My Monogram for Crazy Quilt

Here are Step-by-Step photos of the monogram I created for my 

 Straight From The Heart 

Crazy Quilt.

I penciled a circle on my fabric then started the stitching with a whipped running stitch to outline the letters (my initials).

Next I filled the middle of the letters with herringbone stitch.

The herringbone stitch was then laced.

And then I added French Knots in the spaces with lavender thread. 

Close-up of the French Knots

Next I made a Stem Stitch circle in a pastel pink around the monogram

 And then added another circle of Stem Stitch

Close-up of the Stem Stitch circles

Then I filled in the middle with Back Stitch in a dusky rose

And the finished Monogram......... 

I know it it usually required to "sign" quilts when completed.

As usual, I am doing things back to front.

This Monogram of my initials is for the front of the crazy quilt.

With a bit of luck (and time), next week I can show you the setting for the Monogram.

TAST Week 5 - Herringbone Stitch

TAST Week 5 - Herringbone Stitch

Herringbone stitch has many variations and it is very popular on Crazy Quilts. 

It can be used as the base stitch to 'build' many designs on and in this way can be combined with many other stitches to make very interesting patterns for seam treatments.

Here is the unstitched hand dyed evenweave panel that I am starting for February's stitches. 

The working area is 9 inches square and will eventually be put in a journal book along with the other 'pages' of stitches. There could be any number of different stitches on each panel. It all depends on how much time I have for stitching and whether I experiment lots or a little with the various stitches.

 

The Basic Herringbone stitch worked in DMC stranded cotton floss.

 

Stacked Herringbone

 

 Rows of Overlapping Herringbone

An experiment with curved edges

This was meant to be Long and Short Herringbone stitch, but I think I ruined it slightly by trying to do it on a curve. I probably should have at least drawn a guide line for the curve first, but I hardly ever plan ahead. Free Form Stitching is the name of this blog for good reason, haha!!!

Now this next one is actually called Ladder Herringbone, but I think it is very like a 'laced' Cretan stitch.

I really should not have used three different colour threads in my needle at the same time as it is very difficult to see the stitch. Sorry about that.

And here is a Closed Herringbone stitch.

Started off a wee bit uneven on the left for a couple of centimetres, but then once I got the hang of 'what-happens-where' things got neater.

And to experiment some more with the Closed Herringbone stitch .....

(I like the solid look of this stitch)

I wondered what effect a variegated thread would have with this stitch.

I rather like the result. Only problem was that it uses up a LOT of thread, but sometimes it is necessary to use quantity just to get the right look to a project.

I shall definitely be using this textured stitch in my CQJP.

So here is my Journal Page so far with all my TAST week 5 stitches.

Happy Stitching