Wednesday 30 October 2019

WIPW - A Few More Crosses

There isn't much to report on Work In Progress Wednesday.

Freeform Embroidery
I have added a few more stitches from the Cross Family.
They are: Sorbello Stitch, Eastern Stitch and Upright Cross Stitch.



Circles Challenge
I have stitched down some of the curved edges.


Glowing Stars
I have to re-draw the pattern. I must have miscalculated my previous plan. For some reason I have not understood yet, the heart patterns I had intended to add do not fit into the pattern!
No new stitching has been done yet.

It's been a week too messy to do any serious work. Sigh!

Sunday 27 October 2019

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 111: E Laced Edging

Here at Sunday Stitch School's evening class I have a nice decorative stitch for you.
It is called Exxxxx Laced Edging and was found  at Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials. Check out her clear instructions here.

Or follow mine:








Homework:
As usual, Aida Sampler, Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart and Teal Wool Tailoring Scribble Cloth.






Thursday 24 October 2019

WIPW - on a Thursday!

Work In Progress Wednesday's report comes a day late, Thursday.

Circles Challenge
I have prepared and basted a set of new circles/squares.

Freeform Embroidery
More members from the Cross Stitch family have found their way into this project:
Zig-zag Stitch, Sword Edging Stitch, God's Eye and Mennonite Tack.


Glowing Stars
has been slumbering on the shelf. I hope to get going on this project and report next week.


Sunday 20 October 2019

Sunday Stitch School - Revision: Stitches 106 - 110

Thank you for letting me take a wee break from Sunday Stitch School. Now back to work. It is time to revise the last five stitches.

Click on the titles below for instructions.

106 Tvistsöm (Horizontal)
Easy to do, relaxing and with a nice firm seam.

107 Tvistsöm (Vertical and Diagonal)
The Vertical version is also easy to do, equally relaxing and also gives you a neat solid seam.
The Diagonal took me some time to get used to, but once I turned the  fabric on the bias and stitched in the Vertical way, it was easy-peasy.



108 Crow's Foot
A tailoring stitch that can be used for freeform embroidery. It makes interesting flowers. Mind you it is trickier than it looks to get it even.


109 Knotless Coral Stitch
It is easy to confuse this stitch with Scroll Stitch, and it IS a Scroll Stitch, but done in the opposite direction. To a right handed stitcher I think this is easier than the Scroll Stitch.


110 Russian Chain Stitch
Group together Detached Chain Stitch x 3, and you have a nice flower or pinwheel.


Homework:
Can you build a picture of Sunbonnet Sue using these five stitches? Give it a try!

Saturday 19 October 2019

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 106: Tvistsöm - Horizontal

A warm welcome back to Sunday Stitch School, where we start the autumn term with a filling stitch. A Swedish stitch called Tvistsöm.

Well, where this stitch really originates from is questionable.
Among the many names for this stitch are adjectives like Portuguese (used for huge colourful carpets) and Slav, and it is also a traditional stitch in Icelandic embroidery. Examples of silk embroidery on linen from the 12th and 13th century have been found in Sweden, but were they imported pieces, and if so, from where?
By 1500 wool was used on linen to imitate tapestry on large wallhangings. Old ecclesiastical embroidery, probably done in cloisters, has been found in Sweden. The stitch reached its height of popularity in the southern part of Sweden, Skåne, in the 18th century when seat cushions became the fashion for weddings. Panama, a linen plain weave, called tvist, has given the stitch its Swedish name.
There is more to read in this article from Nordic Needle.


English names for this stitch are: Long-Armed Cross Stitch, Long-legged Cross Stitch, Plaited Slav Stitch, Portuguese Stitch, Twist Stitch
In French it is called: Point Natté Slave
In German: Slawischer Flechtstitch
In Icelandic: Gamli Krossaumurin or Fléttsaumur

Basically it is a Cross Stitch with an added long arm. The stitch line can start with a compensating half stitch or not, as seen here on Nordic Needle.
It can be worked horizontally and vertically.

Today I will introduce the horizontal version with a compensating stitch at the beginning and end of the line.

Stitch from left to right (red arrow)
 Start with the compensating stitch 1-2
Come up at 3
Make the Cross Stitch 4-5

Make the Long Armed Stitch 5-6
Come out at 7

Make the next Cross Stitch and
continue
From now it is easy peasy!


At the end of the line, anchor in the middle.

You now have to turn the fabric upside down

and continue stitching from left to right (blue arrow)





On the back the stitches are straight.

Homework:
Fill a section each on the Aida Sampler
Canvas Sampler and
Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart























Friday 18 October 2019

No Friday Homework

There is no Friday Homework to report today.
The needles are all sleeping

Wednesday 16 October 2019

WIPW - No Progress Whatsoever

It is Wednesday and I should post a Work In Progress Wednesday report. However I have nothing to report as my needle and thread have been inactive and 'dim' all week!


I hope they will kickstart themselves soon.

Sunday 13 October 2019

Sunday Stitch School - Closed This Week

Sunday Stitch School will be closed this week due to the SUPER typhoon that has hit Japan.

Is this disaster telling us it is time to listen to Greta Thunberg and change our lifestyle to save the planet.

Anyway, I and many with me, will now have a lot of cleaning up to do!

Friday 11 October 2019

Friday Homework for Lesson 110: Russian Chain Stitch

If you know how to do the Lazy Daisy Stitch (Detached Chain Stitch), then there is no problem to make three of them, and then you have the Russian Chain Stitch!


Aida Sampler

Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart


 Teal Wool Tailoring Scribble Cloth

Announcement!
There will be no Sunday Stitch School lesson on Sunday, due to the expected super typhoon.

Tuesday 8 October 2019

Work In Progress Wednesday - Crosses

I haven't had too much free time to stitch recently and the progress is not as good as I would have liked.

Anyway here is my Work In Progress Wednesday report:

Freeform Embroidery
has been bedecked with some of the stitches from the Cross family. There are Woven Cross Stitch, Chained Cross Stitch, Half Cross Stitch, Quarter Cross Stitch, Tvistsöm and Rice Stitch.


Circles Challenge
is where I have made the least progress. Only these five circles have turned into squares as I hemmed the edges down.

Glowing Stars
The pattern is growing.



Sunday 6 October 2019

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 110: Russian Chain Stitch

Hello and a warm welcome to another lesson here at Sunday Stitch School.
Today we will be learning  a stitch from the Chain family. It is called Russian Chain Stitch and is made up of three Lazy Daisy stitches.
I discovered it at Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials, where you will find a collection of excellently presented embroidery stitches.

First make one Lazy Daisy Stitch.

 Then add two more and place them in the shape of a three clover.


Here you have The Russian Chain Stitch.



Friday 4 October 2019

Friday Homework for Lesson 109: Knotless Coral Stitch

This stitch was easy and fun to make.

Many readers have commented that this is the Scroll Stitch. Well, I can only say it is a mirrored Scroll Stitch - you stitch the Knotless Coral Stitch from right to left, and the Scroll Stitch is done in the other direction.

Aida Sampler

Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart

Teal Wool Tailoring Scribble Cloth