I had planned to stitch on several WIPs (work in progress), but 'life got in the way', so my list had to be cut a bit.
However, I enjoyed working on two things related to Sunday Stitch School: this week's homework and the indigo stitch sampler.
Here is the reverse side of the latter:
I've had a rather productive week - I've stayed at home as much as possible to avoid the heat, and thus have had time to stitch.
Here is my Work In Progress Wednesday report.
Mandala
All four areas have been filled with Colonial Knots.
I started looking for a braid or something suitable to add... more on that next week.
Sunday Stitch School Indigo Stitch Sampler
Here are #304 Single Knotted Cable Chain (red), #305 Kalem Stitch (green) and #306 Whipped Back Stitch (light blue with orange and purple).
Hexablooms
I picked out 40+ blocks in grey, black, blue, wine red, purple and green. These were then arranged the way I wanted.
I also stitched a piece of paper on each one with the coded placement.
Baby Quilt
I appliquéed on a few blue circles, by machine, and then quilted the pieced blocks.
Binding
I made a long roll of binding by stitching together 6 cm x 11 cm pieces. Part of this roll will be used for the baby quilt.
Just a quick reminder that tomorrow, July 30, is World Embroidery Day.
Don't forget to take a stitch!
According to Arts & Design, where I found today's stitch, it is one used for Hardanger. Be that as it may, I will use it for free form embroidery and on any fabric with a good grid.
The stitch is called Irregular Algerian Eyelet Star Stitch. The graph with stitch order can be seen at Art & Designs website. Search under the initial I.
Below you can see my own graph and some work-in-progress photos:
Odd numbers are along the outside, and
even numbers are all inserted in the middle hole.
If you select a fabric with obvious holes, like Aida,
the counting is easy.
Use a stiletto to open the hole in the middle to accommodate
all the thread that needs to pass through that hole..
Come out at the edges and go in in the middle.
half way in no time.
Homework:
Let the Irregular Algerian Eyelet Star Stitch light up these samplers.
This stitch is much easier than it first appears.
Aida Sampler
Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart
Mottled Wool Scribble Cloth
I used tapestry wool and got a nice pile. The loops on the right have been cut, the ones on the left are intact.
Another Wednesday has popped up. Why so soon and from where? I will never understand time!
Hexablooms
Totally, there are now 84 hexagon blocks joined together.
No work has been done in the past week.
Let's start the set of five new stitches with a loopy one - Astrakhan Velvet Stitch, or just Velvet Stitch for short.
It belongs to the Loopy Family together with #93 Rya Stitch and #248 Surrey Stitch.
I recommend two internet sites for instructions: Royal School of Needlework or Deanna Hall West's article in Piecework Magazine, where she shows no fewer than seven different ways to do the stitch!
Or you could follow my photo instructions, which I based on The Embroidery Stitch Bible.
Place a pin below the actual stitch line to wrap the loops around.
Phew! I finished my homework with less than half an hour to spare - soon it will be Saturday here in Japan.
On the internet, I found an illustration which I thought would make a good Sunbonnet Sue.
Work In Progress Wednesday.
The past week has been about starting two new projects (a stitch sampler and a quilt), restarting an old UFO (The Mandala) and of course, continuing with the ongoing quilt (Hexablooms). A bit of garment adjustment was also achieved.
Hexablooms
I added more floral blocks in purple. In total, 75 blocks are joined together. It's getting difficult to photograph...
Mandala
Here is the restart of a shelved UFO. I added more Colonial Knots to the Mandala. Two out of four sections like this are filled.
New! Sunday Stitch School Indigo Stitch Sampler
This is a new stitch sampler for the remaining and future Sunday Stitch School stitches.
I added #301 Wreath Stitch, #302 Triangular Bullion Stitch, and #303 Tacked Herringbone Stitch.
Next month, a friend of mine will become a grandmother, and I want to welcome the Little One with a simple quilt.
There will be pieces of scraps from my stash in it, but I needed a piece of cotton big enough for the larger area and the back. Off I went to a fabric shop where I selected a print with pink cherry blossoms and the traditional Japanese wave patterns.
Step number two will be to give it a good press with a hot iron, before cutting it into the desired parts.
Modifying Clothing
A young family member came with a request: "Aunty Queenie, please shorten this secondhand T-shirt I bought online".
My nephew had bought a T-shirt marked size L. Made in the US, it was considerably larger than a Japanese L-size, especially in length. When my nephew modelled the T-shirt, I thought he was wearing a dress.
Out came my Elna sewing machine and the presser foot for "Super Overlock Stitch". In the manual, it says: "This industrial inspired overlock stitch is excellent for assembling and finishing fabrics together in one step. Apply ribbings to knits and garment retains its shape. Elna invented this stitch in 1982."
I haven't worked with knits or overlocking in a long time, but the machine delivered a good result.
Sorry, no photo was taken.
