Wishing my Friends and Visitors to my blog, a very Happy New Year.   Thank you for your encouragement, which is truly appreciated.

I hope you have a great year of crafting.  If you leave a connection to your blog I am always happy to come see what you do also.

Best wishes for 2013

Maureen

 

 

 

I had a private swap with Kate, who wished for me to make a Russian Icon page = 6″ x 6″.  I asked for a page with a Viking ship in exchange. (My G’ father came from Denmark).   While working, I realized the 6″ was not the right size for my work and we agreed I could make a 6″ x *8″ instead and I was happy with the original size for the ship.

Unsure what Russians used for icons, I asked if it were to be religious. reply.. Yes.  I’d never tackled anything like this but gamely went ahead after searching the Web for inspiration.

On the far left this is what I found and liked.

This what I did.

I used silk taffeta for background and blue taffeta for halos  -  the images I printed. After a nervous start I thoroughly enjoyed making this for Kate.

and a close up

Stitches used were Cable Chain for the Child’s top. I am almost certain I did Ghiordes knot  for his hair.

For Mary’s top I did rows of Palestrina stitch- 3 DMC strands- with French knots between and Cast-ons around the hood, both with 2 strands DMC .

the lace  was stitched with 1 DMC strand and I used Detached Chain, Back stitch and a few French knots.  Created in July, I can’t find notes for the work so I can’t say how I did the sleeve cuff…maybe Barred chain at the bottom.

and here is my Fabulous Vikingskib page from Kate.  I am sure the fellow at the front of the ship is my G’father  or would have been if he and the ship were around at the same time LOL.  We are both happy with the swap.

The sample on the left is this week’s stitch.

I used 2 plies of DMC for the full and partial wheels, Pink Edmar Frost for some bullions and 2 plies of Cottage Garden thread (variegated)for others.

This sample below is from Tast2 and was stitched with  Edmar Lola (blue) and perle 8 and 12 for the others. The tiny flowers used DMC 2 strands.

Not too many weeks to the end of Tast 3 but the information of the years stitches can be found here

TAST or Take A Stitch Tuesdays is for both Beginners and Seasoned stitchers and if anyone wishes to join in learning or challenging themselves to develop stitches further, please read what is happening next year here

This is a book cover for 6 pages of trees, made for a friend.  Velvet tree on velvet and measures 14″ x 8 1/2″

This is number 6 in the set.  The full set is at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crazyqstitcher/

I will be away from home for several days, so I’ll submit my old samples from Tast 2.    If I get a chance I will do more and post next week.

The white work was stitched with knitting cottons.  Stitches within the leaves are Whipped Chain, Diamond,Knotted Loop. French Knots and Beaded Hedebo.    The second photo shows green metallic thread and DMC perle thread.     There are only a few weeks left for the TAST 3 but

Sharon will be running TAST again next year, beginning in January and for full information of the changes, please visit here

I hope there will be newcomers to the group…….For all information on what has already been done in TAST please visit http://pintangle.com/tast-faq/

Experiments from week4, Tast 2

From week 4, Tast 2

For the rose I used one strand of Edmar variegated boucle and a pink perle 12.  The stem is not Magic chained.

2 DMC strands in 2 greens and burgundy fine wool for the Pistil stitches.  This would be good for a seam. This is from an old freebie pattern and I’ve lost the donor’s name.  If I have it recorded I will edit the blog later.

This flower and vine was inspired by Sharon’s Goethe house pattern .  thinking how rose-like the decreasing circles were in this flower, I made the rose to the left but that wasn’t as nice when finished.

I also wanted to see if last week’s Friday Freebie of Blackwork from the free E-book by Kim Brody Salazar would work with Magic chain. I wouldn’t take it up as full time work with the Magic chain but I surprised myself by keeping my cool and  enjoying getting it right.

I began with the purple green and  I admit those 5 bottom arcs took over an hour to get right. I used 2 strands of DMC which kept  splitting wrongly or I got the colours in the wrong order.  I was determined to do it.

Then I found my eyes saw the pattern but my fingers decided the direction was to be mirror imaged. I’ve often said my fingers do the stitching not my head but yesterday’s effort was ridiculous.

Once the second row was set I zoomed along the 3 row.  I like this one  It came from Plate 17, No. 98

The cross was stitched with a single DMC thread in light and dark greens and was the centre section  from Plate 30 No. 180. I did stitch the flower but the blues used, confused the appearance and is not worth posting.

The DMC 2 strands of yellow and green pattern was from the Plate 8 No.47.  I tried twice and found it won’t work with Magic chain.  The original has One central (yellow) stitch and the pattern runs vertically and horizontally crossing at this point.  On the bottom left one you can see how my fingers mirror imaged the green stitches.Though my patience was still intact, I wasn’t going back to correct them so for the week. they are just an exercise

I found my old example of the stitch, done with rayon threads.

Sharon will be running TAST again next year, beginning in January and for full information of the changes, please visit here

For all information on what has already been done in TAST please visit http://pintangle.com/tast-faq/

I hope there are many new stitchers join in the fun of learning and exploring what to do with the lessons Sharon shares.

 

What a schemozzle trying to upload photos.  I finally got 10 organized and half refused to appear.  Well another go has only improved the post by including all the photos.  They were nicely organized before publishing. Grrrr.

These blocks are from January to October.  The November block is in the previous post, with the December block waiting to be started.

Working on the blocks has been easy and I have managed to keep within the correct month for posting.

I hope many more people join in this personal challenge.  Details for joining are also on my previous post.

The link to the Rules and Registration for the CQJP is here

I began by posting all of my blocks for this year but they came out soooooo laaaarge that I deleted the lot.

I will post one and then see about resizing before adding others.  I have squished this one down a lot.

I have had questions about the CQJP work and I’ve been told it will continue next year so if anyone is interested in joining this great project – a block a month or 12 within the year, here is the link to read Rules and to Register for next year.

I liked last weeks Closed base Woven Picot but prefer the open base for ease of weaving.

This sample began as a thought for a flower fairy but she decided that was not her career preference…and so she is on trial to become

a member of the Australian Ballet.  I do not like her chances.

The flower and skirt were made with DMC perle 5 and the arms/legs have chenille threaded through knitted rayon floss.

The ballet slippers are made with 3 DMC strands.

I would like to be corrected please as I confuse the thickness of the perle thread.  I think 8 is the finer than 5.  Yes/No?

 

For full details of Sharon’s 2013 TAST please visit http://pintangle.com/page/3/

Sharon will change the way it is now to an easier method.  This is designed for new needleworkers and those more experienced.

A great way to learn.

I found I was much neater this time around but still feel I could improve.

So I played about and made 3 beetles.

If only I could take clearer photos.  They look fine while editing but are fuzzy when posted.  Maybe they will be better when enlarged.

I used 6 black DMC strands for the large beetle and made straight stitches across and for the thorax with metallic woven thread and tan silk/rayon hand dyed thread for legs and head.

The bodies for both lower beetles is fawn DMC, again with 6 threads.  The centre beetle wings were made with 3 strands of DMC variegated metallic.

It was fun to make these.  I intended making a dragonfly but we have visitors for the long weekend and needles and threads are packed away.

Perhaps someone else will try the dragonfly.

For full details of Sharon’s 2013 TAST please visit Pintangle

There will be more time to work stitches rather than weekly.

Oops, I forgot the legs on the centre beetle. No wonder it looked funny.