Basket Motif

Did a bit of stitching today. I layed down the greenery first and need to do some flowers next. I like how this is coming out.


I also added another button seam. I really think they are some of my faves.

TAST- detached chain stitch

I have really been enjoying Sharon's TAST. I challenged myself to use the chain stitch as the base stitch- normally it is intimidating and seems like nothing can really be done with it! But I was bound and determined to change that. Strange how we allow ourselves to continue thinking a certain way about something when we haven't even tried to explore more. I really like how this turned out!


Simple chain stitch with heart buttons

I still need to add the flowers to the right seam stitchery. I am not sure whether or not to use beads, embroidery or sequins. I haven't gotten far enough to pull out any 'hardware' yet.

KimBab

I love Kimbab! There are many variations but the most common ingredients are pickled daikon radish, carrot, egg scrambled and cut into long strips, ham, and a korean green vegetable that I can't remember the name of! The soup is anchovy soup. They boil dried anchovies, making a broth and top it with fresh green onions. It is delicious- especially on a winters day!

They do not call it sushi here. It is specifically called Kimbab. If you call it by the Japanese name you most likely will offend someone. The Japanese ruled Korea for from 1910 to 1945 and feelings run deep.

Tatting Blogs

There are two tatting blogs that have recently renewed my interest in tatting. I really want to learn how to do more then just simple rings and chains.

One of them is tatting pattern calender where various tatters around the world offer a pattern a day and variations for every day of the year. Be sure to look in the archives- there is so much to look at and the year has just begun!

The second tatting blog is the 25 Motif Challenge where tatters have joined a challenge to make 25 tatted motifs this year.

One of the patterns at the tpc blog archive looks like a basket and would be a perfect for a crazy quilt motif filled with embroidered and SRE flowers. I hope to try my hand at it soon.

ITG Round Robin- Debby's block

Debbie's block has been worked on by three people so far and one more to go after myself. The challenge of many round robins is to make a block have cohesion since there are so many stitchers working on it with their unique styles. I must admit, that this is one round robin block that has the 'flow'. I think it is beautiful.

I thought it could use an embroidered motif so decided upon the vintage looking bird and embroidered him in Pearl Cotton 12. What garden would be complete without a bird? I did him in a very pale color because I didn't want to take away from Jackie's beautiful seam embroidery and swag above it.

It is strange. I hadn't done any stitching for months and couldn't make myself. It seemed my creativity was choked. It is horrible when you want to stitch but you can't find the inspiration to do so. It seems lately that things are just happening naturally.

I had been saving this little plastic button that I had recieved in a swap for ages. It is about one inch wide and a half inch tall. I only had one and was waiting for the perfect place to put it. I better get searching on ebay to find some more. =) I hope you like it, and your block Debby! I think I am finished! There are two patches for Melissa to work on and two seams.

Debbie's ITG block

I thought I was finished with this block. I was folding it up and putting it away in preperation for mailing and inspiration struck! I added the very delicate bobbin lace (?) in the inner arc of the fans. It is very old and very delicate. (Sorry for the glare!) Isn't Jackie's SRE on the fan spokes gorgeous?

Tatted Motifs

I had made a few of these button motifs a long long time ago ( and did some variations) and loved them! They are fairly simple and I thought I would share the links to the thisntat page.

Rose and Leaf Motif
Pansy Motif
Butterfly Motif
Bumble Bee Motif
Snowflake Medallion 1
Snowflake Medallion 2
Motif with beads
Button Motif 1
Button Motif 2
Button Motif 3

Embellished Tatting, etc

Sharon's new stitch for the TAST is the detached chain stitch also known as the lazy daisy. I did quite a bit of tatted motifs on the train a few weeks ago on our trip to Pyeongtaek to fellowship meeting. I was planning on leaving the tatting unembellished but then i began thinking... 'what if....' It looked plain before and I normally would have left it alone and I am glad for the challenge to try new things. I really like it now. =)

Also, I did the seam to the right of the embellished tatting in pearl cotton 12. This kind of seam embroderies is also one of my 'usual' favorites. Both motif and seams were done in pearl cotton 12

Kanzashi flowers!

These Kanzashi flowers are so pretty! They are made with starched one inch squares of fabric- preferably japanese kimono fabric. (I am sure starched cotton or silk could also be used.

Here is a link to a flicker group that shows flowers and variations too. Imagine the possiblilities.

This would be a neat motif or brooch. Imagine these matching a little girl's dress. I can even imagine them with five petals formed to look like a fan.

If you make any of these and post pics please send me a message and I will link to your blog or page.

More TAST Stitching- Debbie's block and basket blocks

I have quite a few favorite seam treatments and motifs that I love to stitch. This is one of them... Usually I double check to see if there are the same amount of feather stitches on the inside as there are on the outside and, would you believe. I didn't check on this one! I realized it as i was adding the 2 mm silk ribbon to the outside of the spokes. I had stitched about half of them, I didn't want to pull out the work, so I just left it, added an extra colonial knot and omitted a ribbon stitch to *try* and balance it out. Would you had noticed had I not said anything? (I am VERY curious!) This is from the basket blocks



This is another one of my favorite seam embroideries. I really love buttons and I love how these turn out. =) I used Carole Samples templates as a guide for the wavy line.


Taking Inspiration from the TAST, I added this herringbone combination. It is one of my favorite stitches. This is a bit blurry and if you look carefully you can see my water soluble pen where I marked for stitching. (not good- I need to take it off) I also added the five petal flowers above the swag made from 2mm ribbon. I have never tried 2mm ribbon before and I love it!




Close up view of basket block. I wanted to fill the basket up with some SRE flowers but the stitching area is so small and i didn't think it would look right. I added a lone sequin instead. More inspiration from Sharon's TAST challenge features the buttonhole stitch with flower sequins at the ends of every other stitch.