Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 104: Fly Stitch Filling

By placing a row of Fly Stitch next to each other, then mirroring them on the row below, you get a very pleasing filling stitch.

Updated:
Mattia tells me the French names are: point de plume or point de mouche de remplissage

Use the same holes.

Use the same holes.

Nice finish!

Homework:
As the Fly Stitch Filling is great on even weave, work it on the
Canvas Sampler,
Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart,
Aida Sampler

Friday Homework for Lesson 103: Triple Palestrina Stitch

This is a quick stitch. Use a thread with a good twist, like Perle, for the best result.

Aida Sampler

Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart

New Teal Wool Tailoring Scribble Cloth

WIPW - Baby 'Rubik's Cube'

Work In progress Wednesday, well one piece is no longer in progress, it is completed - the

Baby Blocks,
or should I say Baby 'Rubik's Cube'.

This soft toy is made up of 4cm cubes of foam rubber, covered with fabric.
A cube means there are 6 sides, and each side has one piece of the six fabric prints used.
The cubes are stitched together so they have 'hinges' and you can turn and fold the cubes until all eight cubes show the same fabric.

 Polka dots turn into stripes

 stripes become flowers

 flowers attract cats

 Turn the polka dots the other way and you see the hedgehogs and mushrooms

 or in another way, the berries

This toy is fun for children of all ages, even those over 70.

Crazy for Crazy

The pieces have been stitched down and the first embroidery added.

Vaxholmskudden

I worked on the centre piece of polka dot appliqué.

The six rounds are plastic cupped discs that I covered with fabric, appliquéd and couched with red wool.

I couched down some straight lines of Perle and worked an edge of Buttonhole Stitch around the circle.

Some swirls were drawn in with charcoal pen. These lines are the next to be stitched.

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 103: Triple Palestrina Stitch

Like last week, we are today looking at a variation of a well-known stitch, Palestrina Stitch. Back in 2012 I took part in TAST, hosted by Sharon Boggon of Pintangle, and used the Palestrina Stitch for this design. Very fancy, don't you think?

I found today's version on Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials, an excellent source of embroidery stitches. As there are three knots on this version the stitch is called Triple Palestrina Stitch.
Updated: In French it is called Triple Point de Palestrina, says Mattia.

It is easy and fun, do give it a try for a truly knobbly stitch line.

First:

The second knot:

The third knot:

Then repeat.

Homework:
Nothing as fancy as 2012, just add stitches to the
Aida Sampler
Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart
and
New Teal Wool Tailoring Scribble Cloth

Friday Homework for Lesson 102: Knotted Sheaf Stitch

This is a great stitch, it works up fast and the knot keeps all threads in place.
On Aida or even weave you need an odd number of Straight Stitch to find the middle whole for the knot.

Aida Sampler

On plain weave and in free form embroidery, you can use any number of straight stitches, and eyeball the middle.

I think I prefer the look of a sheaf of four or five straight stitches. Also the wider you space the straight stitches, the more of a bow tie or bow ribbon you get.

Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart

 New Teal Wool Tailoring Scribble Cloth

WIPW - Baby Blocks

Wednesday? Again? So soon? Time to show Work In Progress Wednesday.

Crazy for Crazy
I have cut out, placed and pinned down the pieces of green. Four of them are from my kimono silk stash.

New! Wobbly Baby Blocks Toy
I started making a soft toy of baby blocks that can be turned and twisted, so they show different fabric.
Here it looks like a real mess. Believe me it is messy stitching, although not difficult, once you have double checked the placement of the fabric.
The pieces need to be pinned to the cubes of foam rubber for the filling and it is so easy to prick oneself on one of the many pins. Ouch!

Vaxholmskudden
Leaves have sprouted.

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 102: Knotted Sheaf Stitch

Do you know the Sheaf Stitch? Here is a knotted version I found in A-Z of Embroidery Stitches 2.
It is easy and attractive.
Updated: Mattia tells me the French name is:  point de gerbe noué

(The instructions in A-Z is for four straight stitches, but as I am working on Aida, I chose an uneven number.)

So make three (or four, or any number!)

straight stitches.

 Take the needle out from the centre, and pull through.

Insert the needle from the right underneath the straight stitches without biting the fabric.
Place the thread over the needle and pull through.

You now have a nice knot.
Anchor the thread in the centre hole.

Come out next to the last leg and repeat.

Stylish!

The workings is totally different from Cross and Twist Stitch and Moss Stitch, but the three do resemble each other, don't you think?

Homework:

Aida Sampler

SSS Reference Chart

New Teal Wool Tailoring Scribble Cloth

Friday Homework for Lesson 101: Rose Leaf Stitch

I think this stitch is best done in some fluffy yarn, like wool. For this homework, however, I tried it in Coton a Broder and Perle.
It was tricky to get the stitch even. However, I found a smart way to turn the stitches inside out:

Use a pair of pliers!

Pull out the card carefully.

Insert the pliers in the loops.

Turn the loops inside out.

Pull out a few of the innermost loops, and

anchor them down.

The New Teal Wool Tailoring Scribble Cloth

Aida Sampler

Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart