Some Cards

Running stitch into holes on card, with detached button hole etc

Managed to make some cards after months of working towards it and accidentally sending off for card blanks several times. 

The initial ideas I had didn't work cos I still have difficulty with counted stuff cos of the memory difficulties - I have to recite everything, I don't retain the shapes. But am pleased with what I eventually managed. Am enjoying using the perlé threads I got off internet and using some bling. :-)

Especially chuffed with this idea of making holes in a circle, filling them with running stitch which is then the only bit which shows at the back so could be tidied up with a bit of whipped ribbon or drawing a string at the bottom like it's a balloon. Then detatched buttonhole stitch on the surface all the way round. Infact I did just one up and down detached bh on the inner and normal detached bh on the outside. The outer gives the neat edge and the inner gives a loop to be able to stitch into. All ends are hidden inside the bh. Lots of potential for fillings using needlelace and hedebo. Need to remember to have to have the threads which lace into the loops go in and out from the top of the loop not underneath - looks neater. Also for future ref useful to fix the threads in and out of loops with little knots like in lattice stitch or an up and down bh as it keeps the work more stable. Tho it does mean less tweakability later.

one up and down detached bh on the inner making a loop to thread into and normal detached bh on the outside

Basque Stitch, Detached chain, Fly Stitch, French Knots.

Basque Stitch, Detached chain,

Fly Stitch, French Knots

Herringbone Square, Detached Buttonhole

Herringbone Square, Detached Buttonhole

Beaded Detached Buttonhole

Scroll, Looped Cross, and Needlelace experiments

Scroll, Looped Cross, and Needlelace experiments

 Well, this has been fun to do. I saw some detached buttonhole stitch on some Stumpwork and thought it looked a bit messy so decided to try out the alternatives. Managed to do a row of plain, row of purl by doing the first part of up and down buttonhole as the up and the second rows as the down part of the stitch. Makes a nice neat pattern and smooth surface. So that's just loops. The hedebo stitch is loops with a twist. Lattice is one knot and detached up and down buttonhole is 2 knots. Chuffed with the effects. 

Must think more about the edges. Had to redo several times to get them even. Must do the same thing every time what ever that thing is. Used chain stitch to loop into. Buttonhole would be more tight but I knew I wasn't going to be doing any cutting out so took the easy way out. Probably need to whip round the outline to tidy it up another time.

Am still on my holiday from splitting up the threads. Feels very junior school to use just think threads but I can't do more till my health is better. Glad I've got this batch of cheap threads off the internet. Had fun using bright colours. Another time might rethink which colour to use for which stitch. Pale colour on widest stitch leaves too much pale and too much contrast. Doesn't ruin the piece, just a tweak.

I'm so daft, why didn't I just do little squares for trials ? Still I've learned about shaping and gradually expanding the stitches the further away from the middle.

Detached Buttonhole

Detached Up and Down Buttonhole

Hedebo Buttonhole

Lattice

Looped 6 Leg Cross Stitch Rose

Scroll Stitch

Diamond Stitch, Feathered Up and Down Stitch

"Double Choc with Sprinkles" : Diamond Stitch, Feathered Up and Down Stitch

Lol, went and researched Sprinkles on Google and copied the colours of the original British "Hundreds and Thousands" sprinkles. Got to get these things right :-) As usual this geometric stitch would be happier on counted fabric  but I did draw out my measurements to place to stitches. Working on having more even tension. Got the diamond stitch wrong at first doing loops to hold it working back to the left rather than knots. The knots makes a more precise diamond of course but is more fiddly to do.

Diamond Stitch with knots

Diamond Stitch with loops

Feathered Up and Down Stitch, beaded

Colour sampler so far.

Work in Progress

Mother's day card. 2013. Got glue everywhere !

The story so far. Starting on the sandy bottom in the corners. Have put the border on the bottom so can go over the edges. ps to self about tidying up that desk ?

Butterfly stitch couching holding down a net that had lemons in it. Does this look like seaweed ? Too bad, this is art lol :-)

Attempt at making cast on stitch scallop shells. Note, using alternating directions for the loops like macramé makes them lest twisty.

Knotted feather stitch seaweed.  Hmmm. I'm learning all the time. Needed a bit more bend to shape the rock a bit more. Not going to undo it tho, this is supposed to be playing.

Not sure what creature this is, but it's made with whipped wheel over a big bead. The beads are on the wheel right at the beginning. Wool is new to me. Interesting.

Drizzle stitch hermit crab eyes. Made me giggle anyway. Looped in alternate directions like macramé so they're not twisted.

Breton stitch

"An English Wayside" 

take-a-stitch-tuesday-stitch-59  is based on closed herringbone stitch, with a twist. 

I've done the border in cable chain, then with chain stitch linked into the outside of it, then whipped it with white for the blue sky with white fluffy clouds. 

It looks best if you stand away from it or screw your eyes up. I really enjoyed the stitching. The colours look much greener in real life.

These are the flowers I see most often when I manage to walk the dogs - well it's a French wayside, but it's my childhood memories in England too. The little Speedwells at the bottom hardly show, as often happens in real life, but they're so pretty they're one of my favourite flowers.

Sailors edge, Woven detached chain stitch

'Good Morning' TAST Stitch 57: Sailors edge
Stitch 58: Woven detached chain stitch

'Good Morning' 
Fancied sewing some cheerfulness :-) Got some Anchor threads cheap off internet so felt free to lay it on thick. Bit under the weather so allowed myself to use all 6 strands non separated and to use knots. Am pleased with the result. The leaves are just how I saw them in my head. The flower was going to be 3 flowers but it grew a laced basque stitch edge instead :-)

TAST Stitch 57: Beaded Sailors edge, bullion stitch, Stitch 58: Woven detached chain stitch, Whipped and Beaded Buttonhole Wheel, Laced Basque stitch,

Beaded Sailors edge, Woven detached chain stitch

Stitch 58: Woven detached chain stitch

 Whipped and Beaded Buttonhole Wheel,

 Laced Basque stitch,

bullion stitch

Laced Herringbone Square and Design Challenge

My daughter gave me these glass lens type things to play with. Here's the result. The Herringbone square with the looping on the left went a bit skew wiff. woops, I've tweaked it back into place now I've seen it on the photo of course.

Detail of heart shape. Detached chain with long leg inner. Triangular herringbone square holding.

Detail of circle. Detached chain inner, with beads. Knotted herringbone square. The border is beaded split stitch, whipped down each side.

Laced herringbone square. Learning curve about using the metallic threads.

Split stitch under layer, 3 times round, then tightly whipped. I had to experiment with ways to make the glass sit up enough to allow beads underneath. The hearts are embedded and the circles perch on the top.

Triangular Feather Stitch

 Triangular Feather Stitch

Stitch 52: Triangular Feather Stitch Sorry, the pic is a bit fuzzy. I used this weeks stitch to hold down the front of my shirt that gapes. Of course it's the fine material, nothing to do with the person inside it. lol. pleased with the effect.

Triangular Feather Stitch

I alternated the triangles - twos with ones to break up the line a bit. Funny thing, I haven't given this piece a name. Usually I get attached to what I'm working on and give it a name - maybe I had a utilitarian view of this one. I am wearing it as I write. I can remember as a child having names for all my frocks :-)

Raised Herringbone Band

'Red Herring Unwrapped'
Raised herringbone band.

Stitch 51: Raised Herringbone band. There, someone had to do the red herring! Been waiting ages for this stitch to come up to do one for my sea picture :-) Doesn't look much like a herring really but he's a cute little chap with a funny face and I 'm surprised by how much I like the herringbone on the satin stitch raised effect.  Not did the wrapping - it just didn't go.  Unwrapped - English joke - those who take their fish and chips in an open packet say they'll have them unwrapped. Groan :-)

Lace Experiment

'Cauliflower'. § Learning curve - don't bite off more than you can chew.

Knotted feather stitch

'Seaweed'

Knotted feather stitch seaweed. Design : the curve on the seaweed is making the rock look rounded (well in my eyes anyway). This is proving to be a much overloaded pic but it's doing what I wanted - making a place to play and enjoy different textures and use up some pretty things.The rest of the rock is not staying like that. To come - the sandy bottom !
Stitch 49: Knotted Feather Stitch

Basque Stitch looped with Chain stitch and Multiple Stitches

It wasn't right. Needed less weight in the leaves. I couldn't leave it be. :-) Learning curve : lot of light reflected in the thread. Need to chose the stitches to give priority to the bit of the pic that needs to be the most important, not just what stitch I fancied using. Balance. Border a bit wiggly but I was doing it for medicinal purposes and it worked. I am not allowed to unpick anything else on this pic. I'm playing and learning. The photo doesn't do justice to the shading on the leaves which I am just a little rather pleased with. Design learning curve. So many stitches the tag says it's too full :-) Nice that the stiches I've learned this last year have memories with them of what was happening and enjoying making the pics. But Must NOT make myself poorly having fun. Stitching a bit like eating chocolate :-) Used Basque Stitch for first time. Much prettier than I expected. Makes these droplet like loops. Will definitely use it again. Wasn't heavy enough to do justice to the pic so did chain stitch edge with loops round the base of the basque stitch line. It softened the straight line too making it more lacy. TAST 27: Basque stitch.

I'm stitching again :-) Only 6 weeks not being able to. Really chuffed. Done a doodle to use some stitches I've learned this year and others.

Chain Stitch, Detached Chain Stitch, Split Stitch, Straight Stitch, Stem Stitch, French Knot, Knotted Loop Stitch, Trellis Stitch, Fly Stitch, Sheaf Stitch, Buttonhole Wheel, Butterfly Chain, Pistil Stitch, Leaf Stitch, Buttonhole Stitch, Satin Stitch,

Learning Curve, a) leaves - however close together they are the stitches with a knot in will always leave a little hole so don't make a satin type cover.
                      b) design - Using solid stitches for some things and not for others means the solid ones reflect the light more and attract more attention so the leaves detract attention from the flower. I like all the elements, but I'll put them together differently another time.
                     c) it's so obvious now I say it but different textured stitches give different light and shadow.  Useful to take into account when planning the pic. Well, I thought I had, but there are nuances - the flat stitches on the petals give different light than the lumpy ones so I had to change the left hand petal from half chevron which is flat, even though the lines looked good, to the butterfly chain which stands up a bit more. The half chevron didn't seem flat till I outlined it.  Used the flatter stitches for the under petals to contrast with the lumpier main ones.

°Tone on tone, - I rather like.