TAST week 20 and a new blog

I have posted my Crossed Buttonhole samples to my new blog at Word Press, which you can find here
My URL is http://CrazyQstitcher.Wordpress.com/ should you wish to change your sidebar
My new page is messy as I am relearning the ropes of the blog but I hope to have it fixed shortly. Thank you for visiting me here. Maureen

TAST Week 20 Butterfly Chain

Here's a strange thing. I photographed my Straight stitch pic upside down and it looks like a mountain with water in the foreground..even a jellyfish. And the Lake the right way up. I used this week's Butterfly Chain sitch to make the border.






























Thick cream crochet cotton here and probably the best for seeing the stitch .









Simply a kite.








The blue flower was an experiment of how the stitches would look turned about. I kept the chain stitch to one end.

I've used 6 strands of cotton thread for the centre and chenille for the next row, stitching in the empty spaces of the centre row. I kept the chain stitch at the outer end of the stitch. Lastly I used two fine wool threads and alternated a long butterfly stitch above the first row and a short one above the chenille, keeping the chain in the middle this time and it has come out wavy.

I tried beads on a short seam line and they sat well. I had to make sure the spaces between uprights were wide so they would pull in properly.








As I've been using some TAST stitches on quilt blocks I should declare that I have a WISP started for our UFO Challenge
This is a seam with white rayon thread and chained with gold. It looks quite classy in real life.

I like it when doing the first part of a combination stitch I find that it also looks good before completion. Don't blame the stitches for not looking good, it's just my poor camera work. They look rich against the off-white material and light fawn lace.

The same seam completed. I cheated and Just caught the chain underneath to keep it stable.

TAST Week 19 Basque Stitch

It took a little while to get the stitch settled.. or was it me.. I don't think my first lay as they were meant but by the last lot they didn't look too bad.



I have used a crochet cotton thread for the first seam and a silk floss for the second one











I has some Twilley's Lystwist rayon thread that is over 20 years old and that's a story I'll tell at the end of today's pics.

The greenery is Anchor perle














Sharon was right and the stitch curves beautifully.
Uh-Oh I need more practise on the line shape on the harp.

I have used a Ginnie Thompson flower thread and black fine wool.














This started out as a waterlily but I could see it was fast heading to be a chrysanthemum, so I let it have it's head. Pardon the pun.

Here I used a heavy knitting cotton for the first layer and a mercerized, medium weight crochet thread for the top one and more of the Anchor perle.















The Lystwist thread was in a drawer with many other threads, on cardboard reels and when I picked it up I found it had come undone and tangled beneath most of the others. What a mess. I gathered it all up and sat untangling them when my lovely DH saw me and said "You need spools for that lot" and immediately went and made me not one, but 4. Here they are. They stand about 3" high and are 2" wide.

TAST - Whipped and Woven Wheel

I made two woven wheels, the small centre one on the left and the larger one below that.
The whipped ones are the top left and the big one.
With the biggest I first made a base and then whipped a bead and attached it on top of the base.

For the seam I buttonholed a fan frame and whipped the edge. Then I whipped the centre part, but with the middle I caught the fabric with a tiny bite below each spoke to hold it in place.





I whipped the centre of the rose, which made it look like stamens. Sorry they aren't seen clearly here. Then I wove the outer petals.









For once I am very pleased with my stitches, especially my beetle. A very easy bug to make.
I was inspired by Jane Nicholas Beetle Book

Orange and Cream block

I have been viewing the Blog Calidore. This is where my talented friend Catherine shares many of her tutorials and beautiful embroidery.
Why not pop over and see her latest Orange and Cream block, which was put together with pulled-apart gimp and other braids. You won't see either of these as they were, just lovely flowers and seams.

All of her so easy Tutorials are worth viewing too.

TAST Week 17 - Running Stitch

Such an easy stitch this week, but what to do with it. I have worked gold thread around the flowers and stems on part of my cream block. The flowers I whipped and the stems I left plain.








I knew I wanted to make a dragonfly. The wings are whipped running stitch, the thorax is several straight stitches, tapering down and then laced across with running stitches. The tail is made with 3 lengths or running stitch and whipped with a french knot at the end. The head is straight stitch,the eyes french knots in silver madeira metallic and running stitch in metallic for wing fill-in.






I wondered if I could do a lake scene in the running stitch. I decided to do the picture all in one go and I ended up bored when I was almost done, so I put in a few french knot trees on the other side of the lake and fly stitch bush on the foreshore.
I'll never put Van Gogh out of business.

Our lake and ocean

These are pictures taken last week of our Lake Victoria. There are a series of connected lakes that go for many miles to Lakes Entrance, which is where many professional fishing vessels are moored.
The first is our local beach and shows the left side to the marina and hotel. The second is across the lake and is too misty to see the mountains in the background. They don't look high, even when they are clearly seen, but they are when you drive through them.
The third picture is looking to the right and shows the wooden groins that were placed there to help stop erosion from the current. Every few years the dredge comes and clears the channel and pumps sand onto the beach. This then covers all the wooden structures. ... and the grass



















The two photos below are at our surf beach and part of the Ninety Mile Beach. The ocean here is called Bass Strait. Tasmania is south of this.
The strange thing about our 'Ninety Mile Beach' is that there seems to be one in every part of Australia.

EYE CANDY

This is my latest Gathering block from Bear in Sth Australia. Unable to make the Gathering she mailed it to me.
I wish you could hold it, to see her beautiful roses. All over the block there are various sorts of roses, large and small.
Is it any wonder I love this and all the rest of my blocks.


















I am sure that these Gathering Blocks that I received will entice you to look at them all. Each one is beautiful and I feel honoured to own them.
You should be able to double click on them for a close-up.

The first here is by Andrea from Tasmania, who sadly was unable to be with us at Easter. My colour preference was cream but not a 'must be cream' There were no restrictions for added colours.

The work by Andrea is so delicate and I love the WOW. (for those who may have forgotten, like me, white on white) There is such a lot of detail on this.


Julia made this next one, and she must know how I love garden flowers and hollyhocks. The seams are lovely. The roses and violets are gorgeous.

Lilac and purple are a favourite of mine














Bet you wouldn't pick this lovely block as having been made by a 'new to embroidery and cq" lady.
Our Texan friend Brenda made this for me and it's a classy and beautiful block.















My lovely lilac and sage block is by Maria, who loves seams. I like these too and the bouquet of flowers. There is a group of three silver leaves which is a charm I have not seen before.















My friend Vivienne made this beautiful block. with the silk print of daffodils and she replicated them in the bottom left corner. Not an onion in sight, only bulbs. Close up these daffs are small and the cups perfect.













Can you imagine anyone called Rowdy making this serene and charming block? So hard to believe isn't it. The delicate lilac flowers, the little heart around my initial and a tiny bouquet, the twisted organza ribbon couched down with wee flowers.

Perhaps it was a boisterous twin I met.

Love the work Catherine










Another absent friend. This time from the US.
Norma has dyed the angel and beautiful apricot fan. I forgot to ask if she crocheted it too. Her roses and seams are so pretty.















Sandie was our hostess for Easter and she made this beauty. Sadly my camera caught the lovely centre silk in a funny light and has made the picture seem faded. It is quite pretty, you will have to take my word for that. Such lovely soft pinks and creams













Margaret from Queensland is the maker of this last block here. Margaret also was absent from the group, but maybe next time our missing friends will be able to be with us.

There are so many types of stitches here and they all come together beautifully. It is easy to see why I love the cream as it shows off the work to the best advantage. Well I think so, others may not.
: - )

Believe me I could have raved about these blocks, but I thought I'd let you make up your own mind.

I am sure you have found much to inspire you as I have done.