TAST 2012 - HERRINGBONE STITCH

I started with three rows of herringbone worked in a variegated perle.  In the middle and at the end of the rows are examples of herringbone overlayed on herringbone, which helps to tack down the longer base threads and add a different design element.

The next was a couching experiment gone, um, not as planned.  The yarn was an interesting bit, very kinky, which I thought would be a cool way to use irregular herringbone.  As you can see the yarn got straightened while stitching over it.  I triple wrapped the x's of the herringbone in a contrasting color since the yarn texture and color really got lost.  Note to self after examining the stitches in close up:
use the same hole coming up and going back.

The flower petals are herringbone stitches in alternating color with cretan stitches oriented toward the center.  At that point I could see it as a feather headdress and was tempted...  Instead I filled the center with French knots and added a single herringbone to form that thingy where the stem begins.

I have space enough on the fabric for one more week.  I can hardly wait to get the next stitch so we can see how the whole thing looks!

See the exciting work of other participants in the Take a Stitch Tuesday Flickr Group
www.flickr.com/groups/56846286@N00/pool/with/6766637445/
We are in Week 5 of the challenge, not too late to join in!
www.pintangle.com/journal/category/take-a-stitch-tuesday

TAST 2012 - CRETAN STITCH

See the exciting work of other participants in the Take a Stitch Tuesday Flickr Group
 We are in Week 4 of the challenge, not too late to join in!

TAST 2012: Feather Stitch

I truly love feather stitch.  It meanders, spirals and can be linear.  And it's so graceful!  My favorite work with this stitch is the sampler I did for the original TAST.

TAST 2010 - WEEKS 38 - 44

Week 38 - Picot Chain Stitch

This is as much as I got done in the assigned week.  I kept thinking I would add something else or take something out, but I never got around to it, and now I don't remember clearly what I was trying to do.  I can see I worked a spiral, worked the chain with picots on either side, and worked the chain zigzag.

Weeks 39 and 40 - Buttonhole Picots

The background cloth is another piece of tea dyed dish towel.  The Watercolour shows up a little better than the Wildflower thread, but there's not much to see.  Sadly I didn't put a lot of time or thought into this assignment.  It was Thanksgiving week and I was juggling two overlapping online classes.  The picots are lost in the terry loops, and because they're placed randomly along the irregular lines, they're hard to spot anyway and not worth the effort IMHO.  I'll simply say the upward spikes have bullion picots and downward the chains. 

Weeks 41 - 44:  Checkered/Magic Chain, Woven Cross,

and Crossed and Plaited Feather Stitch

Magic Chain:  3 rows of chain just under TAST '10.

Woven Cross:  above and below the single line of beads.  I considered weaving the lettering which I added later, but ran out of time and steam.

Crossed Feather Stitch:  the top row, worked in Wildflowers.

Plaited Feather:  bottom rows.  If you look at the tangled center, you can maybe see I worked the plaited version between 2 rows of straight-sided feather stitch.

Even though my work was lackluster toward the end, I feel a sense of accomplishment for having completed the challenge and extreme gratitude to Sharon B for leading us through this wonderful learning adventure.  Tuesdays will not be the same without a new stitch to look forward to.  I'm thinking I might pick up the ones I missed in the original TAST challenge, and after that I'll probably tackle the Stitch Files.

You can view all of my TAST 2010 work here and original TAST here.

You can also view the photo pool for all TAST '10 participants here.

Join all of us at Stitchin Fingers, an international, online community for all manner of stitchery, fiber and needlework.

TAST 2010 - TURKMAN STITCH

TAKE A STITCH TUESDAY - WEEK 36 - TURKMAN STITCH

Sharon B was right in us this is an easy stitch and an attractive border as is.  However, I couldn't think of much else to do with it other than vary the stitch horizontally or vertically.  Here's what I did left to right:

1.  This looks like the traditional stitch and starts out that way, but if you look closely you'll see that after the first two stitches I lengthened the next two by one thread, then go back to the original and alternate from there.  I like this effect, gives a texture of crackle and looks somehow lacier.

2.  Started off normal, then a little zig-zag, then back to normal until I veer off to the left by changing the position of the first stitch.  You can see where I began the righthand diversion; the first stitch begins to the left of the last stitch in the upper, single column and covers the gap left by the top of the left branch.

The right branch experiments with horizontal variations.  I might have avoided the "nubs" if I had made the changes more gradual and by paying closer attention to the tension.

3.  Exactly like #1

4.  Upper portion of this column is worked evenly but more open.  Below I worked two side by side rows.

5.  Didn't want you to think the squiggles in Column 2 were mistakes.  Here's an entire column done zigzag style with random stitch length variation.

6.  The final column show a gradation in stitch length.

I don't particularly care for this stitch on its side, but I think vertically it doesn't make much difference upside down. 

See what other TAST'ers are doing on our Flickr site.

TAST 2010 - BUTTONHOLED DOUBLE CHAIN

WHERE CREEPIES CRAWL

AND SLITHERIES SLIME!!!!!



When you visit the tutorial for Take a Stitch Tuesday's 34th week, you'll see an example of a nice border.  But beware!  You can take this interesting stitch to other places.  I used a piece of wool felt for the background and let my needle go with perles , #3-#8, or two strands of floss. 

I'm thinking Halloween, but see what others are doing here .

TAST 2010 - SHELL CHAIN STITCH

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Week 32

 I love a stitch that meanders.  On its own it's about as exciting as a paper clip, which it can resemble when worked as a zig-zaggy line.  Fortunately for us, Sharon's sampler showed us the potential for wonderful texture with use of yarns and ribbons and inclusions.  This is why I went immediately to a burlap with loose enough weave to accomodate the funkiest of yarns.  As it turned out, I only used one , the soft lilac which is a knitted tube of gossamer fiber.

After laying down a few gentle curves, I experimented with a spiral and a simple, daisy style flower.  The gold rayon ribbon I used to weave as well as working the shell chain.  In the detail below you can see another flower with two rounds of shell chain stitch.

Here's a close up of that flower.  For the most part in this sampler I used perle cottons, #3 -#8, doubling some for bulkier effect.  The gold thread is an inexpensive one I bought on a large tube in a craft store.  It doesn't kink like some metallics and is very easy to sew with, although threading it is sometimes another matter.

TAST 2010 - RAISED CLOSED HERRINGBONE

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Week 31

Let's hear it for the threads!  I started in the center with the heaviest of the threads.  It is a #3 perle hand dyed in ametrine hues by Jane Van Keulen, a talented New Zealand artist.  The final round of tiny leaves and sprigs is hers also, a rayon floss I used double stranded.  It has spectacular sheen and variations of russet.  The four large coral-orange leaves were made with a single strand of  Caron's Watercolours.  They are followed with smaller leaves

stitched with a single strand of Stef Francis silk perle.  Finally the border uses 2 strands of Caron's Waterlilies and #11 seed beads.  The background is Belfast linen.

I was going for a medaillon effect so I found the center of the fabric and basted lines that would divide the work into eights and used those lines to center the leaves.  I was able to alter the shape of the leaves by varying the foundation stitches.  For example, the two foundation stitches for the largest leaves are the same length, but the reddish ones have a shorter upper stitch.  I realized if I began that upper stitch a little off kilter , I could get a slight curve for my leaf tips.

Although my design is symmetrically based, I tried to bring as much variety as I could.  I'm well pleased with the different colors and textures and wholeheartedly give credit to the threads!  Precision is for charted patterns.  I wanted my leaves, while "posed", to still suggest naturalness, and when imperfect stitches occurred I pretty much let them stay.

Don't forget to see what other participants are doing over on Flickr.

TAST 2010 - EASTERN STITCH

 Take a Stitch Tuesday, Week 2

Eastern Stitch

I wasn't very enthusiastic when I started this stitch, but the more I worked it the less rigid it became.  I could alter the appearance with tension, size and thread, and I found it could go in about any direction.  Take a good look at the bird; the stitches have been worked every which way: horizontally, vertically, diagonally, reversed direction, curved to outline, distorted to fill and taper.  With the exception of the outer border, bird legs, upper beak and eye, all the stitches are the Eastern. I had already stitched the outside border, but those X-stitches could just as well have been Eastern Stitch.

A note about the feed dish.  It's an old button, a 1/4 inch deep cup with scalloped edges.  The flat bottom is a 2-hole sew-through (no shank), which enabled me to stitch in the seed bead corn. Got to fatten the hen, you know.

The Eastern stitch tutorial and more information about TAST 2010

can be found here.  And you can see the work of other TAST participants here.





TAST 2010 - WOVEN TRELLIS & RAISED CHAINS



MY STORYBOOK DREAM

 
I sought a place to have my lunch
Beside a stream of tropical punch.

Fruits and berries came in handy,

But oh! those flowers made from candy.

'Neath leaves of green so sweet and minty

I rested my tummy full of plenty.

Leaning against the chocolate wood,

I tasted some bark and it was goooood.

Fluffy clouds of marshmallow cream

Floated past in my storybook dream.

When at last I woke from my nap,
I found this stitching in my lap.

TAKE A STITCH TUESDAY - WEEKS 27 - 29:  WOVEN TRELLIS and 2 VERSIONS OF RAISED CHAIN.  These links will take you to the tutorials for these stitches.  You can also visit the TAST Flickr Group Pool to view work by many participants.

All of the flowers are woven trellis with the exception of the one centered on the left; it is Version 1 of the raised chain as is the rainbow banner. The circle and scroll are Version 2.  A single strand of Caron Watercolours was used for the major elements, although the rainbow and border straight stitches are done with Caron Wildflowers, a single strand.  The accents on the flowers and other background stitches were rendered with Stef Francis silk or cotton perle.  

At this point I feel obliged to explain the poem.  I wasn't very happy with my woven trellis flowers, but they were better than the ones I ripped off another piece of fabric.  I didn't really want to work any more and decided to put a hold on the sampler until the next TAST.  I worked the two versions of raised chain, and still wasn't at all pleased with the look of the overall piece.  No wonder.  It was clearly hodgepodge and totally unacceptable to me.  I kept coming back to it and adding things, starting with the additions to the major flowers.  Before I added filler stitches I pondered for days about the big rainbow thingy.  I  knew it was a stream of something delicious fed by a soda spring.  But how could anybody looking at the stitchery connect to my childlike fantasy.  So I wrote the little poem to convey the imagery to the viewer, not so much that I thought viewers would be clueless , but more to my thinking the sampler couldn't stand on its own.  I like this stitched piece now.  It makes me happy and evokes memories from the naive imagination of my childhood when my mother read me stories about candylands, sausage trees, lemonade seas and popcorn snorting dragons and Shirley Temple sang about the Good Ship Lollipop.





TAST 2010 - SIENNESE STITCH

                                       Take a Stitch Tuesday, Week 24
The Siennese stitch may look like a cross stitch, but it is constructed quite differently.  Click on the link above to see the tutorial.  There is a twist in the thread at the center that provides texture to the stitch, but it's difficult to see when rendered in a dark thread or in a smallish stitch. 

I experimented with 11 different threads and yarns to make the Siennese stitches.  You can see I've used them as individual, pattern grouping, and couching stitches.  I think the background is a 28 ct. lugana.  The grid-thingy is a piece of latch hook canvas that I dyed.  Here's another orientation. 

Take a look at how other participants are interpreting the TAST stitches!

TAST 2010 - TRIPLE & WAVED CHAINS

Weeks 22 and 23 of Take a Stitch Tuesday - chain stitch variations.  Not much to say here; the stitches were easy to work and and afforded some interesting possibilities for change.  With the triple chain I played with the orientation of the side chains and then placed the triads in different arrangements.  The zig-zag one doesn't show up well; I should have used two strands of floss to stand up to the #5 perle.  I worked this pattern using two needles.

The wreath is made from two different variegated green threads, but I did not work the leaves in pairs.  I worked stitches in one color first and then filled in with the other.  The two vertical lengths of waved chain are similar and used the same double strands of floss.  In the skinnier one I work each bottom stitch through the same hole.

A word to thank all of you who read my blog and take time to leave much appreciated comments.  I am not ignoring you!  I do love to look at your work and leave feedback and hope to resume that practice again.

TAST 2010 - BUTTONHOLE WHEEL CUP

Ole!  Week 20 of Take a Stitch Tuesday:  buttonhole wheel cups.   I started with wheels that were too large  to create, say, a lily of the valley blossom, but I still managed some variations using the basic technique.  I forgot to take a pre-embellishment scan; it would have made descriptions easier.  I did like it plain, and could easily have filled in with small cups and partial fans. I'll explain each flower starting at the top and from left to right:

Row 1: 

1)  Large yellow wheel with picot edging and woven spokes (2 spokes up, 2 down).  thread is a variegated perle (DMC, I think). 

2)  Coral wheel, worked from the inside and pulled tautly to create spikes on the outsidew (most are covered).  Thread is one strand of Caron Watercolours.

3)  Large rainbow colored wheel (Caron Wildflowers "Tahiti").  It's a little hard to see, but there are 2 ruffled edgings.  After completing the first buttonhole round, I began another toward the inside.

4)  Multi wheel with buttonhole worked from the outside as shown in Sharon's tutorial.  This wheel had 16 spokes.  I first tried wrapping them four at a time, but the resulting triangles were not even .  For the do-over I wove up and down four spokes at a time.  I tried changing the up and down positions about halfway, but it looked untidy.  I left it as you see and put a French not in the center.  The thread is another Wildflower colorway.

Row 2 

1)  Small Tahiti wheel, edging to the center.

2)  This wheel has lots of increases in the first couple of rows, then I started decreasing to pull the edging toward the center.  It's like a pouch.  I could stuff it and gain more dimension.  I think it resembles an upside down Rasta cap with its Carribean colors.

3)  Small yellow wheel gets it bumpy texture from working 3 buttonholes in one stitch then 1 in the next.  It is worked from the inside toward the center, the same as the 3 coral wheels. 

4) Coral wheel, see above.

Row 3

1)  Coral wheel, see above.

2)  This is worked like #4 in the first row, except there are 14 spokes, the weaving over 2 spokes at a time.  One round of buttonhole edging.

Now I'm off to pack.  I'm taking a quicky trip to CA to see my dad who is now home after several weeks of hospitalization.  It's a brief visit between DH's chemo treatments.  I'm pleased to say both gentlemen are doing well, and so am I.  I'll be working on Week 21 out there!

TAST 2010 - ITALIAN KNOTTED BORDER STITCH

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Week 16.  The Italian knotted border stitch looks deceptively like the knotted fly stitch.  Once you work it, though, you realize the major difference is where the knot lies.  In the Italian knotted stitch, the knot, specifically a French knot is formed outside  and below the "V".  In knotted fly, the knot is created in the V before adding the stem.  In other words, the French knot is the stem in the Italian version.

I began in the center with a single French knot, around which I placed 4 Italian knotted stitches, knots inward.  Then over each leg I worked the same stitches knots facing outward this time, and I worked in an extra stitch wherever there was a gap. Next I  worked stitches knotted outwards , beginning the legs from the previous row of knots.  The I worked a round of overlapping stitches.  This inner "flower" was done with two strands of silk floss.  I switched to a single strand of Watercolours and worked a circle of French knots around the flower.
From those knots I worked a round of Italian knotted stitch, knots outward and surrounded by two lines of laced running stitch.  The final border is comprised of pairs of Italian knotted stitches worked knot to knot, French knots in between.

TAST 2010 - LADDER STITCH

Week 15 - Ladder Stitch was love at first try.  It can be worked in a very orderly fashion.  Even better it can be varied both vertically and horizontally, shaped, worked solo or side by side.  But best of all can be woven leading to myriad other possibilities.  Here is a stitch I can play with.  I was delighted  with this little bit from my doodle cloth.   At first glance I thought it was pretty cool just as an abstraction.  Maybe it's all the Zentangling I've been doing lately; I sense a hint of 3-D perspective.

I didn't have too much in mind for my sampler other than a composition of grids.  It was when I started weaving in parrot colorway that the idea of feathers arose, and next came the challenge to see if I could build an avian shape with just ladder stitch.   This is what I came up with free stitching (no pattern or outline).  I think it's recognizeable as a bird?

Although I'm through with this for now, I seriously thinking of going Crafty Chica and adding sequins & beads to the background.  Pity you can't really catch the glitter cord sparkle.

TAST 2010 - RAISED CUP STITCH

OMG is that background what I think it is?  It is if you're thinking towel!  I made a batch of Earl Grey tea stain the other day and couldn't just pour the leftover down the drain.  What was handy was a threadbare dish, er, tea towel I'd used as a blotter from my last dye session.  "I wonder what it would be like to stitch on?", I mused as I stuffed it into the Pyrex measuring cup that held the tea.  As soon as the towel was rinsed and dried I found out.

I finished Week 12 early, so I was happy to keep my fingers from wriggling in anticipation of  Monday Night and the latest TAST temptation.  I worried (not really, this was a rag!) about embroidery needles and sharp points catching on  tiny, terry loops, but since the velour finish had long ago worn away from the printed front side, the fabric was very giving and yielded to my large tapestry/yarn needles with ease.  For this sampler I ended up using only #5 perle cottons and fingering weight wool/silk yarns.

About 2/3's down I started a line of twisted chain.  I wanted a little more height so I layered a second row right on top. You can see I got much better dimension with yarn seen in the single layer of twisted chain below (brown).  The gray line is knotted buttonhole stitch threaded with a piece shiny raffia, probably something that once tied up a package.  Seems like I had just gotten down that charcoal line of Sorbello than twas time to download Week 13, Raised Cup Stitch!  Am I the only one who has a pavlovian response to Sharon B's challenge posts?

I got all of those raised cups stitched waiting in a doctor's office for DH.  They are all worked with the silk & wool yarns.  I love their organic shapes, how they flop and smoosh together.  The white one in the center  is an example of decreasing to make the cup turn inward.  The coppery bit you see are "stamens" emanating from a French knot.  I added irregular cretan stitching awaiting DH's lab work the next day, routine medical, btw.  I was satisfied that that finished the upper portion, but had to experiment a bit to get the rest as you see below.

I tried couching down some pussy willow yarn, had a little spiral going, but the color seemed to light.  I made it worse by weaving in a darker yarn.  Ugh.  Check out the raised cup centers, wooden and agate beads too big, faux pewter spacer beads.  No, no, no.  Too fussy.  Not in keeping with the rustic look I wanted.

What was I thinking?  That thing ,btw, is a freeform crocheted motif that's been waiting around forever to unite with its  kind to become a scrumble.

So I end up with unfilled cups and graduated French knots on the bottom.  Swapped out some of the beads in the other row with French knots --  and

a bullion (white cup on the left!).

And now a sort of tutorial.  Working the raised cup stitch reminded me of a motif I learned a few years back on the CQ Embellishers forum.  I was thrilled to make it, especially since I hadn't learned any fancy stitches.  The other Embelles used this effectively as sea anenomes in some of their wonderful underwater fantasies.  The motif is so simple, it really doesn't require illustration.

Thread a tapestry needle with yarn or chunky thread.  I find this easiest to do on my left index or little finger, but a pencil could be used instead.   Begin at the top finger joint and wrap the yarn upwards about four times, covering the tail as you go.  Wraps should be loose enough for you to work the needle underneath.  Pass the needle downwards behind the wraps, holding the top coil with another finger.  Now work around buttonhole stitch around, pushing the

stitches close together.  When the round is completed, weave in the end.  You now have a little ring motif you can stitch to your work and embellish with beads.  I used to like to make these using a funky variegated yarn, sparkly and frizzy.  They can also be used to make little nests as in the example below

This is from my project for Sharon Boggan's Encrusted Crazy Quilting class.  If  you haven't tried one her courses, you do not know what you're missing.  They are outstanding and comparable to a semester of study complete with textbook. 

TAST 2010: BULLION BUTTONHOLE

The stitch for the 11th week of our Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge is suitable for a variety of applications.   In terms of CQ seam treatment, I doubt it can be beat in its potential for embellishment since the combinations of stitch variations with sequins, beads, ribbons, buttons, charms and other threads seem limitless.  The bullions (and mine are hardly exemplary) require time and patience but are so worth the effort.

I used a piece of Procion dyed Aida and worked my samples as they might appear over a seam, but certainly they provide enough interest and texture to be included in a contemporary embroidery project.  In the first row I used #12 silk perle from Vikki Clayton; I've had this for some years and I doubt she stocks it anymore.  I worked the buttonhole upwards and downwards in one pass.  I varied the height of the bullions but kept the variations symmetrical.  I left spacing for additional embellishment like buttons or flower beads, but I opted to try a little SRE, a loose French knot (aka Montano knot) and a petal.  I filled all the spaces but it was too much, and you can see where I didn't take time to scratch over the stitch holes.  On reflection I deem the SRE here out of proportion with the more delicate stitch size.  A poor choice, but I just wanted to get an idea.  For the record, all the bullions were straight; several got ruffled though when I removed the silk ribbon stitching.  I actually like a version that would be more relaxed with some of the bullions drooping, not sloppy, just an occasional irregularity.

 The second element is comprised of two rows of bullion buttonhole worked close together and then laced with a decorative cord.  Space is left between the bars of bullion for additional embellishment.  Ribbon or some other thread or yarn could easly be threaded under those bars.  The basic thread here and in the next pattern are both single strands of Caron Watercolours.  I'll talk about the cord in a minute. I wanted to add, I really like the way some of the bullion clusters nestle and curve together.  Another time I would try to make them all appear like that, a softer, less rigid look.

The final section is again two rows worked in a curve with a little more space between them.  I thought a line of beads worked as a center row would be pretty.  You're surely aware that were this to be a finished decorative project I'd probably have beads all over the place, especially crowning those bullions.

What I did instead is run the cord under the bullion rows, and it's a shame it's not showing up that well because it is a sublime thread!

Glitter cord it's called, and I found it in a fiber art store in Christ Church , NZ.

I bought a couple of skeins and hoarded them until recently when I discovered I could purchase more and so much more directly from the artist, Jane Van Keulen.  When you visit her website, take time to peruse her gallery and see her lovely work.  Back to the Glitter cord.  Jane's colorwork is scrumptious.  That alone would be enough, but this cord has additional properties of being soft and almost sensuously slinky the way it drapes over hand and fingers.  It's too bad the sparkle doesn't show up in these pix. 

TAST 2010 - CLOUD FILLING

I found this Week 10's stitch could be light and airy, make a linear statement of its own, a wonderful seam treatment with unlimited possibilities for embellishment.  This little sampler was stitched on a piece of woven raw silk, very burlap-looking, that I dyed with saffron for a recent class at Quilt University with Marjie McWilliams.

I really liked the way Row 1 turned out.  I made the foundation bars with two side by side stitches, but because of the looseness and irregularity of the background weave it looks like I stitched little v's. For the first layer of lacing I used #5 perle in yellow, and because it doesn't stand out on its own, I added a second layer by lacing through the center bars only and going under the background thread directly below the top bars and above the bottom bars.  The result is like a row of spiders, and I think I'm going to have to file this idea away for a future CQ or Halloween project.                                                    The detail to the right shows how I vertically worked this next segment  .  Obviously it was a waste of time because the stitching looks the same on its side!  Two strands of metallic floss were used for lacing.  The sparkle seems to have gotten lost.  Below left is a closeup of the lace yarn I used.  If I pulled it taut I would just have a line of navy; however, the looseness and ease of the yarn made it possible for me to pouf  it  out.  If this section looks uneven, it is.  I laid out the foundation bars in a gentle wave.  The the rows of stitching are parallel, so the lacing follows the undulation.  A less bulky yarn would have shown this better.      The fourth segment is an experiment that didn't work for me here with my choice of lacing yarn, a tweed, cabled cotton in a heavy worsted weight.  My plan began with the base of detached chains with the tack-down stitches pointing inwards to accomodate a  second lacing.  Nothing I had on hand provided enough contrast, so I left it bare, and although it begs for further embellishment in the center, you can see the design I was going for with the graduated spacing of upper and bottom chain stitches.  Here the center anchors are beads which stay in a straight line unlike the beads in the previous section which parallel the top and  bottom rows.

The final section of the sampler shows top and bottom row anchors as bullion stitches.  I am definitely not proud of these.  They have a rather gnarly appearance mainly because of insuffienct wraps.  I used beads again for the center row.  I would have used them to help camoflauge or tidy up the bad bullions, but I didn't want to waste the beads.  Lesson learned.                                                       

TAST 2010 - RAISED HERRINGBONE BAND

For these weekly studies I rarely plan a design first.  If the stitch is new to me, I practice the basics on a doodlecloth .  When I can grasp the mechanics of the stitch, I don my thinking cap then may or  may not scribble down  the variations I come up with.  From  this point I pretty much work spontaneously, although I do strive for a reasonably balanced composition.   I'm no stranger to the frog pond.  Sometimes experiments fail or need to be further modified.

  

This stitch was somewhat deceptive in that it changed with each layer. Combinations of threads and yarns I thought would work, didn't always.

I started with scraps of onion skin dyed Aida and cheesecloth.  I think scrappy, shabby and rough were in the back of my mind.  Generally I begin with what I deem will be the largest of stitch elements.  In this case it's the shaggy diagonal.

Instead of a satin stitched foundation I used a piece of oversized,  faux suede ric-rac.  I centered the herringbone over the zigs and zags and then wove in the chenille yarn.  Next was the light blue diagonal in #8 perle.  The herringbone is worked in silk/wool yarn, and the lacing is cotton suede.  I used the same yarn for the satin stitches on the curvy diagonal that intersects the ric-rac bar.  This element was intended to show curves and irregular foundation width.  Blue herringbone with French knots are two strands of cotton floss which is then woven with a strand of Vikki Clayton's silk perle from her dragon series.  I don't know if she still produces this color, but it's been one of my faves and now I'm out of it because I used it liberally throughout this sampler.  You can see it clearly in the unembellished, uneven satin diagonal in the lower left and echoed in the two vertical curves of satin foundation on either side of the big spiral.  Those two have cotton perle (#10 or#12) herringbone and then laced with strands of eyelash yarn (those are the brown strings you see in the picture, some of which are copper metallic).  What's really neat, to me, is the way the lashes arch and hang over adding a third dimension to the sampler.  A shame that effect doesn't show up in the scan (how could it, the lashes are all smooshed down!).  I later worked the same dragon perle as a running stitch border line before fringing the background fabric.

The large spiral is worked in Caron watercolours .  It stands "naked" because nothing I tried worked over it to my liking.  Ditto its counterpoint circle in the lower right.  This leaves the, um, motif in the upper right.  The horizontal brown bars are #8 cotton perle, as are the vertical blue ones.  Just for fun I wove one of the intersections.  Herringbone is worked over and beyond the horizontal bars in Caron wildflowers (same color as the spirals) and laced with an elastic  cotton yarn that's nubby with metallic copper flecks.

I encourage readers to discover how other participants explore the  TAST2010 stitches.  Please visit our Flickr  group site.

 

    

                                                                                         

TAST 2010 - FANCY HEM STITCH

WEEK 8 - FANCY HEM STITCH

This stitch was easy to work and offers endless possibilities for variance and additional embellishment like weaving or beading. For this sampler I let the lines of stitches stand on their own, as I wanted the colorplay to be evident.

The background is another swatch of hand dyed cotton. The color is a yellow orange with mottles of burnt orange. The threads are all DMC #5 perle, except for the variegated ones which are Caron's Watercolors.
Mostly I experimented with stitch size and number of wraps. Here's what I did starting from the top:

Row 1 - Smaller stitches, with foundation lines close together with maximum wraps around the bars.

Row 2 - Same as first row except fewer wraps.  I  discovered with stitches this small I was able to keep the   wrap thread entirely on the surface.

Row 3 - Slightly larger length and distance between foundation stitching.  With moderate number of wraps the diamond  and "x" are apparent, offering perfect placement for beads.

Row 4 - Stitches are the same length as 3, but foundation lines are further apart and wraps are limited to 2.

Row 5 - Here I laid down 3 foundation lines not too far apart.  I alternated lines wrapped in each stitch; ie, wrapped lines 1 and 2 the first half of the stitch, then switched to wrapping 2 and 3.  Alternating wraps opens the possibility for additional patterning.  I worked mine to form a zigzag.

Row 6 - Varying the height of each stitch.  I imagine this could be worked with greater irregularity for an abstract or distorted look.  To keep wrap tension even I was limited to the number of wraps per stitch.  I realized a problem when I had finished; some of the threads coming and going from the cloth beneath the wraps show.  I'm thinking about ways the larger stitches could be embellished.  An "X" over the wraps, partially wrapping or faux wrapping the wraps, lacing different fibers or ribbon are some of my ideas.

Rows 7 & 8 - Show the stitch can handle at least a gentle curve.

I have not stitched the sampler onto the sangria fabric, and the knotted snippets are not attached.  I just laid them there for effect.

You can see samplers from other TAST participants (at least 200 from all over the world) at the group Flickr site.