A Little Bit of Catch-up

It has been a few weeks now since I've been able to post any Take A Stitch Tuesday stitchings. These two were done and ready to post back on week 18 but due to life presenting a challenge I am only now able to post them. This first sample of Woven Wheel/Whipped Wheel was stitched on 26 ct linen. The top left fan of flowers was woven with #8 perle and the detached chain stitches were worked with #70 tatting thread. The pistol stitch flowers were worked with Needle Necessities overdyed thread. The blue wheel base in the middle was stitched with #8 perle and #5 perle was used to whip. The far wheel on the right also used the #8 for the base and #5 for the weaving. DMC silver metallic was used to tie this wheel. The bottom left basket was also woven with #8 varigated thread. This basket is slightly different from the first in that only the #8 varigated thread was used. The top of this basket has elongated detatched chains filled with colonial knots.


My first attempt at stitching a topiary tree! The fabric is 32 ct linen and the woven basket with feet was stitched using six strands DMC floss. The trunk of the tree is whipped running stitch worked with Caron's Watercolors. The spider web rose was worked with both 4mm and 7mm silk ribbon. I added a crystal seed beed in the center for a "dew" drop. The detached chain leaves and the white French knot flowers surrounding the rose were also stitched with silk ribbon. These two samples were the last worked before the death of my dear hubby and it is slow getting back to the ones I have fallen behind with, but this week I did manage to do a little on several of those stitches which I hope to add later this week.

Before my hubby's illness made him weaker I set up a new technique (for me) that I became interested in a number of years ago when I saw it demonstrated at one of our local EGA meetings. Bobbin lace caught my fancy but I just keep putting it off. In April of this year I decided that maybe now was the time to learn so I ordered the kit and set it up. The set up is as far as I have gone at the moment. When the time is right I now have something new to learn.

Several months ago someone on one of the lists I'm on asked if anyone knew about "Palls" and for those of you who do not know this term it is a casket cover and used in place of flowers. Several years ago I purchased a book about various types of quilted palls and so in April I knew it was time to make one for my hubby. It is only a small quilted cover (20" square) but has very special meaning. The center has a quilted lyre stitched in gold silk thread. The rest of the quilting is white on white. The special meaning - not only did my hubby sing in school choirs but he played violin and viola in the Youth Symphony. Bill loved his music and often teased me about taking my bucket when I went to church choir practice. You see, my sweet hubby said I can't carry a tune in a bucket but I do love to "make a joyful noise"!