stitch, but gets easier for each one you make. Also I have found that perle cotton is the best choice of thread for this stitch.

Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart

 Aida Sampler

 Teal Wool Tailoring Scribble Cloth