I cannot count my day complete
'Til needle, thread and fabric meet.
~Author Unknown

Sharing a common thread with those who love the art of hand embroidery

Sunday, December 26, 2010

A new year, a new design, and a few new stitches

are what I am sharing with you today. First of all, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas holiday and are looking forward to the new possibilities that the new year will bring. At this time, I am at a crossroads in my life.............not sure on what I should do to handle a difficult situation and not sure what the new year will bring if I go forward with the decision I am about to make............however, my passion for hand embroidery is still as true and strong as it always has been and it will always be shown here on my blog.
I am sharing this design with you...............I am hoping that if you click onto the photo above, it will enlarge for you to copy it off. This is a vintage design that I have had in my stash of vintage goodies. I am at this time embroidering many of these designs onto pillowcases, as well as bath and kitchen linens to offer on my Etsy shop.


I also want to share information on how to do two stitches that are in this design that are not always common to basic hand embroidery. The first is the eyelet stitch.............( if you look at the above photo, you will see the cluster of flowers in the middle, stitched in ultra dark dusty rose, and light dusty rose. The little holes between the light dusty rose are stitched eyelets, done in white. Here is a link to click onto that will show you in clear detail as to how these are done. I promise, once you learn how, you will want to do eyelets in all of your embroidered projects................http://www.curiousfrau.com/tutorials/44-tutorials/88-how-to-make-beautiful-hand-bound-eyelets

The next stitch is the Fishbone Stitch. This stitch is useful for filling in small leaf shapes, as you can see in the photo above. I love the way this stitch makes the leaves look textured.

Bring the thread out at the tip of the leaf...1.........and make a small straight stitch along the center line.Bring the needle out at 2........ make a slanted stitch and go down on the right of the center line. Bring the needle out at 3.......make a slanted stitch and go down on the left side of center line, overlapping the base of the previous stitch. Continue working slanted stitches alternately from the left and the right, close together until shape is filled.
Now..........how about you? Are you facing hard decisions to make in the new year coming up? Are you planning on lots of new and wonderful things to make? I would love to hear! 

4 comments:

papel1 said...

Hi Kathleen,
Was glad to learn the stitches, have done the eyelet stitch but not the fishbone stitch so will practice that. Your tutorials are helpful. I have been sewing and embroidering. Made a candle mat for my sister. 2011 will be much the same for me....RVing, selling postcards on eBay and sewing hand projects. Take care.
Judy

Cora from Hidden Riches said...

Just love the pattern and the finished piece is just stunning!!!!! It always helps to see the tutorials of the stitches. I forget sometimes. Judy mentioned a candle mat, and I thought this would be perfect for that. Just enlarge it to the right size. Not sure where 2011 will take me. But if I can make a difference in just one life, it will be worth whatever it takes.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kathleen...
I hope you can make your decision and change with the Peace of God...remember He is with you no matter what in your life. He will lead and guide you through all trials in life! He doesn't leave us...ever! Keep your hand in HIS!

I thank you for your pattern you shared for the the little tutorial!

Keep in touch!

Pamela said...

Keep sending thos proposals in! From an author with a file of rejection letters! The first Chicken Soup book was rejected 140 times. Have you tried American School of Needlework?

I'm eager to see more of your blog and try some of your patterns.