TAST week 25 & CQJP WIP

TAST week 25 - Cable Chain Stitch

& my CQJP WIP

I have used this stitch in the past, but not too recently, so I used this week as a bit of a 'refresher' stitching time.

I was rather surprised how quickly I had forgotten how to do this stitch, lol. 

I started with two straight rows following a seam on the block. It looked so wrong though and it took me quite a while to work out what I did wrong - I must not have been concentrating when doing the 'chain' part of the stitch because some chains were twisted and some were not, it looked so uneven that I 'frogged' the lot - and I'm not a person who usually unpicks anything, so that just goes to show how very wrong it was.

So then I stitched these two wavy lines, making sure that I got the working thread coming from the same direction each time, so as not to get any chains twisted like before.

Cable Chain Stitch worked on my Crazy Quilt Journal Project June block.

This is another of my INVENTED seam treatments.

Stem stitch roses and Satin stitch in between them.

I quite like the effect of a band. It's a nice 'solid' seam treatment.

This one started with the turquoise ribbon Running stitch.

Laced to-&-fro with 6 strands of green floss, and a white bead added in each circle.

A motif in one of the patches.

French Knots, Silk Ribbon embroidery, silver metallic thread Straight stitch & V stitch, silver beads.

I have also done a couple of other stitching pieces on the CQ block but not got photos of it yet.

Should be able to finish this block during the coming week so will reveal ALL next weekend.

And I have been 'playing' with fabrics, paints and dyes for yet another project that I cannot reveal until September. (Watch this space with patience, hahaha).

As a follow-up from a previous post here called Life on the Farm - Applemunchers, here is a pic of some more Applemunchers that visit the orchard everyday.

Aren't they beautiful? 

They are very social and vocal birds, and live in small family flocks here in NZ. 

I also saw these in an almond tree today, and as there are no almonds at this time of year I am puzzling over what they were eating.

Happy Stitching

Stitching Time This Week

Stitching Time This Week

What a week that was.

Was that really a week.

Really that was a week.

That was a week that was.

In other words - I've not got much to show for the week, 

apart from a weak chest from coughing too much, a sore nose and throat from sneezing too much, and a hungry family because I've been snoozing too much and not gone shopping.

It's flu season in NZ. and it's a "knock-u-for-six" stinker.

Anyway, I did manage to get 3 seams on my June CQJP done before flu stopped my play.

A crochet trim I made especially for this seam.

I made a Celtic styled woven braid for this seam.

And a weird combination of stitches here, including a V stitch exploration row too.

Hoping the flu goes away soon so I can get more stitching done next week instead of falling asleep every five minutes. 

Hope you are all keeping free of the flu.

Happy Stitching

I'm going back to bed now! Feel free to talk about me while I'm gone.

TAST - Buttonhole Wheel TIF

TAST - Buttonhole Wheel TIF 

....Taking It Further....

Happy Stitching

Exploring Stitches

Exploring Stitches

I didn't get to post my stitch exploration adventure last week, so you get two weeks worth here today.

Row 1 - A large V and a small V flipped and overlapping

Row 2 - Regular and inverted V's

Row 1 - Zig-zag chain stitch in orange, with shallow V's in purple

Row 2 - Satin stitched V's making use of the negative space zig-zag

Row 3 - Random Fly stitch going back and forth horizontally

Happy Stitching

CQJP June WIP & Designing project

CQJP June WIP

A new month, and I've made a new CQ block.

The naked block for June. I'm looking forward to embellishing all these lovely seams.

No TAST stitching this week as it's a "catch-up" week for those who needed it.

But I have been creating (designing) something else instead.

Hugs

BJP - Autumn Teardrop Pendant

Bead Journal Project 2012

Autumn Teardrop Pendant

It is Autumn here in NZ now, Isn't it a beautiful time of year.

My pendant this month is using some familiar autumn colours.

All comments and critiques gratefully received.

Happy Beading

Life On The Farm - Applemunchers

We've just had a three-day weekend here in NZ and I thought I'd show you a little bit of our farm life, and what we've been up to this weekend.

There are only two trees in our orchard still bearing apples at the moment. 

I have been re-arranging the netting over them to stop the Rosella's (wild parrots) from eating all the fruit.

Rosella's are beautiful birds that I love to see in the garden, but they are classed as pests because they ruin the crops of the big food growers. I usually let them have one tree without nets on so that they can survive in this neighbourhood of food growers. I love hearing their chatter, and see their beautiful show of colour as they fly around.  

Today I have picked a bucket load of these.........

......... to make one of these..........

 mmmmmm........ apple cake

fresh out of the oven.

This is one of our 'applemunchers'. When they see someone in the orchard they come to the fence and wait for some free windfalls to head their way.

Who can refuse such a cute face like this. Shame about the wig though, lol.

And when one applemuncher calls to the other applemunchers in the field that there is an apple-give-away happening, we get more cute faces arriving at the fence.

And this is Freddie, yet another applemuncher. Freddie always helps himself to the windfalls and hurries to get the best ones before the free-range chickens get to them.

The mandarin trees are giving us a bumper harvest this year.

These are so juicy, sweet and delicious, probably the best crop we've had.

We are all getting a good dose of Vitamin C with these beauties.

And then we have the lemon trees that should be ripening soon judging by the lime green they are at the moment.

The orchard has had a major tidy up this weekend. 

The early fruiting apple trees, and the pear, plum, peach and loquat trees, have all been heavily pruned and are now ready for the arrival of winter. 

The 'low-hanging' branches, that were not long ago heavy with fruit, have been chopped back too. Which makes it easier for Tony to drive the mower right up to, and around, the trunks now.

He's a happy chappy at that.

The chopped branches have been added to the bonfire pile in the top field away from the house. Will probably have a bonfire party for one of the 'sprogs' birthday this month. I've heard we are having visitors for that occasion.  I like it when our kids can arrange their own birthday parties. 

Oh dear, I've just remembered that this sons birthday means that none of my kids will be teenagers any more.

I suddenly feel old.

TAST Week 22 & CQJP May Block

TAST Week 22 Knotted Cretan Stitch

I didn't have much time to spend on this stitch this week as I've been in 'Digital Designing' mode.

But that is a story for another blog post. I'll keep you in suspenders (haha) until later.

So here are two test samples for Knotted Cretan Stitch.

With the pink floss I was just playing with different stitch lengths, widths and stretches.

And with the green, well, it was meant to be a circle but I got distracted when one of the dogs decided it was time to throw an old shoe at me "oh come on mum, it must be playtime now".

CQJP May Block

I have got this block to a reasonable stopping point for now, and I'm calling it temporarily finished.

I need (at some point in the near future) to add something more to the left side because I can see that all the "weight" of embellishing is on the right, and the block is not balanced and not to my liking.....yet.

Detail pics......

Silver ribbon stitched to create a ruffle, and turquoise seed beads scattered around the folds.

Blanket Stitch half wheels in two strands of blue variegated DMC floss.

I've no idea what this is called, lol. How about "noughts and crosses".

A bit more added to my "V" exploratory seam. I like the effect of the turquoise/teal raised threads going from one 'knot' to the next. This stitch was one I made up. I think it may be something similar to the Scroll stitch, but this one is stitched differently.

Black cotton crochet scalloped edging lace, and a very short seam with detached chains, silver beads and blue French Knots.

Freeform Mandala with a shiny gold Shisha in the middle.

And my usual centre patch with a butterfly. Not one of my better butterflies I think. It looks more like a hawk-moth to me, probably because of the chunky bead body. 

I may 'frog' the green thread lines on the top as it just doesn't look 'right' to me.

So that's all for now sweet friends.

Back to work on the digital stuff for a day or two before I will allow myself to relax with needle and thread.