text: My TAST sampler has travelled coast to coast! I am presently in CA visiting my dad, and I have so enjoyed stitching in his lush garden. It has been sunny and warm (not like those 100 degree plus we encountered on our trip.
  My up and down buttonhole stitches are pretty basic and don't need further description. Note the circular motif in the upper right is part of the bonnet stitching from the previous week. The squiggly line of Basque is made from two Caron threads, single strands of Watercolours and Wildflowers in ambrosia. Juxtaposed I think they make an interesting variation in texture.
  Here is detail of the next two lines of stitching. The first motif is simply two rows of slanted Basque stitch, one looping down, the other up. Both threads are #5 cotton perle. The top is solid, the bottom variegated.
  I think it may be hard to see, but there are three threads in the second motif. I wanted to figure out a way of alternating up and down stitches in one pass without threads travelling all over the place. My first idea was to create columns of straight stitches through which the basque stitch thread could move from top to bottom . Awkward. I still liked the idea of the columns and thought I could lace threads which would fill in the gaps. So here's what I did. Using a #5 pearl (light blue) I stitched the columns. Then, in a luscious, hand dyed, tone-on-tone blue, silk/wool thread from New Zealand, I worked the basque stitches continuously from left to right and quickly found I didn't have to turn the fabric. The individual stitches looked a little odd, like T's with a jaunty top. I finished (and hopefully made a cohesive combo) by lacing with a #3 pearl in lavendar.
  Posted by Nancilyn (Fiberdabbler) at 2:37 AM 1 comment:
  Thursday, June 28, 2012
  TAST 2012 - PALESTRINA STITCH
  The Palestrina stitching is to the right, the long, curving lines, and in the lower left going around the circle of cable chains. I realize the colors are not yet interplaying, but they will as I work future stitching and embellishing. What I did attempt to do was add finer threads so the buttonhole wheels didn't get lost among the bolder stitches. I got as far as adding a few cable chain fillers in pink floss and raspberry silk. I'm not sure you can see from this picture but I whipped the light blue line of Palestrina with the lighter teal in an attempt to better integrate the colors. What you're seeing here represents one corner of the background fabric, so there's plenty of room for, um, improved balance.
  Posted by Nancilyn (Fiberdabbler) at 2:14 PM 3 comments:
  Monday, June 25, 2012
  TAST 2012 - BUTTONHOLE WHEELS & CABLED CHAINS
  Meanwhile I stayed current with the last 2 TAST stitches. I worked these on a piece of cloth from previous experimentation. If it looks familiar it's because I used a piece for the last TAST challenge.
  It's a remnant from an old cotton, damask striped bedsheet. I rusted it, let it mold and then painted with the same dyes you see in my Aida samplers. The bronze markings are Shiva painsticks over rubbing plates. It's a nice change to get away from the evenweave fabric. This I can hoop if I need to and have the liberty to spiral and curve to my heart's content.