There’s a Pear in There

This week’s TAST stitch was very challenging indeed!  It is so hard to refrain from embellishing with other stitches - but I will torture myself.
As you can see from the preliminary drawings  scribblings in the journal, it was a toss up between the pear idea and a willow tree.  The pear won, and remarkably, it has turned out almost like the drawing – but in a different orientation.


The background is quite puckery but I kind of like the added look of texture this gives it.  I know, I know, Shirley, I should have used a hoop.  Next time………….
The two applique pieces are very shiny gold fabric but it doesn’t show up well in the photograph.  The sample is completely stitched in chain stitch using different weight threads and attaching braid and ribbon.  I have stuffed the pear from the back with a little wadding.  Not only does it make it a little 3 dimensional it got rid of a lot of puckers at the same time!  This piece was fun to do.

Sunday Night

Fortunately I had an opportunity to sit in front of the tele Sunday afternoon and finish off my detached chain piece for this week’s TAST.  Anne of Green Gables (the sequel) was on all afternoon and I just love that movie.  The scenery is just gorgeous.  Dreaming now of one day visiting Prince Edward Island.  Dreaming……………..
The inspiration for this week’s piece came from a very old (won’t say how old) doily I embroidered when I was about 11 years old.  The ‘lazy daisy’ stitch was done in six strands and when I finally learned how to do fine crochet at about 30 years old I put the edging on it (very badly…but my fine crochet did improve!!!)  I use it from time to time on my dressing table.

Here is this weeks piece which I have dubbed “Bloom, Butterfly & Bird”.  It is entirely stitched in detached chain stitch.  (Quite a challenge).

Drop into Sharon Boggon’s blog, Pintangle, HERE and see what other people have done with this lovely stitch.’
I just love doing lazy daisy 

Heart Beats

My inspiration for this week’s TAST Stitch, Chevron stitch, is a little whacky.
As you will see in the journal entry I was possibly going to do just couched threads/cords etc in straight lines. I was also considering a scene with steps and a zig zag pattern.

While my friend, Shirley, was laying in her hospital bed my husband and I were observing the heart monitor. The idea for my chevron came like a bolt of lightening and I couldn’t wait to get started on my ‘Heart Beats’ piece.

During the time we watched the monitor, one line was particularly erratic ( 2nd from top) and on another line some of the ‘bleeps’ went below as well as above the line from time to time (bottom line).  Eventually it all evened out and became regular (top line). 
I have couched some yarn, some ric rac and some cord.  The dark purple ‘bleeps’ are topped with a half chevron stitch.  The border is one chevron done over the other in a different colour.
I have really enjoyed experimenting with this stitch.  It is a stitch which I thought had no flexibility, but looking at what others have done with it has proved that theory wrong.  Check some of them out HERE.

Sticks & Stones–Herringbone

Week 5 at Take a Stitch Tuesday brought us the Herringbone Stitch.  I love herringbone stitch and once covered all the seams on a quilt with it –  see it HERE.
This time I had to push myself a little though to explore it a little bit more.  There is still much more I could try with this stitch but……later….

I have called this little piece Sticks and Stones.  The round selvedge pieces being the stones and the zentangle-like pattern in the background, the sticks. The border is made with the woven herringbone.  Definitely going to use this again in my embroidery.
This zentangle pattern always reminds me of that childhood game we used to play called ‘Pickin’ up Sticks’.  Loved that game!
I am still doing the journal page for each TAST stitch but neglected to put the cretan scribblings up last week.

                              Cretan Ideas.                                                        Herringbone Ideas.
It is quite helpful to sketch ideas first as it often triggers something, sometimes ending up nothing like the sketch.  Interesting.
Have a great weekend everyone and happy stitching.