Cy - CQJP update

I think I am finally getting back to some sort of normality here. 

It has definitely been a busy couple of months for me what with work on the farm and the Art Festival work.. 

My projects for the Arts Festival made the deadline

 (see my Rock Pool in a Fish Bowl post here) 

I have caught up with the TAST stitches, but I have not yet completed my August CQJP, but progress on that block is coming along nicely. Just a few more beads to add, and one more seam needs embellishing.

So the end is in sight. Hopefully will have it finished by next weekend.

So here are the photos of my TAST catch-up stitches. All these are on the August CQJP block.

This one is Pistil Stitch around a Shisha mirror.

Pistil Stitch to couch a ribbon embellishment.

And here is the Sheaf Stitch.

The following pics are varying seam treatments on the August CQJP.

I'm looking forward to another stitching busy week ahead.

Happy Stitching

Angela: TAST Catch Up Week

Since I didn't need to actually catch up on anything I decided to try out what others have been playing with.  Shisha Work!

This was a fun little project and very freeing since it was so random.  I used some pearl cotton but mostly 6 strands of floss, incorporating lazy daisy, french knot, straight, stem and cross stitches with a silk ribbon bow.

The 'mirrors' are some large gold plastic sequins/spangles that are flat and some heavy scrap book paper with silver, gold and copper finishes.  I actually tacked my mirrors in place first with a couple of regular thread stitches near the edges.  That might be cheating but it made it easier for me and the shisha stitching hid it.

I didn't choose a historical event this week, but in case you would like one... Houston, TX was incorporated in the Republic of Texas on June 5, 1837.  You did know Texas is the only state that was once it's own country, right?

Cy - TAST 22 & May CQJP block

Can I squeeze my reveal in here....had a busy 3-day weekend, so I wasn't around to post earlier.


TAST Week 22 Knotted Cretan Stitch

I didn't have much time to spend on this stitch this week as I've been in 'Digital Designing' mode and working in the orchard.

But that is a story for another blog post. I'll keep you in suspenders (haha) for now.

So here are two test samples for Knotted Cretan Stitch.

With the pink floss I was just playing with different stitch lengths, widths and stretches.

And with the green, well, it was meant to be a circle but I got distracted when one of the dogs decided it was time to throw an old shoe at me "oh come on mum, it must be playtime now".

CQJP May Block

I have got this block to a reasonable stopping point for now, and I'm calling it temporarily finished.

I need (at some point in the near future) to add something more to the left side because I can see that all the "weight" of embellishing is on the right, and the block is not balanced and not to my liking.....yet.

Detail pics......

Silver ribbon stitched to create a ruffle, and turquoise seed beads scattered around the folds.

Blanket Stitch half wheels in two strands of blue variegated DMC floss.

I've no idea what this is called, lol. How about "noughts and crosses".

A bit more added to my "V" exploratory seam. I like the effect of the turquoise/teal raised threads going from one 'knot' to the next. This stitch was one I made up. I think it may be something similar to the Scroll stitch, but this one is stitched differently.

Black cotton crochet scalloped edging lace, and a very short seam with detached chains, silver beads and blue French Knots.

Freeform Mandala with a shiny gold Shisha in the middle.

And my usual centre patch with a butterfly. Not one of my better butterflies I think. It looks more like a hawk-moth to me, probably because of the chunky bead body. 

I may 'frog' the green thread lines on the top as it just doesn't look 'right' to me.

So that's all for now sweet friends.

Back to work on the digital stuff for a day or two before I will allow myself time off to relax with needle and thread.

Suz- TAST, CQJP, Shisha

I'd hoped to have more pics to show you of my WIPs for StitchMAP, but I'm not quite finished, yet. Next week, perhaps........so I'll just show my blog post:
TAST- Bullion
I don't know why it's called a bullion knot stitch.....I think it should be called a bullion wrap instead. Seems to me I've wrapped the thread around the needle at least a bullion times....lol.....(sorry)
I've been making bullions:

DH calls them worms......

I have variegated green bullions

and more, here....



there's so many


I wonder why they're all together like that.....

they do look like worms, crawling over each other.....

oh, look! It's a tree!....well...sort of......

and the tree topper?

it's supposed to be  Shisha, but I used a really large sequin for the mirror, and tried the shisha stitch to secure it

in the top of the 'mirror' is a smaller silver sequin, then a green sequin topped with a red crystal

you can see the sequin shape and a bit of the stitching. This is as close as I could get, so sorry it's somewhat blurry

The tree is on my May CQJP

Mr, Snowman is admiring the lovely Christmas tree.

I'm sure he'd be pointing to it, if he only had arms.........

hmmm, the tree topper isn't centered.....

so it looks a lot like our Christmas trees........lol

Mr. S was getting a little unruly-looking, so I used some silver metallic thread and buttonhole stitch around the outside of his 'snow' to tame the threads.



He's staring at me with his black crystal eyes.
I think he wants arms, don't you?




I hope that you're doing something you enjoy.


Your comments are welcomed.

Hugs from Suz