Wednesday 31 January 2024

WIPW - After a Week's Inactivity

 I had no progress to report last Wednesday for the usual WIPW report. After a week's inactivity I today  have four stitches on the: 


Sunday Stitch School Stitch Sampler

#93 Rya Stitch (the untidy one in purple), #165 Lazy Daisy Popcorn Stitch (light pink and wine red ), #185 Ototomi (light pink ovals), #277 Open Back Stitch (purple, wine red, mint green).



Sunday 28 January 2024

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 277: Open Back Stitch

Today we have a simple version of the traditional Back Stitch, Open Back Stitch. You can see it at Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials.

Work it like this:







Homework:
Add here:



Friday 26 January 2024

Friday Homework for Lesson 276: Alternating Wheatear Stitch

Easy peasy!

Aida Sampler

Nice in variegated thread.


Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart


Alternating Wheatear Stitch

Not too bad on a curve.


Sunday 21 January 2024

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 276: Alternating Wheatear Stitch



From Sharon Boggon's excellent book 'Creative Stitches for Contemporary Embroidery' I came across this version of the Wheatear Stitch, Alternating Wheatear Stitch.


Make it like this:

Instead of only two awns (the bristly hair of a wheatear), 

make three on one side and one on the other side.

Start with the first,

the second,

and the third.

Place the forth on the other side


Come out centre below,
go under all four awns 


to make the kernel.

Make the second kernel and its awns on the 
alternative side.






Pretty, isn't it?

If you make it as an individual stitch
you can vary the size and length as well.
   


Homework: Sow some wheat on these samplers.




Friday 19 January 2024

Friday Revision Homework - Stitches 271 - 275

This is Sue last month on her way home to visit family for the seasonal fun. She got caught in a Hoshidome Stitch snowstorm. Luckily she kept herself warm in her L Stitch down coat and Chained Wheatear Stitch woollen cap. The hardest thing was to pull her Griffin Stitch suitcase as the snow piled up. She had forgotten her gloves but had put a festive woollen Alternating Diagonal Stitch tube over the handle of the suitcase, so somehow she managed to keep warm.







Wednesday 17 January 2024

WIPW - More Stitches

Work In Progress Wednesday report.

Sunday Stitch School Stitch Sampler

I added #252 Annet's Pulled Triangle (red), #246 Merrow Stitch (dark blue), #243 Blanket Stitch (orange) and #269 Queen Stitch (light blue). Then I removed the waste canvas so you can see the stitches better.



Sunday 14 January 2024

Sunday Stitch School - Revision: Stitches 271 - 275

 It is time for a revision lesson. Click on the title and you will get a link to the instructions for that stitch.


271 Hoshidome Stitch

This is a Japanese stitch used in kimono-making. It is small, yet impressive!


This is a simple stitch, it's easy to learn and you see the result quickly.

This is a bolder version of the traditional Wheatear Stitch.

For friends of Cross Stitch embroidery, this stitch is a MUST. It is very useful to hide the start and end of individual Cross Stitches. As a visible stitch, it forms a capital L and it can be quite nice to strew Ls all over the place.


Oh, this elegantly laid stitch easily fills a surface with its beautiful grid.

Homework:
Let Sunbonnet Sue illustrate these five stitches here.









Friday 12 January 2024

Friday Homework for Lesson 275: Griffin Stitch

The first set of stitches you make is a bit tricky, you need to check the instructions and work slowly. Once you have made one such stitch block you have got the hang of it. It is more fun and you can work at a higher speed.


Aida Sampler



Mottled Wool Scribble Cloth

Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart


Wednesday 10 January 2024

WIPW - More Colonial Knots

 Work In Progress Wednesday report for the second week of 2024.


Mandala

I added more Colonial Knots and one area is now filled.



Sunday Stitch School Stitch Sampler

Here I added #231 Rhodes Heart Stitch (pink) and #241 Bow Tie Stitch (eggshell white).




Sunday 7 January 2024

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 275: Griffin Stitch

How about starting the school year here at Sunday Stitch School with a complex-looking, yet supposedly easy-to-do stitch? Let's try the Griffin Stitch.

The best instructions I have found are at Mary Corbet's Needle 'n Thread. Have a look at her clear tutorial here.

I made this photo guide as I worked my way through the stitch:

The first thing I did was to make a paper grid and check the placements of the stitch lines.




I planned to do the red lines first, starting at A and finishing at Z.
After that I'd do the blue lines in the same manner.

Once the planning was done, I then marked the area on the fabric with the help of pins.

and started stitching.




With the vertical and horizontal grid completed, it was time for the diagonal lines.

I checked the placement of the diagonal lines - did they go right across the stitched squares? Yes.





It is time for the green thread to couch down the single crosses.




Finally, I let the blue thread go over and under the double crosses.





 

 

and here we are!


Change the green and blue threads for thicker ones, or use metallic thread or wool.

Was this stitch complex? Yes. Was it easy to do? Well...it was a bit messy, before I got the grip of it. 

Homework:
Add here.