Wednesday, 19 February 2025

WIPW - 3 x Coasters

 It is time for another Work In Progress Wednesday report.


Hexablooms

Once again, I was lucky enough to find the time to make the planned ten hexagon flowerets.

My collection now holds 280.





Birthday Gift

I made a set of three double-sided hexagon flower coasters. The cardboard I do my English Paper Piecing over is still inside, which makes the coasters stiff and stable. On the downside is that they can not be washed...





Actually, this means I made 16 hexablooms this week!


Bookmarks

I continued work on the first bookmark and completed it.

First, I stretched the linen under a wet cloth, then trimmed the top and bottom to get a fringe. 

Finally, I fused a piece of felt onto the back. 

The present is gift wrapped and on its way to the recipient.

I will show a picture of the whole bookmark once the present has been opened.


Sunday, 16 February 2025

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 315: Threaded Detached Chain Stitch

Here is a stitch from the Chain Stitch family. Detached Chain, or Lazy Daisy as it is also called, is often used for flower buds or together with other stitches to make decorative Crazy Quilt seams.

The stitch we are learning today is based on these individual Chain stitches, but when they are threaded, they make a nice and structured linear stitch.

The threading can be done with a variety of 'difficult' threads like metallic, chenille, knobbly or very fibrous types.

I found the instructions in Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches and in Reader's Digest Complete Book of Embroidery.

Here is a photo tutorial:












Homework: Add to the three samplers










Friday, 14 February 2025

Friday Homework for Lesson 314: Split Stitch

The Split Stitch is easy, but you need to pay attention so you really split the stitch. It takes a bit more time than, for example, the Stem Stitch.


Aida Sampler



Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart



Mottled Wool Scribble Cloth



Wednesday, 12 February 2025

WIPW - The Second Bookmark

 This is the Work In Progress Wednesday report for February 12.


Hexablooms

I completed ten more hexagon flowers and now have 270 in my collection.



Bookmark

The stitching on the second bookmark is now finished. Here is the reverse, as you can see the embroidery is done in Cross Stitch. Those with trained eyes can guess the pattern...



I will remove the support fabric and move it to the place where the third bookmark will be stitched.


Tuesday, 11 February 2025

Hina 2025

Next month,  Hina Matsuri or Doll Festival or Girls' Festival, will be held on March 3rd as usual. It is a festival when families celebrate their daughters by displaying Hina dolls depicting the Imperial couple in costumes from the Heian Era. The dolls are on show from about a month before up to the 3rd of March.

Read more about this festival and look at some photos here.

Instead of the dolls seen in the link, I have a mobile with hanging ornaments of stuffed dolls and crepe silk (chirimen) objects. This type of Hina decorations originate in Inatori, Yanagawa and Sakai cities.



By clicking on HINA in the tabs above, you can see and read more about my Hina doll mobile and the ornaments.

Every year, I make three new items. These are for 2025:


Top left: an open Physalis,  top right: three rings, bottom: a flower.



There are now 97 ornaments. Next year, I will reach the 100-item mark!!!




Sunday, 9 February 2025

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 314: Split Stitch

The Split Stitch is another basic stitch that I have overlooked. Mary Corbet at Needle 'n Thread has a video tutorial. She also has some articles comparing the Split Stitch and its sister Split Back Stitch. It is well worth looking at the video and reading the articles. Mary also tells us that the Split Stitch is very useful when we want to add lettering to our work as this stitch makes a tight and even line.

Click here to see the video and read the articles.


I have added my photo tutorial here:

Use a needle with a sharp tip.

Start with a neat Straight Stitch.


Pull to make sure it sits snuggly on the surface.


From underneath, take a step backwards and

 come up right in the middle of the stitch.


Pull through. Insert the needle a step further down

the stitch line.


Once again, come up right in the middle of

the last stitch.


Anchor the stitch at the end of the line.





Homework:

Add here.




Saturday, 8 February 2025

Putting Needles to Rest in Tofu!

Today, I took part in the Hari-kuyo ceremony in Asakusa. This is a 400-year-old rite to honour your broken needles and the hard work they have done in the past year. The Shinto belief that objects have souls is merged with the Buddhist spirit of showing gratitude to things that have served you well.

In front of Awashimado Hall, on the grounds of the famous Asakusa Kannon Temple in Tokyo, slabs of firm tofu had been set up. Kimono makers, as well as seamstresses and quilters, stuck their broken needles into these cakes of tofu and offered a prayer of thanks.

This ceremony is held in Tokyo on the 8th of February every year. I have until now been unable to attend but it has been on my bucket list to at least once take part. This year I was fortunate to find the time.



I saw many women clad in kimono.



If you found this interesting, please read this Wikipedia article and my friend Cynthia's report on her visit in 2021.




Friday, 7 February 2025

Friday Homework for Lesson 313: Darning Stitch

 This stitch is easy, especially on Aida or a counted weave,  and quick.

Aida Sampler




Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart




Mottled Wool Scribble Cloth




Wednesday, 5 February 2025

WIPW - One Bookmark Finished

Work In Progress Wednesday. 


Hexablooms

These are the ten hexagon flowers I made in the last 7 days. The total is now 260.




Bookmarks

I have completed the stitching of the bookmark, but will only show you the reverse. Once the gift has been handed over I will show the front.


I am stitching on a long and narrow length of canvas and have divided the 'ribbon' into six sections, meaning I will make six bookmarks. 

To be able to place and stretch the stitching area in a hoop, I needed to add support fabric on both sides. As the stitching on the first bookmark is completed, I will move the support fabric further down the 'ribbon' and start on the second bookmark.

There will hopefully be more progress to show you next week.








Sunday, 2 February 2025

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 313: Darning Stitch

Darning Stitch is another basic stitch I have not introduced yet. It IS a form of Running Stitch, which is one of the simplest and most common stitches there is. However,  the latter is usually even in length, whereas the Darning Stitch is longer on the surface and shorter on the reverse. It is often used as a filling stitch, and each row is staggered, like the pattern on a brick wall.

I found a clear and easy-to-follow tutorial in RSN's Stitch Bank.

Here are my photo instructions.

The traditional Running Stitch

Here is the Darning Stitch.

Compare them.


Here is the Darning Stitch in staggered form.

As you can see, these stitches are easy and should have been included much earlier, but it is never too late, eh?

Homework:

Fill in here.


Friday, 31 January 2025

Friday Homework for Lesson 312: Closed Buttonhole Stitch

The Closed Buttonhole Stitch is such an attractive stitch, don't you agree?


Aida Sampler



Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart



Mottled Wool Scribble Cloth


It looks good in variegated thread. It looks good in different sizes. It looks good when stitched over an edge. It looks good when mirrored.

Wouldn't it look good if whipped? Wouldn't it look great with a bead or knot in the void of the triangle?

This is a great stitch for crazy quilting, 


Wednesday, 29 January 2025

WIPW - +10=250

 Work In Progress Wednesday can report another set of ten 


Hexablooms

which brings the total to 250.


New! Bookmarks

I have started on a series of bookmarks. This is the reverse...