and this week’s Cretan stitch is on my Flickr here

Today I add a tree and leaves.  The stem is Chain stitch,

the branches Coral Knot and the willow leaves- Feather stitch.

The 2 detached leaves are also in Feather stitch.

More of a doodle than design in Feather stitch and beads.  Threads used are Edmar boucle, DMC, rayon medium twist,metallic and a very fine twisted cotton.

This site
http://smallestforest.net/2012/01/20/httpwp-mepeep9-gv-2/

is not to be missed.  The stitches and display of same are terrific.

1. Barb stitch, created by stitching two rows of Buttonhole back to back and then whipped. I used Edmar Nova for the whipping.
2. 2. Berwick. 6 strands DMC variegated. This is stitched right to left.
3.  Bonnet stitch using a broder cotton
4. Buttonhole Bar. Blue metallic -medium thickness
5. Buttonhole Wheel. 4 strands hand painted Japanese cotton. Also red 2 ply cotton
6. Closed Feather stitch. I used a cotton with not much twist and similar to perle 5 in thickness
7. Closed Buttonhole in green perle 8
8. Detached Buttonhole with fawn thick cotton
9. Rosette of Thorns. In very fine blue Ginnie Thompson and the yellow with perle 8
10. Feather stitch using Cottage Garden thread
11. Up and Down Feather with pink thick unknown thread type
12. Up and Down ButtonholeAll of these stitches are shown in Sharon’s Stitch Dictionary.
14. 

This is the strangest creation. It began as a leaf, which I covered with Closed Feather stitch in bright autumn colours. Then I noticed the stem looked like the snout of a fish. Perhaps I’d had one coffee too many because I covered the previous stitches with Feather stitch in tan perle 8.

Realizing I’d now hidden the Closed Feather stitching I did a ‘flash’ of this in green perle 8.

The fins are in Up and Down Buttonhole, using variegated perle 8

The tail is done in Barb stitch.                   I finished with the eye in green perle 8

My DH was doing a bit of eye rolling when he saw it.

I had not done much with the stitches so at the last moment I found a freebie print of quirky animals from Louise Elliott which I’ve had sitting around for ages

The sketch is on Aussie animals and I’ve chosen to do the Lyrebird?

I used Open buttonhole for the breast, Buttonhole bars for feet.  The tail feathers are Feather stitch for the ferny ones and Back to Back buttonhole for the two larger ones.

The wing tip was stitched with Buttonhole Bar but I stitched up one side and back down the other of the bar, creating a smooth edge.

Lots of stem stitch with Stef Francis autumn colours and Sassa Lynne fine in the peacock shades.

The body of the bird was mostly done with 2 strands of DMC floss.

The beak is a detached Closed Buttonhole

and used only Fly stitch to create the picture.  Double click to see the larger version.

Ellie is 94 1/2 and apart from becoming forgetful, is doing fairly well.  My second eldest sister is 90 but

was staying with her family over Christmas, so no photo of Pat here.

Plaited Fly = A -plain,  B-whipped

Plaited fly up and down placements

Closed Fly ..on right

Large single Fly as a star and on the right of this the small reversed version

On the bottom left and right of star are outward and inward versions of the placement

Reversed Fly as shown in Pintangle Stitch Dictionary

3 versions =   a Woven    b Whipped    c plain

Woven Fly -Edmar Lola threads used in top

Whipped Fly– 6 strands DMC rayon with pink knitted floss

Plaited Fly – woven with various threads and thickness

Reversed Fly  with single Fly stitches each side using fine wool

Fly st. in fine variegated thread and 5 ply glitter cord

Closed fly leaves – perle 5

Fly stitch rose buds. ..thick thread almost no twist ,with a small straight stitch in centre

fine perle thread leaves

Row 1 Fly detached and 3 darker green stitches touching  – perle 8

Row 2 angled side by side  – perle 8

Row 3 version a, Reversed Fly no space at cross-over.   4 ply cotton

Row 4 Fly head to toe.    4 ply cotton

Row 5 version b, Reversed Fly, space between cross over using 4 ply cotton

Row 6 Fly head to toe grouping perle 8

To date there are 500 signed up and several hundred more who will work privately.

here is the link to read about TAST 3
http://stitchinfingers.ning.com/group/TAST

http://tiny.cc/ms14

This will be my third TAST and I have learned many stitches, some I had not heard about and I have enjoyed them.

Algerian Eye wreath.

Stitched on synthetic crepe fabric over Fly stitch

Alternating Barred Chain 1

Alternating Barred Chain 2

Alternating Buttonhole

synthetic cotton fabric.  fish= silk hand dyed thread – weeds made with crochet thread, silk (beaded) and a’broder cotton

Alternating Buttonhole 2.  I think the thread is Ginny Thompson’s.  no tag on my floss card.  hmmm. bit messy at the top.