TAST: arrowhead stitch

The TAST stitch of this week is the arrowhead stitch. Perfect for grasses.

I started with the ear: arrowhead stitches changing direction. The thread is Kreinik #8.

The leaves are also arrowhead stitches. The stem is in stem stitch. 

.

Completed bunch of grass. A little row of french knots represent an ear bud.

September block...almost finished

I couched down more tassel-ribbon. While doing so I twisted the ribbon so the tassels point in different directions.

Two more tatted flowers added.

The hearts of the tatted flowers are filled with french knots and straight stitches.

I also sewed down three little lace flowers.

The left side of the ribbon pansy needed another leaf and some lace flowers. The hearts are stitched over with satin stitches.

Almost finished...  still the lower left corner.

More daisies and a special ribbon

The lace butterfly won the audition. The purple flower will probably be used elsewhere.

Two fish bone stitch leaves embroidered with variegated perle 8 (House of Embroidery).

The two blocks are sewed together.

Overflowing daisies.

The violet spray is discussed here.

A very special ribbon with little purple/orange tassels.

Perfect for a playful branch.

I also sewed on two tatted flowers. They are needle tatted with DMC 80.

Lots of lazy daisies

I thought it would be a good idea to follow the pattern of the yellow fabric. Nice bunches of flowers, perfect for lazy daisies. The slightly variegated thread is Stef Francis silk.

It turned out like this, how is it possible I didn't notice the regularity of the pattern???

More lazy daisies and french knots with my favorite Kreinik # 4 thread.

It is getting better, I love irregularity.......but only in stitching ;-)

Now looks the daisy field like a triangle, much too regular. 

For now I keep it this way. Later I want to expand the daisies to the adjacent blocks.

Bonnet stitch, another TAST catch up stitch, again Kreinik metallic thread. Before starting stitching I pulled it through Thread haven. It really seems that the thread is less likely to get damaged.

The block on its place. The purple lace flower is just auditioning.

August block CQJP 2012

I blogged about the Buttonhole wheel cup flower spray here. 

On hhtatting I found this lovely hanky edging. The thread I used is DMC 80.

When I'm working on a block I often place it where it will be in the finished quilt. 

It makes it easier to make decisions about embellishments.

A closer view.

The top patch with the tatted edge needs something striking.

This ribbon has a nice sheen, the right color and is also very vulnerable. It gets damaged by a small unevenness of my fingers. 

The left end of the ribbon will continue on the adjacent block. The right end will be draped over this block.

July block CQJP finished!

The finished July block.

The last embellishments are described below.

The airy leaves are knotted loop stitch, I blogged about it here.

Furthermore looped straight stitch ribbon flowers, ribbon stitch flowers and yellow scrunched flowers.

I felt the hedebo flower didn't attract enough attention as it is the center of the flower spray.

Filling the petals with purplish beads do the job. The petals look like capsules now ;)

The branches are in feather stitch with purple pearls as berries.

I promised I would show you how I made the yellow scrunched flowers.

Two threaded needles are needed, one needle gathers the silk ribbon (4 mm).

Pull the gathering thread....

with a little help from tweezers. Secure the ribbon at the lower edge with a stitch here and there.

The finished flower spray.

The finished CQJP July block.

Click right and choose "open link in new window" to enlarge the picture.

More flowers on the July block

I added more knotted buttonhole stitch flowers with pistil stitch stamens.

The patch with orange pansies is rather dominating.

 A big yellow flower button and two smaller ones reduce the domination of the orange.

See? Better ;) The attention is drawn by the big flower button.

I wanted to work another catch up stitch on the edge of the lace: the pekinese stitch.

I wanted the back stitches to be invisible and that is what they are...invisible.

It is a tough job to make pekinese stitches in invisible back stitches.

The result is nice though. The thread is Kreinik #8

Rick rack flowers: a tutorial

To create a rick rack flower with six petals I gathered the rick rack ribbon.

Pulled the thread...

...a little more. Cut the ribbon and smuggle away the end.

An orange bead in the center to complete the flower.

The block so far.

July block CQJP

The almost naked CQJP July block. Only one flower: the Hedebo flower. Here is the tutorial.

A tatted edging which I got from my friend Pam.

As I only wanted to use the lilac part (the complete edging is on top) I had a hard time to cut the right picots.

I attached the edging with Kreinik #4 purple.

Basque stitch with orange beads, the TAST stitch of week 29, used as a simple seam treatment. 

The start of a flower spray: knotted buttonhole stitch, the TAST stitch of week 39.

The left side of the flower is worked from left to right, the right side from right to left.

The stamens are pistil stitch, another TAST stitch (week 37). Stamens on the right side are wrapped to the right, the ones on the left side are wrapped to the left. 

June block CQJP 2012 completed

This purple fabric is too pretty to cover with embellishments, only one charm is added.

Actually it isn't blue as in the picture. 

At the back of the butterfly was a nice ring meant to attach it, only it was too big.

I thought I could bend it with a pliers. Yes, the ring bent and broke.

What to do? I cut a piece of plastic, made little holes with a needle, pulled thread through the holes, glued the plastic on the back of the butterfly and fastened the threads on the block.

I am not sure yet if this will do as the butterfly wiggles.

Here she is.

This part of the block was part of TAST week 39: knotted buttonhole stitch.

It was described here.

The finished June block of CQJP 2012

The top half of the crazy violets quilt. Of course the new seams will get a proper treatment.

If you click right on the photo and choose "open link in new window", a larger photo will show up that can still can be enlarged.