TAST, WEEK 8-CHAIN STITCH

 Last week's stitch was the chain stitch for Sharon B's TAST.

I am late posting this, and I have to admit that my example is something I did years, and years ago, specifically in the 1970's.  I had met my husband, and he romanced me with Neil Diamond songs on his guitar.  On one of Neil's albums, of which I had them all, he was wearing a shirt that appeared embroidered, and I embroidered my sweetheart this shirt.  This is only one side of it.  This is almost all chain stitch, and the chain stitches are so close together I can barely tell the stitches at all. 

I think he wore the shirt once, and someone took a picture of us.  That picture is going to be the subject of March's CQJP, and that was why I pulled this shirt out and took a look at it. 
Hard to believe that this is probably around 39 years old!

Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2012-February

I finally finished my block for the CQJP for February.  I am really, really happy with this one.  I might go back to add more to my January block, but for today and tomorrow on my days off, I need to get busy with my March block.  Down near the big purple flower, I was so happy to receive my order from Gerry, of her hand-painted buttons.  I had always admired these, and was thrilled to be able to add one to this block of my maternal grandparents. 

I  think this one I embellished to the hilt, because they never had anything fancy, living in rural Arkansas in poverty in the 30's and 40's.  Out of eight children, my grandmother had 2 babies die in infancy, one after she had walked numerous miles to take her to the doctor.  Another son was murdered when he was 19 or 20, probably because he just got paid.  My mother was the baby of the family, and her mother died when she was 10.  She was subsequently raised by her older sister, who was 10 years older than my mother.  So I never met this grandmother, and saw my grandfather maybe 3 times in my early childhood.  I would have liked to have known this grandmother Mary Ellen as she was a quilter.  She made them mostly out of flour sacks but she did make quilts.  My mother always was saddened by the fact that her mother never got to make her a quilt, as she did some of her brothers and sisters.

TUSAL 2012 -February 2012

In January I found out about the TUSAL (Totally Useless Stitch A Long), and I kept seeing ORT jars being posted (Old Raggedy Threads).  I had been keeping my own jar all along of old threads.  Then Pat Winters kindly offered some ORT Labels to download, which I did.  I was too late to post last month, but I have my picture of my ORT Jar this month, which is posted at the new moon.  Doesn't look like I did much, but I have been stitching everyday.

TAST, WEEK 7, DETACHED CHAIN STITCH

This week, the stitch for Sharon B's TAST was the detached chain stitch.  I found quite a few examples of my previous work, plus I used it on my CQJP for February last week.

I used it 1 places on this block, it is hard to see because of the poor lighting this morning.  I am trying to get this posted before I go to work.  There are the light blue ones at the ends of the feather stitch, and the gold ones along a seam.




This next one has it at the ends of the lace, cluster of 3 detached chains.








This one has detached chains at on parts of the maidenhair stitch.


And this one, above the brass butterfly has a row of detached chains sitting on top of a string of pearls stitch. 

Well I want to get this posted before the next stitch is given. It will probably be up by the time I get home tonight.  I am getting close to the finish of my February CQJP block.  My next 2 days I am off, so I hope
to get my March block made and this one finished up.  Till next time...

TAST, WEEK 6, Chevron Stitch

Sharon B's stitch for TAST last week was the Chevron Stitch.  I don't know why, but this is not my favorite stitch, although I can see a lot of different things can be done with it, that I might like better than the basic stitch.  I only have one example this time, but I did take it beyond the basic stitch and I like what I did.  I stacked 2 rows of different colored Chevron on top of each other and put a bugle bead in between. 

Gypsy Feather

Another of my absolute favorite Etsy shops is Gypsy Feather.  Liz has delightful collections and bits of lace, trim, vintage jewelery that can be used in CQ or scrapbooking.  I always love visiting her shop, and get in trouble quite often!

Cathy's Crazy by Design

Cathy also has an Etsy shop here that I also recently purchased some golden-dyed laces and they came several days ago, and I am again thrilled with the beautiful laces.  Again my picture does not do them justice. 

NICKI LEE'S RAVIOLEE DREAMS-

I just wanted to plug some of my favorite Etsy shops.  Nicki Lee has some beautifully dyed laces, of which I bought some recently and am quite thrilled  Her Etsy shop is here. 

My photo does not do them justice, they are better seen on her site.  

TAST, WEEK 5, HERRINGBONE STITCH

Time got away from me this week, I had my stitches done, but my computer was not cooperating downloading my pictures. 

Sharon B's stitch for the TAST, week 5 was the Herringbone stitch.  I use this one frequently and have some samples from my WIP (works in progress) and my CQJP-February block. 

 This one is really hard to see, but the herringbone is in a cream-colored thread with blue beads.

 This is a double herringbone.

With detached chain stitches

This is one from my CQJP stacked on top of one another with beads where they connect

From another WIP, with elongated chains and wotj straight stitches crossing the herringbone stitches

Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2012-February

Today, as it is my day off, I wanted to star working on my block for February for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project.  This is actually a re-purposed block.  It started out life as my block for one of Sharon B's online classes in Encrusted Crazy Quilting.  With the exception of my grandparent's picture, this was as far as it got, before life got in the way.  So for the month of February, I added their picture and am going to embellish this one.  But first thing I think I am taking off the turquoise bit of lace, or maybe it is the stupid looking ribbon flowers that are bothering me beneath it.  Something has to go, and I am going to figure it out first thing this morning and get going on it.