Happy Holidays to All!

This vintage postcard was an irresistible Ebay find…

The Last of the TAST: Chained Bar & Spanish Feather Stitches

Hallelujah! I did it! From left to right: whipped Spanish feather stitch, zigzag chain over rickrack, chained bar (over rayon floss), whipped Spanish feather stitch, buttonholed arrow stitch whipped with rayon ribbon, two rows buttonholed chevron stitch. I think the Spanish feather stitch may be one of my favorites, but it always seems to beg to be whipped!

TAST: Knotted Cable Chain, Berry & Pistil Stitches

I added more stitches to my little sampler: The fourth row consists of a single line of knotted cable chain stitches laced with perle cotton. Next is a double row of knotted cable chain stitches interlaced with heavy novelty thread, used to “couch” a length of silk ribbon. The last row consists of berry and pistil stitches.

Take it Further...

I’m sure anyone reading this already knows about Sharon B’s challenge for 2008, Take it Further. I loved Take a Stitch Tuesday and feel as though I really learned a lot. Being in the group motivated me to push beyond my comfort zone to learn some stitches that I found particularly difficult. Although I’m sorely tempted to participate in next year’s challenge, I’m not sure whether I’ll be able to take the time to complete an extra project per month. In addition to meeting ad deadlines, I have so many projects lined up for 2008... I want to add a new line of Santas with more elaborate costumes, combining embroidery and other embellishments. And both of my web sites are in dire need of some design attention. I would also like to finally launch my Etsy shop. I set it up about a year and a half ago, and still haven’t listed anything. I have pieces that are near completion but just need some final touches… I’m pretty sure the only way to participate in next year’s challenge is if I can, somehow, incorporate the monthly theme into a project on which I’m already working… If that’s not possible, you can be sure I’ll be following along closely, cheering everyone on…

This is Walter...

Walter’s name is of German origin and means “ruler of army.” I realize he’s not your stereotypical military-looking guy, with his pink chenille jacket and floral plissé pants. But he’s carrying a worn old Bible (copyright 1941) and, clearly printed right inside the cover, is the name Walter H. Brown. And he claims that’s him!

His entire outfit is made from vintage textiles, trims, lace and buttons. I added some primitive-looking buttonhole stitches to the seam binding (from my mom’s old sewing box) decorating the hem of his pants.

I experimented with a different kind of wool (Cotswold) for Walter’s beard and am very pleased with it. I liked the other wool I was using very much but there was some fluffy waste – and it gets a little expensive when you can’t use it all. There was no waste at all with this wool.