Drawing Stitches

More drawings of stitch ideas for my Black & White fabric book inspired by my Take a Stitch Tuesday samples.

Drawing Stitches

To get me back doing something I used my Take a Stitch Tuesday Moo cards and drew some stitches and shapes.

This was inspired by my motivate me post yesterday but also by Sharon B's For the Love of Stitching Band Sampler posts, where she is documenting a rather large and growing band sampler. Her photos of the stitches are lovely... makes me want to do one too!

I am especially taken by the patterns she makes with the stitches, hence my exploration (in ink) of my own handstitching.

Take a Stitch Tuesday

My one liners of weeks 36, 38, 39, 40 and 41



a very poor showing! I like the buttonhole variations but was unable to execute the others satisfactorily.

especially lace border stitch!

Take a Stitch Tuesday - to do list

I have updated my to do list with the final stitches.

week 52 - Spanish feather stitch
week 51 - chained bar
week 50 - berry stitch (double lazy daisy stitch or double detached chain stitch)
week 49 - pistel stitch
week 48 - knotted cable stitch
week 47 - thorn stitch
week 46 - chain braid stitch
week 45 - pekinese
week 44 - zig zag spanish knotted stitch
week 43 - drizzle stitch
week 42 - twisted satin stitch
week 40 - linked double chain
week 37 - rice
week 35 - shisha
week 34 - Portuguese stem stitch
week 33 - scroll
week 32 - crested chain stitch
week 31 - cast-on stitch
week 28 - sheaf stitch
week 24 - french knots (half done)
week 20 - butterfly chain

This challenge was set by Sharon B and ran every week in 2007. I have so far completed 29 stitches five of which are one liners and not yet blogged.

My own rules were:-
1. Spend less than 15mins gathering together materials and researching the stitch - YEP
2. Use 6"x4" fabric but don't get hung up on the type of fabric! - YEP but some stitches may have benefited from a better choice of fabric
3. If a stitch is sewn then blog it no matter how 'unfinished' Not quite
4. DO NOT JUDGE always a hard one

I feel disappointed that I was unable to complete more of the stitches. I do procrastinate too much and haven't managed my time as well as I could have but the other reason I have to admit is that I just don't care about all these stitches!

Is that a terrible thing to say?

I especially enjoyed all the blanket/buttonhole stitches, but detested oyster stitch, in fact any stitch that involves wrapping the thread around the needle or knotting. Too much of a faff.

I think I'm a simple straight stitch girl....

Thank you Sharon B for a wonderful challenge and hopefully my participation will be less erratic in the 2008 challenge - Take it Further

Take a Stitch Tuesday - to do list

gulp

week 48 - knotted cable stitch
week 47 - thorn stitch
week 46 - chain braid stitch
week 45 - pekinese
week 44 - zig zag spanish knotted stitch
week 43 - drizzle stitch
week 42 - twisted satin stitch
week 40 - linked double chain
week 37 - rice
week 35 - shisha
week 34 - Portuguese stem stitch
week 33 - scroll
week 32 - crested chain stitch
week 31 - cast-on stitch
week 28 - sheaf stitch
week 24 - french knots (half done)
week 20 - butterfly chain

Take A Stitch Tuesday

ok... so I have attempted several stitches on my massive To Do list and I have to say, lace border stitch is impossible!

Take a Stitch Tuesday - to do list

I need to get back track. So this is a blogging kick up the backside. This is what I've done so far...

week 1 Herringbone, week 2 Buttonhole , week 3 Detached chain stitch, week 4 Cretan, week 6 Algerian eye stitch, week 7 Feather stitch, week 8 Fly stitch, week 9 Cross stitch, week 11 Up and down buttonhole, week 12 Couching, week 13 Knotted Cretan, week 14 Bonnet, week 15 Oyster, week 17 Running, week 18 woven and whipped wheels, week 19 Basque, week 21 Crossed buttonhole week 22 Satin, week 23 Wheatear, week 25 Long and Short stitch, week 26 Half Chevron week 27 Bullion knots, week 29 Arrowhead week 30 Buttonhole wheels

So out of 24 stitches I have attempted, I have tried 9 for the first time.

This is what my sample book looks like

this is what I need to do:-

week 42 - twisted satin stitch
week 41 - lace border stitch
week 40 - linked double chain
week 39 - reversed buttonhole bar
week 38 - knotted buttonhole band
week 37 - rice
week 36 - cable chain stitch
week 35 - shisha
week 34 - Portuguese stem stitch
week 33 - scroll
week 32 - crested chain stitch
week 31 - cast-on stitch
week 28 - sheaf stitch
week 24 - french knots (half done)
week 20 - butterfly chain

out of 15 stitches still to be done (FIFTEEN!), 13 are new to me.

I think this is why I am so far behind (as well as my procrastination and low attention span). I need to be in front of the laptop whilst I stitch as I have no idea how to do a lace border stitch or crested chain.

My priority is to attempt these new stitches, even if it is 'just' a straight line.

I think I will combine some stitches and do a larger sampler that can be folded out. Lace border stitch, linked double chain, knotted buttonhole bar, cable chain stitch, Portuguese stem stitch and crested chain stitch look like good candidates.

so. I need to get stitching with my laptop.

Take A Stitch Tuesday

an updated list for Take a Stitch Tuesday...

week 39 - reversed buttonhole bar
week 38 - knotted buttonhole band
week 37 - rice
week 36 - cable chain stitch
week 35 - shisha
week 34 - portuguese stem stich
week 33 - scroll
week 32 - crested chain stitch
week 31 - cast-on stitch
week 28 - sheaf stitch
week 24 - french knots (half done)
week 20 - butterfly chain

Take a Stitch Tuesday catch up

I need to crack on with my Take a Stitch Tuesday to do list. Its HUGE. To this end I have cut up some old white curtain fabric (washed but not ironed!) and looked out half a dozen different black threads (stranded cotton, wool, perle etc) and have just got on with it.

No procrastination....(a first?)

So far I have done three stitches (posted below). All are firsts for me so I really enjoyed just using the basics, also I think they work well in black - like mark marking.

Does any stitch NOT work well in black? ... maybe knots....

My new updated list...

week 33 - scroll stitch
week 32 - crested chain stitch
week 31 - cast-on stitch
week 28 - sheaf stitch
week 24 - french knots (half done)
week 20 - butterfly chain

buttonhole wheel

Take a Stitch Tuesday, week 30 - buttonhole wheel. Enjoyed this one too. like the raggedy holes and stitching outwith the lines.

arrowhead stitch

Take a Stitch Tuesday, week 29 - arrowhead stitch. Really like this stitch! It works so well for pattern making.

half chevron stitch

Take a stitch Tuesday, week 26 - half chevron stitch. Quite liked this stitch, especially when done freestyle!

and another one!

week 33 -scroll stitch

aaaarrrghhhhh!

Take a Stitch Tuesday to do list

I am sooooooooo far behind now!

week 32 - crested chain stitch
week 31 - cast-on stitch
week 30 - buttonhole wheel stitch
week 29 - arrowhead stitch
week 28 - sheaf stitch
week 26 - half chevron
week 24 - french knots (half done)
week 20 - butterfly chain

oh dear

Bullion Sample

Take a Stitch Tuesday, week 27 - Bullion Stitch.

I DID IT!

finally. after many years of trying it finally clicked. I'm sooooo chuffed.

things I need to remember:-

* don't wind the thread too tight
* don't go through the same hole, as it just tangles the thread
* use a needle with a small, slim eye.

yeah!

Take a Stitch Tuesday to do list

I'm playing catch up. I still need to do:-

week 27 - bullion (eek!)
week 26 - half chevron
week 24 - french knots
week 20 - butterfly chain

long and short stitch

Take a Stitch Tuesday, week 25 - long and short stitch.

This is my first attempt at this stitch (which I found surprising!). I used leftover pink threads from my recent counted cross stitch project. I stuck with the regular straight stitch on plastic canvas and played about with the length of the stitch and added a little bit of weaving. I also added a piece of calico with some (messy) circle experiments.

wheatear sample

Take a Stitch Tuesday, week 23 - wheatear stitch. I used the scraps of fabric leftover from my recent ATC to create a sunset effect. It took a while before I loosened up and the stitch started to evolve, so there are many 'straight' wheatears before the 'interesting' ones showed up:-

* I like the layered effect on the left hand side, thick and thin threads slightly overlapping
* the super thin wheatears, achieved by using the same hole for the ears and the chain
* the angular wheatears at the far right are my favourite and definitely warrant further exploration.
* I also like the wheatears layered over the frayed fabric (right off center)

not the sunset effect I first imagined but a decent (and quick) exploration

satin stitch sample

Take a Stitch Tuesday, week 22 - satin stitch.

For this sample I wanted to use the pile of white fibres I have ready and waiting for my Black & White Fabric Journal (yes that IS still an active project).

I've also been clearing out some of my unfinished and "finished but unhappy with it" pieces, and came across some sketchbooks I had made.

I decided I would like them better if I used the hand stitched covers for something else (ATC collection?) and reuse the pages.

So the white fibres are satin stitched onto watercolour paper, I added some pencil shading at the end. I'm pleased with the result. Its not a full exploration of satin stitch but it looks effective as a sampler of my white fibres.

I'm pleased with the composition too, as it just evolved. I especially like the rubbed out pebbles at the top.

crossed buttonhole stitch

Take a Stitch Tuesday, week 21 - crossed buttonhole.

Another buttonhole another favourite but I found it a little more difficult to get into a rhythm.