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.

SKETCHING WITH JANE LA FAZIO

I don't know how to draw!  There, I've said it.  I feel like a book club member who confesses she's illiterate.  I never learned to draw.  I know it is an acquired skill that takes careful observation, patience and practice, lots and lots of practice.  I don't think I ever wanted to learn (well, there were early issues, but we won't be visiting them), never really thought I needed to learn to draw.   I scribbled when I had to and got it over with as quickly as I could.

I began this blog as a journal of my creative endeavors.  I took a Joggles class from Sharon Boggan called Studio Journals: A Designers Workhorse.  As with any Sharon B enterprise, I highly recommend it.  I'm actually still working through the course and have several art journals going and new interests in mixed media and paper arts.  Cutting to the chase, these working art journals contain scribblescrawlies where there should be nice sketches.  No one will ever see them, but I'd like them to look more, more...  artful.

When Joggles published their fall class schedule I discovered this:
Sketchbook & Watercolor:  Journal Style with Jane LaFazio.

Be inspired to record your life, a special trip, or your daily adventures in a loose, quick journal style format. Jane will guide you through basic drawing, inking and a straight forward intuitive approach to painting with watercolor.

You’ll start with simple objects and progress to vignettes then vistas to draw and paint, and journal your thoughts and impressions on journal size watercolor paper. She’ll encourage you to take a little time to just sit and absorb the beauty around you, sketching and journaling your thoughts impressions right onto the same page.

This 6 lesson class is geared for beginners, but all levels are welcome. Everyone has their own drawing style, just like handwriting, and Jane will help you see and then record that on paper in a friendly, positive and creative way.

Guess who marked her calendar for the October 14 starting date???
I took an earlier class from Jane and have been following her blog ever since.  She is not only an excellent teacher, she is a gifted and versatile artist.  There was no reason for me to have misgivings about the class (except maybe draw-ing!!!!).  Every time Jane posted a lovely watercolor sketch with mention that she was preparing for the class I would gasp, then despair, for that is exactly the style I'd like to learn and I have serious doubts about my capability to do so.  A few days before Oct 14 I made the decision to register.  My shaky finger hovered over the confirm button quite a while before pushing -- a leap of faith moment.