Zentangles instead of embroidery

I actually wanted to try the knotted buttonhole stitch, but I cannot hold a needle! I cut my thumb while making dinner a few days ago. Luckily there was a lovely ATC in my mailbox this morning, made by Bridget.And this is the pink zentangle ATC I made for Claudia for the same swap.

Portuguese border stitch again

My sampler of the Portuguese border stitch is finished. You can click on the pictures to see the details bigger. The first rows in the next picture are all done in perle 5. The green one is a normal Portuguese border stitch with beads in the center spaces. The purple one is done on large foundation stitches and I made 3 rows of the left side of the stitch. I think it’s a great variation for a basket. The pink one is also done on large foundation stitches, but this time I made an extra stitch over 2 rungs. Now there are 3 threads next to each other instead of 2. It gives a thick line with a big hole in the center.This yellow and blue variation in perle 5 was a strange experiment. I started to make foundation stitches and I made them wider each time. The Portuguese border stitch is done from the outside to the inside. I think this one would have looked much better if I made it bigger and reduced the size of the foundation stitches again on the right side.

My last experiment was just 2 rows of beaded Portuguese border stitches in perle 5 with no space between the rows.

If you want to see my complete sampler, just take a look at my Flickr-page.

Hedebo tangle!!!

Recently zentangles has become a new addiction! I find a lot of my inspiration at Molossus' Life Imitates Doodles. Last week Molossus told me she had been inspired by my beaded Hedebo edge embroidery; she designed a Hedebo tangle! I just had to try that tangle, it was a terrific excuse to use my new Sakura pen. This is the result of my third attempt, I still need more practice! But I’m very happy with my Sakura pen, it gives a great thin line.Molossus has a great raffle, you can find it here.

Portuguese border stitch

This fourth TAST-stitch looked very complicated at first sight, but that was not the case. I started with the 2 rows at the left side with perle 5, one in dark and one in light blue. The dark one is decorated with French knots in light blue. The yellow row is done with 4 threads of stranded DMC, but I was not so happy with the result. This stitch made me think of knitting, but I cannot use a wool thread because of an allergy. In my stash was a blue acrylic yarn, made for mending socks! I never used it, so I tried it for this stitch. It was an awful thread to stitch with!The 2 rows at the right side look like a heavy chain stitch and that was not how I wanted them to look. And I was not happy with the beginnings and endings of the rows too. I wanted to see if this stitch could be worked in a circle. First I made a large (1 inch or 2½ cm) whipped spiders wheel with light green perle 5, until there was just enough space left for the Portuguese border stitch. I used a darker green for that and I embroidered counter clockwise. That way I could first embroider the side next to the whipped wheel. This worked very well, when I was finished I could not tell where I started it.

Metal Fiber ATC's

This was another fun swap. Each ATC had to be made of shiny metallic fabric and there had to be one real metal element on it. Of course there was no glue allowed! These were the ATC’s I received for this swap. The left one is made by Bonnie and she attached a metal ring to the ATC. The right one is made by Stephanie and she used tinfoil around the hole, which is filled with shiny beads. The ATC’s are just very pretty, but they are hard to photograph!I made my ATC’s for Tricia and Elizabeth. The background is a silver fabric that I had to stiffen to stop it from fraying. The metal men were part of this magnetic game.

I made circles from a piece of metallic organza and I embroidered them on the background with a buttonhole stitch on the left and a herringbone stitch on the right. The metal men are trapped between the background and the organza, so they can still move a little. First I wanted to use the shisha stitch for the circle, but that didn’t work with the background fabric. For the edge of my ATC’s I used a metallic knitting yarn and a piece of a broken necklace.

Beaded Hedebo Edge again

This morning I finished my sampler for the beaded Hedebo Edge. I made lots of pictures again, so I know how I did the embroidery and I can show it here. You can click on the pictures to see the details bigger. For the first one I used green perle 5 and I made a double row of cross stitches. I attached the 3 mm yellow beads over both normal cross stitches and I made the Hedebo on both wide cross stitches at the same time. On the picture you can see the basic cross stitches on the right. It looks very nice this way, it gives a nice thick stitch.My next experiment was a zigzag Hedebo in perle 5 and 2,6 mm beads. I made a picture of the cross stitches and the finished row.

Because this stitch is an edging stitch I made a heart with red perle 5 and 2,6 mm beads. On the inside I made backstitches with 2 threads of stranded DMC in the same color. It was easy to draw the heart, because the base is a cross stitch. I think there are more cross stitch patterns that can be adapted for the beaded Hedebo edge.

For my last experiment in perle 5 with 2,6 mm beads I made 5 rows of cross stitches (normal, wide, normal) from the top downward. Then I started the Hedebo from the bottom to the top. I like this variation very much, it reminds me of the dresses in the roaring twenties and an armadillo!

My zentangles where the inspiration for my next variation without beads. I made squares with 3 rows of the Hedebo edge and changed the direction for each square. I used orange variegated Sulky cotton 30.

This last experiment is a combination of a double herringbone stitch an 2 rows of beaded Hedebo stitches in DMC broder special and 2 mm beads.

If you want to see my complete sampler, just take a look at my Flickr-page.

Zentangle ATC's again

This morning I received a wonderful zentangle ATC made by Lindy. We both like sunflowers, so she made her own interpretation.On the envelop is a lovely zentangle postage stamp!

I made a zentangle ATC for Claudia for the same swap . . .

. . . accompanied by a zentangle card. I made this zentangle after looking at the tangle Stonebridge at Life Imitates Doodle.

Backstitch ATC's

I’m doing a series of embroidered ATC swaps. The first stitch was the backstitch. I used a piece of pink Gingham fabric and batting to embroider the dogs. For the edge I used a fluffy knitting yarn.Amy made this lovely sunflower ATC for me, accompanied by a matching greeting card. She used crayons to color the sunflower on the ATC.

Beaded Hedebo Edge

. . . is the third TAST stitch for 2010. It’s a nice stitch, it reminds me of the buttonholed herringbone stitch I tried last year on a crazy block. My first experiment of the beaded Hedebo edge is done with 2 threads of stranded yellow/orange DMC color variations. The left one with green 2mm beads and small stitches, but that was too small. Then I made bigger stitches at the right one with yellow 2,6 mm beads. This time the thread was too thin. Then I tried pink perle 5 with pink 2,6 mm beads. I made the stitches the same size as the second yellow/orange one and this time I was happy with the result.The last thread I used is DMC broder special with 2 mm beads. I made 2 opposite rows with stitches in a size between my first and second experiment. I really like this variation, I can see some bullion knots or larger beads in the space between the rows!

TUSAL March

TUSAL is a very easy SAL, you only have to put your thread ends in a jar and show it every month when it’s new moon. This time there are new threads from the last 2 old TAST-stitches: chained bar stitch and Spanish feather stitch. And there are threads from the first new TAST-stitches; the diamond stitch and the knotted loop stitch. The last threads are from the embroidery you can see in the picture, my Gorse Fairies. The hair of the girl is nearly done and I made a few backstitches at her face and arm.My old TUSAL-jar from last year is empty now. The threads are in an Easter egg!

Knotted loop stitch again

My sampler for the second TAST-stitch is finished. I made lots of pictures to show you what I did. Just click the pictures to see the details bigger. The first one is done with 2 different threads: yellow DMC broder special and 3 threads of green stranded DMC. I stitched the yellow first.The next row is done in purple and lilac perle 5. I started at the left side with purple and changed to lilac after 2 stitches. I continued alternating these threads until the end.

For my next experiment I used tube beads with green and orange variegated Sulky cotton 30. I started at the bottom with green and a tube bead. Before I made the knotted loop I attached a second tube bead to my thread. Then I made a knotted loop stitch without beads. I repeated this 5 more times. Then I only made stitches without beads, alternating the size and direction of the stitches.

This is a piece of ribbon I attached to the fabric with backstitches at the edges. Then I made the knotted loop stitches between the tulips with 2 threads of yellow stranded DMC.

For my last experiment I used orange variegated Sulky cotton 30 again. First I made a square of backstitches. I started the first knotted loop stitch in a corner. It looks like pulled thread embroidery!

If you want to see my complete sampler, just take a look at my Flickr-page.

No Stitch Fabric ATC's

This ATC swap was a real challenge, because you could not use a needle! I attached my selvages with staples at the edges, I wanted them to be visible. The fabric flowers are attached with brads. There’s a bigger picture of my ATC’s at my Flickr-page.I received these ATC’s for the same swap. The left one is made by Tricia and she didn’t use a needle to thread the chunky wooden beads. She called it ‘Baubles & Bits’. Miranda made the right one, she called it ‘Through My Window’. It’s fun to see what others do with the same swap rules, they are all very different.

Knotted loop stitch

The second TAST-stitch was up very early, it was still Monday here. So the stitch was in my head when I was going to get some sleep and it just jumped in again when I woke up this morning! To get it out of my head, I just had to make a few knotted loop stitches. For the first row I used perle 5 and played a little with the size and angle of the stitches.When I first saw this stitch, I immediately knew it was a good one for leaves. The left one is done in Sulky variegated cotton 30, it’s only 1 cm from the tip until the end of the stem! For the other 2 leaves I used 3 threads of stranded DMC. I started the leaves at the tip with a stitch in an angle of 90º and I made the stem by ending the stitch as a straight stitch. The stem of the right one is a whipped detached chain stitch.

My third experiment is done in a variegated cotton thread. I started at the top on the right side and I made 3 connecting rows. The second row from left to right, and the third from right to left again. This way it’s a nice filling stitch.

Zentangle ATC's

I enjoy making zentangles, it’s very relaxing! For a swap I made one with a postage stamp for Susan.And Bridget made this bi-color zentangle ATC for me.

If you want to read more about zentangles, there are lots of great examples at Life Imitates Doodles.

Diamond stitch again

I tried some more diamond stitches in the last few days. I already wrote about the 3 rows on the left side here. When I was looking at the things other people did with this stitch I found this great sampler. It inspired me to try a double diamond stitch. I used blue perle 5 and started with 2 rows next to each other and connected them. At the end I seperated them again and ended with 2 rows. I used the end for the start of a brown perle 5 row and then I decorated the end of the wide blue row with a spiral trellis stitch. Now it looks like a little man, standing on his hands! I also used this stitch to couch a piece of ribbon, I secured the ends with a French knot. The small yellow row in perle 5 is stretched with a few detached chain stitches. The next row is done with 3 threads of stranded DMC color variations. The stiches at the bottom half are closer together. The green row at the right is done in DMC broder special. The top one is close together. The second one is a strange variation. First a made a wide diamond stitch from top to bottom, then I rotated my fabric a quarter and stitched another diamond stitch on top of it. The last 6 small ones are close together and I alternated the direction for each one. There is a bigger picture on my Flickr-page.

Diamond stitch

. . . is the first new TAST-stitch. I made 3 rows to see how this stitch works. The left one is done in blue perle 5, the one in the middle with variegated cotton thread and the right one in yellow perle 5 with blue beads. I like the one with the beads very much, it’s very useful for crazy quilting. I will try to explain how I made it. I started the stitch with the first knot like Sharon describes here. Then I put 2 beads on my thread and made the knot at the left side. Before I made the knot between the 2 beads I put a bead on my thread again. I made the knot between the beads and put another bead on my thread. This way the beads are between the knots.

Work In Slow Progress 6

I finished the tulip I wrote about here. I made the binding from the same fabric as the border. Instead of a hanging sleeve, I sewed triangles in the top corners on the back. Because it’s very small (15 x 15 cm or 6 x 6 inch) I didn’t quilt it. The batting is the kind you iron between the front and the back.