TAST 2012 - PALESTRINA STITCH

The Palestrina stitching is to the right, the long, curving lines, and in the lower left going around the circle of cable chains.  I realize the colors are not yet interplaying, but they will as I work  future stitching and embellishing.  What I did attempt to do was add finer threads so the buttonhole wheels didn't get lost among the bolder stitches.  I got as far as adding a few cable chain fillers in pink floss and raspberry silk.  I'm not sure you can see from this picture but I whipped the light blue line of Palestrina with the lighter teal in an attempt to better integrate the colors.  What you're seeing here represents one corner of the background fabric, so there's plenty of room for, um, improved balance.

TAST 2012 - BUTTONHOLE WHEELS & CABLED CHAINS

Meanwhile I stayed current with the last 2 TAST stitches.  I worked these on a piece of cloth from previous experimentation.  If it looks familiar it's because I used a piece for the last TAST challenge.
It's a remnant from an old cotton, damask striped bedsheet.  I rusted it, let it mold and then painted with the same dyes you see in my Aida samplers.  The bronze markings are Shiva painsticks over rubbing plates.  It's a nice change to get away from the evenweave fabric.  This I can hoop if I need to and have the liberty to spiral and curve to my heart's content.

Buttonhole Wheels





Cabled Chains

TAST 2012 - CAUGHT UP!

No excuses here.  I've been lazy all spring.  When we got back from the beach in April I immediately dyed more Aida cloth with the genuine intention of stitching right along.  I think that was a respite week, so instead of stitching I knit and read.  That evenweave I'd left in the laundryroom to dry overnight remained there until about two weeks ago when I determined to get my embroidery act together.  Since I had 8 weeks of catch-up, it seemed prudent to keep the stitching short and simple.
Here it is and taking up about 2/3's of the third Aida piece.