Tast Bullion Stitch
Week 20

Well I did not know when I started this Tast I would learn so many new stitches and so many different ways of using them. For some really good examples go to Sharon's web site here.
 My selection of bullion stitch. A versatile stitch many comments on it being worm like. I can see this but also roses of which I have not mastered yet. With a bit of experiment I like the way that if you do not pull the stitch to tight when putting it in its place you can make it curl.I can see that with a bit more practice it may be possible to manipulate it more.

A close up of my stitch the needle that I used for the long straight bullion is 1.1/2 inches, and the straight bullion is 1 inch. I also used this needle with the green thread and it curled really nicely. The pink is wool and I think it loses the lines. The blue and red are two threads mixed together.

Tast 19

Half Chevron

 This is a lovely stitch their are so many different  combinations. I have been looking at how others have used this stitch will defiantly be using some of those.  Look on Pintangle Here take a stitch-tuesday

Just realised that I have not put up the wheatear stitch so here it is. 

 



 


 

Tast week 18
Crossed Buttonhole stitch

Sharon's blog pintangle


http://pintangle.com tast
 

 

Close up of crossed buttonhole stitch. I like the way that when looked at from a distance on from on top it looks like cross stitch but you have a surprise when you look close up.

 

 I have used this for couching different shapes and it seem to work well. I like the different effects you can get just by changing the stitch length. A good one for my crazy quilt.

CQJP.  MARCH.

 This is my March quilt detail. A tatted butterfly in a variegated thread, I love doing these.

Dorset button. My first one it is just buttonhole stitch and whipped wheel in the middle.

 These are my whipped wheels, running and barred chain stitches.

 The whole piece. 
I have used silk, cotton, some hand dyed and some recycled clothing.
The stitches are all from Tast Sharon's Pintangle I am going to try to put a link to her site pintangle 


My  knowledge of stitches is growing week by week and I am now starting to plan a bit more thinking of how to combine stitches colours and fabrics. All this because of Sharon's Tast and the  Crazy Quilt Journey Project. cqjp2012 It is a journey that I am enjoying very much indeed. Writing about is still a bit of a struggle but even that is getting better.  
 

Tast week 16
French Knots

 Well here is my attempts at the stitch.
I have tried out a few different threads, ribbon and wool. The top row is embroidery thread starting with one thread and ending with 6 threads. 
The thread that worked the best was the crochet cotton 
As you can see not a patch on my Grandmothers but I have time and patience. 

Tast week 16
French Knots

 I just wanted to show you some of my treasures. They are only 3 inches in height.

  These are not my embroideries they were done by either my Grandmother or one of her sisters or  a cousin of hers. I cannot be sure as Mum had a lot of needlework given to her when her Aunts died.

 

This one is finished and is on display.
I have taken it out of the frame so that it may photograph better. The whole piece is done with single thread and the French knots are beautiful. 

Here it is again in the silver frame so it can sit in my living room.

  This piece has not been finished and I found it in an old needlework box with a whole load of threads. It does show me how she went about sewing this. The design has been painted on first, looks like water colour, onto silk. This has been tacked onto a very open weave fabric almost like a gauze, then embroidered on top, all in single thread.

 A closer view. I cannot get any closer as it distorts to much.

I hope you enjoyed these images I wanted to share them with you as I am so proud of what my relatives have done before me. I just hope that some of there skill is past down to me. 


They all died before the internet and did not get a chance to share, they were all a very sharing family.  

Tast week 15
Stem stitch

Stem Stitch

Stem stitch I have used just as an outline stitch.
I stared this some time ago with my quilting group, good excuse to finish it.
Its a lovely stitch and would be great for enclosing other stitches.