Merry Christmas

I got inspired by Mary Corbet's small Christmas tree embroideries and decided to use some stitches from my collection to make two cards.

The fir tree on the blue card is made up of Beaded Alternating Feather (TAST #155).

The starry tree on the red card has a trunk of Corded Coral (SSS #46) and branches of Thorn Stitch (SSS #41).

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and Boxing Day.

Friday Revision Homework - Stitches 41 - 45

We have learned 45 stitches so far here at Sunday Stitch School. Today's homework shows the last five stitches in a Sunbonnet Sue sampler.

Like many little girls Sue dreamed of becoming a ballerina. For many years she practiced hard at the barré, did her pliés, forced her feet into toe shoes, stood en pointe, pirouetted and leapt across the stage in a grand jeté.
(Check out the lingo here).

At 15, Sue the prima ballerina, retired, behind an armful of flowers. Time to move on to other interests!

Sunday Stitch School - Revision: Stitches 41 - 45

Sunday Stitch School has been running for more than a year now. 45 stitches have been learned so far.

Once again it is time for another revision lesson to sum up the last five stitches, which have all been related to plants.

Click on the headline to see instructions and homework.

41 Thorn Stitch
Easy and quick, it adds a lot of 'spike' to a line.

42 Rambling Rose Stitch
It is just as lovely as a real rambling rose. This stitch, too, is quick and easy.

43 Moss Stitch
The moss stitch is named well, some species of moss really look like this!
Making the knotty part is a bit fiddly, but it is worth it as the knot stands out so well in the middle.
Work it in black and you have an insect instead.

44 Mille Fleur
Lazy Daisy, Lazy Diasy, Lazy Daisy.... give me your needle do, (and some thread, too) I'm half crazy all for the love of you....
It IS a lovely stitch, it WON'T drive you crazy, not even half crazy. Instead when used in a circle you have a nice flower.
What's more, you don't need to stitch while on a bicycle built for two!
(Lyrics)

45 Leaf Stitch
If you make a flower, you will most likely need a leaf, too. Here is a nice one.

Homework:

Use the five stitches above to full advantage on this Sunbonnet Sue sampler, already drawn and coloured with crayon.

Friday Homework for Lesson 41: Thorn Stitch

I have just fooled around with this week's homework of Thorn stitch.

First I added a few odd Thorn Stitches to this piece where I had previously worked Whipped Running Stitch and X-Ray Stitch.

 Secondly I pulled out some pieces and strands from my box of Challenge Threads, and couched them down with simple Thorn Stitches.

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 41: Thorn Stitch

Here we are again in the Biology classroom at Sunday Stitch School.
Take out your Flora and look at the Thorn Stitch.

Latin name: Suo Spinam
Japanese name: ソーンステッチ
Swedish name: Taggsöm
French name: Couchure au point d'épine

You need two threads, one to lay on the surface and another to couch it down, like this:

(Of course you can also use a braid, ribbon, wire or anything you want to couch down.)

Then couch it down with a 'cross stitch':

On the Aida sampler I used the same thread, and instead of a good contrast I got a nice 'barbed wire'!

Your
Homework
will be to add some Thorn Stitch to this sampler, which already feature X-Ray Stitch and Whipped Running Stitch.