TAST: Knotted Cretan Stitch

I had intended to use the previously posted background, but didn’t want to cut it down – so I made a smaller piece (2 ½ x 3 ½ inches) using the same technique. The little notches formed by the knots in this stitch were begging for blossoms and buds…

Another Felted Background…

This time I embellished a piece of decorator fabric onto the Peltex, then added pastel colored wool roving on top. I added the FME with coordinating rayon variegated thread. An advantage of working directly on the Peltex is that it acts as a stabilizer for the free motion embroidery.

Embellished Background on Peltex

Revved up the embellisher this afternoon and felted together some dyed silk from a scarf I never wore, commercially dyed silk ribbon, organza, novelty yarn and wool roving (from Joggles). I love how the silk crinkles under the needles – none of my scarves are safe, now…or DH’s ties…

TAST: Couching

The background is a piece of cotton from my stash to which I added some FME. I felted in circles of Kunin felt as well as some fibers teased from the felt, here and there. Variegated yarn was couched on with black embroidery floss. Too much fun…

American Woodcock

I was looking out my bedroom window this afternoon when I noticed one of the "dead leaves" on the ground bobbing up and down. It was a woodcock doing his version of the “funky chicken.” Woodcocks are rarely seen because they are very shy and pretty much camouflaged by their surroundings. Seeing him really made my day!

TAST: Up and Down Buttonhole Stitch Sampler

This was a new stitch for me and I really enjoyed messing around with it. The background was created on the embellisher using wool roving, novelty yarn and scraps from a painted dryer sheet – encased in fine tulle.

The weather has been Heavenly (in the 70s!) for the past couple of days but the weatherman is calling for snow tomorrow – argh!

TAST: Barred Chain Stitches on Embellished Background

For the background, I embellished scraps of linen, muslin, rayon/cotton blend, quilt batting, ribbons in silk and organza (and just a smidgen of Santa beard wool) on top of a piece of water soluble stabilizer. Then I added some free-motion stitching on top. This little exercise was inspired by Margo Duke’s instructions (although she uses beautiful pastel fabrics!) in the January/February issue of Quilting Arts magazine. For this week’s TAST, I added a few barred chain stitches. This will most likely be used as a foundation for further stitching…

TAST: Messing Around with Cross Stitches

Well, I had fun, anyway! I embellished an old multicolored checked rayon sash to a piece of wool felt. Then I added some wool roving “flowers.” To suggest a trellis, I made large cross stitches using the checks as a guide. Then I added a whole bunch of cross stitches in rayon, silk, perle cotton and stranded cotton. I sort of “borrowed” the trellis idea from a beautiful book I have by Jan Beaney, called THE ART OF THE NEEDLE.

TAST: Cross Stitch

I used a simple cross stitch pattern from Janet Haigh’s wonderful book, THE EMBROIDERER’S FLORAL, to sew these tender Dianthus blossoms.