Up and Down buttonhole, Basque, Oyster and Algerian Eye Stitch

Hadn't realise it was 3 weeks since I last posted, so much has been going on in other parts of my life, so painting and stitching have both taken a bit of a back seat as a consequence.

So I am now back on Panel 1 although, the up/down buttonhole should have been on panel 2.  As you might remember I wasn't too happy with this panel as I thought I had messed up with the number of colours I used. Now I just think its the material I used as the pattern and colours are so strong. So the aim is reduce the blue and the pattern with a steady progression of stitches.

First up is a sample of the up/down button hole and Basque stitch.  I have already said I like the updown stitch a lot  and I liked the Basque stitch equally as well. Its a very decorative stitch and the colours I chose reflect the way I have see  it being used before, in the hippy clothes of the early 70's, very mellow and laid back. 

Up next the Oyster stitch. So all the brown curves in the pattern are used up so now to tackle the overwhelming blue of the material I chose.  I honestly thought it would work well but didn't really think about the domination of the blue, (this particular blue which seems very cold and dark, despite being a mid blue).  As I worked with the oyster stitch I saw a bough of autumn leaves appearing and I just went with it.  

 Finally, the Algerian eye stitch, this was a perfect stitch to break up the blue and I could have quite happily of covered the whole piece with them.  I used a blue and cream cotton for the first patch and then blue on blue with the second section.  .

It was interesting seeing the effect of white on blue, blue on white, mid blue on dark blue and finally dark blue on mid blue. You would think it wouldn't make much difference but it does completely change the stitch.  I chose to do them as completely random individual stitches, varying the shape and size as I went along

So there are now 17 stitches on this panel and finally I am beginning to like it as it begins to coalesce.  Fingers crossed there are more individual stitches to come.

Eight stitches

So this week, it was a catch up week for TAST and the challenge was to use up to 8 stitches in one piece.  As I was caught up I decided to do the challenge.

I decided from the outset that I was going to be restricted by the size of my frame so a 8" circle and that I wouldn't have a design.  Basically I doodled with stitches.  I ended up doing fly, running, stem, chain butterfly, couching, french knot, bullion and detached chain.


Must admit I enjoyed this challenge but like all doodles its hard to say, stop!  That is  why this is posted on Tuesday rather than Sunday like I planned.  Even as I stopped I was thinking, I could do even more.  

Wow its been a long time since I have posted, so I should update.  To be honest really haven't been that busy as the creative bug has been very reluctant to show its head recently. I know you should just go to the studio and work through it but actually getting there is the difficult part.

Anyway, I have been plodding along with Take a stitch Tuesday (TAST), its not my most inspired work :(   I started off with 14 count aida which I transferred a pattern to. However, I soon came to the conclusion that wasn't going to work.  So I went through my stash of material scraps and picked a tied dyed fabric which is blue and brown.  My plan was and still is to do 13 samples stitches on each piece of material which I will then mount on a piece of canvas and stretch like a canvas. The one thing I will change with #2, is to restrict the colours I use as I realised that I wasn't liking the colour I used in the first piece.  Anyway below are pictures of #1. It is still incomplete but if I waited until it was complete I might never post it which isn't really what the challenge is about.  I have not varied the thread, using my stash of pearl cotton and it is purely stitching, no embellishments, no beads! 

I will admit the fabric is not my favourite but I really wanted to explore the more abstract side of stitching.  I will be more diligent with my posting in the coming weeks as I have reorganised my work space and hopefully that will be make it more inviting to work in.