Friday Revision Homework - Stitches: 141 - 145

 Sunbonnet Sue has lost her bonnet - it blew out to sea when she was on-board a cruise ship. 

Sue's Chopstick Stitch dress took a long time to stitch. I marked the even weave fabric with erasable pen as there were no holes or grid in the weave to guide me. I like how the unevenness in the pattern make the dress flutter in the wind.

As for the life buoy, well the Raised Daisy Stitch is a real glutton, gobbling up both thread and time.

Personally I love Sue's stylish hair, the Feathered Zig-zag Stitch is upside down, but looks great as windswept hair. Thank you, Rachel for this stitch.

A linear stitch was needed for the railing and I was happy to have  the Ainu Running Stitch, Ieshininninu Chieshirokochu for that. 

Roll Chain Stitch became a belt.

Outlines for Sue's body and dress, and the shoes, were made with Stem Stitch.

Sunday Stitch School - Revision: Stitches 141 - 145

Time to have another look at the last five stitches, and make a summery Sunbonnet Sue sampler.

Click on the titles to see my instructions and homework for each stitch.

141 Feathered Zig-zag Chain Stitch

This is a good example of how we can invent new stitches. Rachel of Virtuosewadventures made this useful and funny one - linked paper clips or plants, maybe.

142 Ieshininninu Chieshirokochu Stitch 

This is a good example of how we can learn from other cultures. The indigenous people of Hokkaido, northern Japan, the Ainu, use this stitch for their costumes, as I learned from this book, by Sanae Ogawa.

143 Chopstick Stitch

This is a good example of how we can benefit from reading stitching blogs. Shannon of Badasscrossstitch posted good instructions for this beautiful canvas stitch.

144 Raised Daisy Stitch

This is a good example of how to play with stitches. Mary Corbet of Needle 'n Thread's section of Stitch Fun is full of inspiration for how to play with and transform basic stitches.

145 Roll Chain Stitch

This is a good example of how good photos and videos can bridge language barriers. The Japanese text on Miharu's　'えっ？こんな刺繍ができちゃうの！？' blog or the Indian narration on several YouTube videos cause no barrier when the images are clear.

Homework:

Make another scene from one of Sunbonnet Sue's adventures using these five stitches.

Friday Homework for Lesson 142: Ieshininninu Chieshirokochu Stitch

It was far easier to do the homework than to learn the name of this Ainu stitch.

Aida Sampler

Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart

Teal Wool Tailoring Scribble Cloth

This stitch is easy and fast, but do make the Running Stitch rather long and that you use two threads of different colours so the contrast of the over stitching becomes clear.

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 142: Ieshininninu Chieshirikochu Stitch

Today our stitch adventures take us to the Japanese northern island of Hokkaido to look at Ainu culture.
You can read all about this ethnic group indigenous to Japan, and Russia (Shakhalin) here.      

Some years ago I bought a book, written by Sanae Kogawa (小川早苗) about the beautiful garments of The Ainu.

Apart from pictures of the stunning robes, the book contains good instructions for the complicated process of making fabric from the soft inner bark of the Elm tree.
Also on how to appliqué beautiful patterns with cotton fabric on top of the elm tree weave, and how to add decorative embroidery stitches.

My friend Pamela of Hokkaido Kudasai and her stitch group have started on a small embroidery project. I felt it was time for me too, to make use of the stitches.

Today's stitch is in Ainu language called I E SHI NIN NI NU    CHI E SHI RI KO CHU. It is a bit long and difficult for me, so I will give it the nickname of Ainu Running Stitch. Any complaints, let me know.

Yes, you start with a Running Stitch,
preferably of long stitches.
With a thread of contrasting colour,
come out just below the middle of the first
stitch (on the right).

Insert the needle right above the 

stitch, and take a slanted 

stitch as shown in the picture.

Take a new slanted stitch,

thereby making a 'fake' whipped

stitch.

Continue in the same way
to the end of the line.

 Isn't it a beautiful overstitched Running Stitch?

Your 

Homework 

will be as usual: Add stitches to these samplers