WIPW - Back to the Sunday Stitch School Stitch Sampler

I haven't shown much work on the Sunday Stitch School Stitch Sampler recently. Therefore,  this week's Work In Progress Wednesday report will feature an update on that sampler and a briefing on the hexagon project. The Mandala is slumbering in her box.

Sunday Stitch School Stitch Sampler

I filled in the gap at the top of the sampler by adding stitches used previously. #163 Canvas Stem Stitch (pink), #143 Chopstick Stitch (red), #219 Two-Sided Italian Cross Stitch (green), #54 Tramming (one line each on Stem Stitch and Cross Stitch, in yellow) and #169 Kerman Stitch (four individual stitches in yellow).

Hexablooms

I raided my scrap box of reds and greens and threw in a few lighter colours, to make ten more flowers. 

The total count is now 150. Way over 300 blocks are needed for the quilt/wallhanging, so there is plenty more work to do. Luckily, I still have plenty more pieces of scrap fabric!

Sunday Stitch School - Revision: Stitches 301 - 305

Now that we have learned five new stitches, it is time for a revision and a Sunbonnet Sue summary.

Click on the name of the stitch to get to the instructions.

301 Wreath Stitch

A little X-massy wreath can be made with this stitch.

302 Triangular Bullion Stitch

Trust Madam Totsuka to create another use for the  Bullion Knot.

303 Tacked Herringbone Stitch

Here is a quick and simple way to dress up the basic Herringbone Stitch.

304 Single Knotted Cable Chain Stitch

This version of the well-known Oyster Stitch can be varied in looks.

305 Kalem Stitch

This is a quick and easy canvas stitch.

Homework:

Sunbonnet Sue is eager to show you how the stitches can be used.

Friday Homework for Lesson 305: Kalem Stitch

 This is one of those wonderful stitches - SO easy to stitch and SO impressvie to look at.

Aida Sampler

Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart

Mottled Wool Scribble Cloth

Canvas Sampler

There is still plenty of room on the sampler, I will have to add more Canvas stitches to the Sunday Stitch School collection!

WIPW - 9 3/6

It's been a hectic week since last Wednesday. For the Work In Progress Wednesday report, I have worked on the 

Mandala

where I completed the centre circle. Do you remember the railway braid I added last week? 

The outer 'rail' follows the edge of the circle, but the inner 'rail' is too large (as the circle is smaller a bit away from the edge).

So I pulled each section tight by stitching it down further in from the edge and adding a golden bead.

I also added little floral-shaped sequins and anchored them with a small blue bead.

The circle is now complete:

I need to add something more to the Mandala.... but what?

Hexablooms

I made another set of hexagon blocks. Nine are complete, but the last one has only three out of six petals, so this week's count is 9 3/6. I will finish it tomorrow.

Some of the remnants I used for these bocks are from my childhood. My mother was an accomplished amateur seamstress and made some very beautiful garments for me.

The orange and yellow is a small scrap of cotton left from when I made a casual summer coat in the early 70's.

Once the purple 3/6 petals are complete, the total count will be 140 flowers.

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 305: Kalem Stitch

Today we are looking at Kalem Stitch, also known as Kelim Stitch and Soumak Stitch. These names are used for rug weaving in an area covering Balkan, Turkey, Caucasus, Persia as well as North Africa, and probably even further away.

Instructions for the embroidery stitch were found at Needlework for Fun. It is a canvas stitch and good for filling in a background. What's more, it's EASY!

Stitch it like this:

Homework:

Add to the three samplers below as well as the Canvas Sampler.

Friday Homework for Lesson 304: Single Knotted Cable Chain Stitch

It was fun to learn the Single Knotted Cable Chain Stitch and compare it with the Oyster Stitch. I must admit that I prefer to stitch towards me, the Oyster Stitch way, rather than away from the body. It is easier to control the thread, as well as insert the needle from up to down than vice versa.

Aida Sampler

Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart

Mottled Wool Scribble Cloth

WIPW - The Railway Tracks

Swish, and another week has passed. It is time for the weekly Work In Progress Wednesday report.

Hexablooms

I made another ten flowers. The total is now 130.

Mandala

Among my braids, I found this 'railway tracks' design. Perfect to add to the circle.

Having had only little time for stitching, this is as far as I got.

More next week, I hope!
 

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 304: Single Knotted Cable Chain Stitch

Anyone who has taken part in TAST (Take A Stitch Tuesday), an educational stitch challenge by Sharon Boggon on her Pintangle blog, will have learned the Oyster Stitch. If you are unfamiliar with this stitch, look at her excellent tutorial. It is also featured in many stitch dictionaries.

Today's stitch comes from another blog, Artistic Fingers, where Anita teaches us a variation of the Oyster Stitch. She calls it Single Knotted Cable Chain Stitch; her tutorial is here.

For my photo tutorial, I worked first the Oyster Stitch in pink, and then next to it, the Single Knotted Cable Stitch in blue. As you can see, Sharon and Anita stitch in different directions.

Oyster Stitch from up to down.

Single Knotted Cable Chain, 

from down to up.

The main difference between Oyster and 

Single Knotted Cable Chain comes here:

You bite a longer bit of fabric,

resulting in a 'paper clip' loop.

The anchor stitch could be close to

the loop and

thereby short, or

long,

or multiple in numbers.

Should you turn the stitch sideways, well, 

there you have 'Eye Stitch', or maybe 'Fish Stitch'!

Homework:

Try Single Knotted Cable Chain Stitch out here.