This stitch is not difficult to stitch, but it IS hard to keep the loose thread loops fixed at the same height. As soon as possible, please paint the stitch line on the reverse side with an agent that will stiffen and fix the line in place. I used water-diluted bond, but you can also use clear nail varnish or something similar.
Aida Sampler
Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart
Red Silk Kimono Scribble Cloth
Work In Progress Wednesday reports on a good reason to celebrate. Look at Hexablooms, below:
Hexablooms
I have made the final hexagon piece.
Here is the list of things yet to do:
1) join the blocks together into a long 'snake' = row #17
2) add the long snake to row #16, and the flimsy will be complete
3) stitch on a turn-over binding edge for the backing.
4) sandwich with batting and backing, or think of a creative new idea for the back...
5) quilt with embroidery stitches, using metallic thread
6) embellish the white pieces with something metallic
7) add some form of hanging sleeve
78) display on the wall
What year shall we set the goal at? 2027 or 2028?
Sashiko Kitchen Cloth
The cloth is slowly gaining stitches, a small step at a time.
Sunday Stitch School Indigo Sampler
I found the Looped Stem Stitch among Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials.
Simply by its name, it is not hard to imagine how to make the Looped Stem Stitch and what the result looks like. Just in case, have a look at either Sarah's link above or my picture tutorial below.
If you feel you have seen a similar stitch, you are not wrong. From Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials, we previously learned #259 Raised Seeding Stitch
Homework:
Add to the three samplers
I have now compared the #43 Moss Stitch and the #371 Cross and Twist Stitch. I find that the latter is far easier to perform.
Aida Sampler
Red Silk Kimono Scribble Cloth
Work In Progress Wednesday and World Embroidery Day Progress.
World Embroidery Day
Last week Thursday was World Embroidery Day, when we celebrate the joy of stitching.
I filled in one block on the Canvas Sampler with #360 Basket Filling Stitch in blue.
Three floral blocks were completed. Look carefully at the picture and you can see S17, T17 and U17,
Row 17 is the last row, and what remains now is to make the flowers: # V, W, X, Y, Z and Aa. So six more blocks, and then they are all done!
Today we will start a new set of five stitches. The first one is a close relative to a stitch we learned nine years ago, in 2017 - the #43 Moss Stitch. Click on the link to see the instructions for it.
What we are learning today is the #371 Cross and Twist Stitch. The name tells you it is a crossed stitch. Printed instructions can be found in Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches.
The first part of both stitches is done in the same way - an individual cross. The cross is then given a third arm, which is tied into a knot in the middle, and here is where they differ; see the difference in a picture at the bottom of the post. Finally, the needle is taken to the back.
It sounds more complicated in written form than in pictures, so let's have a look at these photos:
third leg in a contrasting thread/colour/weight.
Play around with the Cross and Twist Stitch on the various samplers.
If one stitch is called Balloon Stitch and another Whipped Stem, it is easy to come up with a design idea for this Sunbonnet Sue stitch sampler - child's play.
Sunbonnet Sue is about 10 or 11 years old and enjoys her new striped hula hoop and the quaint balloons. One is like a woven rose, while the two others are square-ish and could be taken for kites...
The Colcha Stitch made a very nice stretchy top that clings to Sue's skinny body. What happened to her puppy fat?
The same stitch made beautiful hair and a ponytail. The rest of the hair was woven into a Spider's Web bun.
I quite like the Single Wave Stitch for her skirt. The waves make the skirt swing.
I hope you have remembered that July 30th is World Embroidery Day. Let's all take a few, or a LOT of, stitches today.
For the background of World Embroidery Day and inspiration, why not have a look at Piecework Magazine's article.
I am celebrating by working on two projects, one is the Canvas Sampler, which is old and one I am lagging behind with.
HAPPY STITCHING!
Work In Progress Wednesday. As I recovered strength, I managed to speed up my stitching progress.
Hexablooms
I have now stitched row 16 securely to the flimsy. Sorry, no photo.
Furthermore, I have made 18 new blocks for Row 17. SOON, I will have made all the Hexablooms I need for the tapestry - 459.
I was even able to complete the Sunbonnet Sue sampler! The full picture and details will be shown on Friday.
It was good to take a week off! The heat is hard to beat, but I am feeling much better now.
So, let's get on with our revision of the latest five stitches. Click on the title to get to the instructions.
This is also known as Woven Wheel and is useful when you have bulky threads that can't easily go through the fabric, but slip smoothly over and under the spokes of a wheel.
The same goes for this stitch. For the basic Stem Stitch, you need to have a reasonably smooth thread. For the whipping part, where the thread only goes over and under the foundation stitch and does not pierce the fabric, you can use about any thread you like, however troublesome.
Here is a Canvas stitch that can make a nice chessboard if only stitched in two colours, or you can play around with a number of shades for a more colourful look.
This is the single version of #355 Double Wave Stitch.
was traditionally used to assemble blocks of wool fabric and then decorate it with embroidery motifs. The result would be a thick and warm bedcover or blanket.
It is a self couching stitch without the strict rules for even placement, angle and length of the couching stitches of its relatives, the #36 Rumanian Stitch, #50 Bayeux Stitch and #82 Bokhara Couching Stitch.
Homework: Make a picture where Sunbonnet Sue is making good use of the stitches.
