TAST-WEEK 42-ITALIAN KNOTTED BORDER STITCH

This week's stitch on Sharon B's Take a Stitch Tuesday was the Italian Border Stitch.  I added a bit extra to the basic stitch.  I REALLY love this new one to me.  This is on the water bottle holder I plan to take with me to Houston in 15 days.  I plan to assemble it tomorrow.  Will show more then

TAST-WEEK 40- BEADED HEDEBO EDGE, BLOG GIVEAWAY

This was my sample of the Beaded Hedebo Edge in Sharon B's Take a Stitch Tuesday.  I really liked it, although it is hard to see because I used the same color thread pretty much as my dyed lace.






This will be the accessory case I will be giving away in my
blog give-away later this afternoon, celebrating my 300th post.
One of my grandchildren will be choosing a name, and I will post later today.

My daughters and grandchildren are taking me to lunch at Joe's Crab Shack in Old Sacramento, a place I have been wanting to go to for some time for my birthday.

Well off to get some stitching time in before lunch.  I requested my BD off since we can do that and get paid for the day.   Lovely to have a Friday off.  I think I can get my September CQJP block done before lunch.  I have about 5 hours before they pick me up.

TAST CATCH-UP

After all the home renovations, when I didn't have time to stitch, I decided to catch up with my TAST stitches.

This sample incorporates:

Pekinese Stitch
Double linked Chain
Sheaf Stitch
Knotted Buttonhole and
Drizzle Stitch

Glad to be caught up

TAST-WEEK 33, PEKINESE STITCH

Last week was week 33 on Sharon Boggan's Take a Stitch Tuesday.    My sample is here.   I thought I had a previous sample but I could not seem to find it.  Am going to try to get to this week's stitch before I go off to work tomorrow.

TAST-WEEK 32-CAST-ON STITCH

On Sharon B's Take a Stitch Tuesday this week the stitch was the Cast-On Stitch.  I use this stitch frequently and is one of my favorite ones.




In finding examples of past work, it seems I am using the same thread and bead each time.  Didn't realize that before

TAST-WEEK 31-ALGERIAN EYE STITCH

This week the stitch Sharon B chose for Take a Stitch Tuesday was the Algerian Eye Stitch.  This is one I also have known of, but never use.  My samples weren't that great.  I don't think I made my holes big enough for the eye, and I kept running out of room.  I tried using a finer thread and that helped a bit.

TAST-WEEK 30, OYSTER STITCH

This week the challenge for Sharon B's Take a Stitch Tuesday was the oyster stitch.  This is another one I knew about, but never really tried and I like it.  I did my oyster stitches above a herringbone stitch.  This was on the little accessory  case I just finished. 

TAST WEEK 29, BASQUE STITCH

Due to computer problems, have had trouble posting the last week or so.  Last week's stitch was the Basque Stitch on Take a Stitch Tuesday being run by Sharon Boggan.  I  didn't do much with the basic stitch.  But I stitched it in a ring, and it was sort of wonky so I added a pearl button.  This post took about 45 minutes to do because of my blasted computer!   Am going to try to get in another couple of posts before heading to work. 

TAST-WEEK 28-UP AND DOWN BUTTONHOLE

This week's stitch on Take a Stitch Tuesday was the Up and Down Buttonhole.  This is another one I have never done, but it was easy, and I loved it.  I will definitely be adding this one to my stitch list.  You can read more about Sharon B's Take a Stitch Tuesday here.

 

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are my days off, and I feel I had a pretty productive day.  Back in 2008 I participated in Sharon B's Take it Further,  This was my project I made.  I had started out with the idea of a starfish, which I see every day as I leave my office.  I stamped some starfish and added a piece of the border of the wallpaper which hangs in my bathroom.  This project I had intended to frame, but it got buried under a pile of "stuff" in my office.  Then I discovered it wasn't a standard frame.  So I asked my dear husband to make me a rustic-looking frame.  I spent my 1/2 day off yesterday trying to find some dark blue stain and discovered I couldn't buy a tiny tin of Minwax dark blue, I had to buy a quart.  I nixed that idea.  I came home and discovered I did have some blue stain, not the dark I had intended, but it actually blends will look

good in the bathroom where I intend to hang it.  I found the Tim Holz's corner pieces at I think JoAnn's in the scrapbooking section.  I am really pleased with the result, and after I put the hanging bracket on the back I will hang it up tomorrow. 

 

 

The other thing I am really pleased about is that I was able to catch 2 of the feral kittens that were born in my yard and take them to the SPCA.  I caught 1 last week.  Now if I could just catch momma and another one running around my yard, I wouldn't have to worry about kittens being born in my yard anymore.  Over the past 2 years I have caught 12.  Out of the other 9 I caught, they were able to adopt out 8 of them.   I neutered another 3 and kept them as pets. 

TAST-WEEK 27-BONNET STITCH

Last week's stitch was the Bonnet Stitch on Sharon B's TAST.    I started out sort of small, and decided to 

enlarge my stitches after a couple of stitches.  I had trouble getting the hang of it at first, but finally understood it.  I will definitely use it in the future.  

Karrin

TAST-WEEKS 24, 25, 26

Before I get too far behind in the TAST-2012 I wanted to post my samples, which are just the basic stitches, nothing fancy.  You can find out more about Sharon B's Take a Stitch Tuesday here.  I am amazed and visually delighted each week to see everyone's wonderful work.  Right now, working full time, I am pleased to get the basic stitches done, because this was one of my goals this year, to finish the TAST to completion. 

This was my sample of the Buttonhole Wheel

This was my sample of the cable chain, which took me quite a few tries to get it.  For some reason I had difficulty with this one.

This was my sample of the Palestrina Stitch.  This one was another one I have never done and I like it.   So now I am caught up until next week. 






My brother and his wife are visiting the end of next week, so have been busy trying to get the house in order.  Cleaning up some of my stitching messes!~

TAST-WEEKS 21&22

Catching up on Sharon Boggan's Take a Stitch Tuesday. I wanted to get these posted before today's stitch comes out.  We had a week's vacation in Nevada, and opal mined 1 day, and I found some pieces.  Anyway for the stitches:


Week 21 was the Butterfly Chain, another new one for me and is posted below.

Week 22 was the Knotted Cretan, and it is seen below.  I added some chain stitches and French Knots to them also.  

TAST-WEEK 20-BULLION KNOT

The stitch Sharon B. chose for this week's Take a Stitch Tuesday was the Bullion Knot.  I have done these in the past and the examples below are some I did in a Brazillian Embroidery round robin I was in. 

Both of these designs I purchased  from JDR Brazillian Embroidery Elegance.

I am working on another sample of Bullion Knots, but am not quite finished.  Am also busy with my
Sumptuous Surfaces Class by Sharon B, and getting ready for vacation next week.  Only have 3 more days to work and I'm off for 6.

TAST-Week 19-Half Chevron

Last week's stitch for the Take a Stitch Tuesday being run by Sharon Boggan was the Half Chevron.  This was another new stitch for me.  I didn't get very far with it, just the basic stitch. 

Last week was a busy one.  In addition to working full time, I also am committed to doing the CQJP this year, so I got May's block made, which I need to get busy on.  Also I started Sharon B's Sumptuous Surface Embroidery class and have been busy working on my design in my little bit of free time.  Today I am heading
to jury duty and I don't mind serving this week if chosen, but next week is my vacation, and I sure hope I
don't get a long trial!  We'll see in a couple of hours.  Right now, I want to go dye some laces for my May
CQJP block before I head out for jury duty.  This month my block will be my parents' wedding picture.

TAST-Week 18-Crossed Buttonhole

The stitch Sharon B chose this week for the TAST was the Crossed Buttonhole.  This was one I have never
tried, and I liked it.  I chose to do mine sample on a piece of wired ribbon which I can add to my work at a later date.  I also added lazy daisy and some beads.  My picture isn't the greatest as the light is not so good
early this morning.

TAST-WEEK 17-WHEATEAR STITCH

The stitch this week on Sharon B's TAST was the Wheatear stitch.  I have tried this one before, but really never liked the way mine turned out.  I tried it again, and this one will I will definitely use in the future. 

I did it again with some beads on a block I am working on for
my sister for her birthday. 

TAST-WEEK 16, FRENCH KNOTS

Last week, Sharon B's stitch of the week in the TAST was French Knots.  I decided to put some in my wool basket I had previously worked on.  It's hard to photograph due to the basket being set on point. 

TAST, Week 12, Barred Chain, Alternating Barred Chain

Sharon B's stitch for the TAST this week was the barred chain, or alternating barred chain.  I decided to try the latter version, which was a new one for me.  I also added cast on flowers and a bead and am quite pleased with the result on my CQJP block for March.  I've got to get myself into gear to finish this one!

TAST, WEEK 11, WHIPPED WHEEL

Seems like I am running late again, but I did do last week's whipped wheel on Sharon' B's TAST.  

For some reason, I have been too dense to get the instructions to do this stitch, but the lightbulb finally went off in my head.  I did a sample in purple. 

Then I did a couple on my CQJP block for January, the beach scene. 

I am loving the clear, precise pictures my I-pad-3 is able to take!

TAST, WEEK 9 COUCHING, WEEK 10 RUNNING STITCH

I didn't want to get too far behind on Sharon B's TAST .  Last week's stitch was the couching stitch.  For my example, I decided to make a paisley.

I started out by couching down some yarn with some
beads attached.  Only 2 beads ended up showing on this small sample though.  I used a herringbone stitch to couch this down.

My lighting is poor as am trying to get this posted before I go to work
this morning though. 

Next I did a pink chain round, then I couched black striped yarn down.
The next row, which is hard to see is a herringbone in a multicolored thread, then another chain round in another glizy thread. 

Finally I did a few running stitches in the middle.  Didn't have much
time to explore the running stitch this week.  On one of my days off
I had the pleasure of watching my almost 18-month-old grandson John.

Tomorrow I will share my naked March CQJP block.  I couldn't take any decent pictures at all of that block. Will try this evening when
the light is better