the Cretan Stitch

My ongoing work in the Take a Stitch Tuesday Challenge features small sampler pieces of each week's featured embroidery stitch.

The fourth week (of TAST - Take a Stitch Tuesday) features a stitch I had never used before, the Cretan Stitch.  I enjoyed using two colors, one overlapping the other as I worked on this sampler piece.  Exploring the stitch's length and width was fun too.  I even tried a few free-flowing, rambling Cretan stitches, letting the inner-stitching-goddess take over!

One enjoyable feature of the TAST challenge is learning about each week's stitch,  from the basics of "how-to-stitch" to the details of the individual stitch's history.  Did you know that this stitch, the Cretan Stitch is named for the island of Crete, where the local women have used this embroidery stitch to decorate clothing for centuries?  There are two variations, called an Open Cretan Stitch and a Knotted Cretan Stitch (to learn more, click on any of the highlighted names).

Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST), an annual challenge hosted by Sharon B of Pin Tangle fame. Click here (to go to the beginning of the 2012 TAST Challenge).   Join in anytime for a year of fun stitching ....or check back with Pin Tangle, or any of the participants to see where our Tuesday Stitchings have taken us.  Or look back on my blog and click on my TAST label to see my posts.

If you enjoy embroidery, or would like to learn more about the many stitches (from their history to a step-by-step how-to) click here for Sharon B's Stitch Dictionary home page.  She has compiled an amazing compendium of information and wonderful photographs!

Faux Lox-n-Bagel

Have you ever seen Lox and a Bagel on a Cupcake? 

Yes, it does look like a mini-bagel and a sliver of smoked salmon, with a bit of cream cheese to hold it all together.  Doesn't it?  But appearances can be deceiving (by the way, Photoshop was not used to enhance the images).

This delightful creation was made by one of my Teacher Assistants, Laura K and her sister Julia.  I had to share a photo before eating it ... and yes, I enjoyed every last bite!

The faux lox-n-bagel is made entirely with sweet and yummy edibles and the cupcake was tasty too!  I wonder what they will make and share with me next?

the Feather Stitch

I am running a tad behind, as per my usual, 

so without further ado ...

Here is my sampler piece for the 3rd week of 

the 2012 Take A Stitch Tuesday (TAST) Challenge.

the Feather Stitch

The feather stitch is an embroidery stitch that I know, as it is one I learned back in my youth when I was an eager embroiderer and a happy Girl Scout.  The bottom row in gold and the middle row in bright blue are examples of the classic feather stitch.  At the top right is a free-form feather stitch 'snowflake' in purple, with a rambling, meandering medium blue semi-free-form feather stitch in the corner.  At the top left, the curious shapes (sidewise hearts or fish missing their eyes or ... what do you see?) were inspired by another TAST participant whose version looks more like tessellating fish lips (smoochie smoochie) but you'll have to see her work to believe me!  Click here for more feather stitch highlights or here for a view of the fish lips (on Flickr).

For more about Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST), an annual challenge hosted by Sharon B of Pin Tangle fame, click here (it will take you to the beginning of the 2012 TAST Challenge).  Please join in anytime for a year of fun stitching ....or check back here with me, or with Pin Tangle, or any of the others participating to see where our Tuesday Stitchings have taken us.

Satsuma

Take a Stitch Tuesday features a new embroidery stitch each week with the challenge to try the stitch (if it is new to you) and to expand beyond (if it is already in your embroidery repertoire).

Sharon B has run this challenge for several years now and I love that she shares a peek at some of the completed pieces by challenge participants.  Click here to see more of the blanket stitch eye-catchers that Sharon chose to highlight or click here to see the original challenge post, then scroll to read all the comments (over 150 and always increasing) as that is where participants post links to their creations.

The blanket stitch was recently featured and I just have to share this creative use of embroidery and fresh fruit.

Hasn't Chittle Chattle gone over board with zany creativity?  Doesn't this whimsy make you smile? and wonder how she dreamed up such an idea? Click here to see her full post of this wonky embroidery (which includes images of the satsuma a few days after being blanket stitched). 

the Buttonhole Stitch

The featured stitch for week two of Take A Stitch Tuesday 2012 is the Buttonhole stitch.   For directions on how to embroider this stitch, click here (it is a direct link to Sharon B's Stitch Dictionary!).

This is the first embroidery stitch I ever remember learning.  Many years ago, when I was a young Girl Scout, we made simple sit-upons.  We took two square pieces of flannel-backed vinyl, tucked a foam cushion between them and embroidered the blanket stitch around the four sides.  These blanket stitches were utilitarian as well as decorative.  I made two (and possibly more) of these sit-upons and used them on many Girl Scout camp outs and outings.  I may still have one tucked away somewhere and promise to post a photo of it (if my sit-upon turns up one day).

Meanwhile here is my exploration of the buttonhole stitch for my weekly Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge.

I have never tried doing free-form button-hole stitches, nor have I ever made wavy ones, or ones that depict a sweet little heart.  This was a fun challenge because while I am familiar with the blanket stitch, I explored new ways of stitching with it.  I do prefer the variations of symmetry that the stitch naturally allows over the rambling free-form scribble-stitch (or perhaps I need to practice my free-form stitching a bit more!).

By the way, it is not too late to join this ongoing weekly embroidery challenge.  Click here for the beginning directions on Sharon B's Take a Stitch Tuesday.  Click here just to see her Pin Tangle blog -- she's amazingly talented, and warmly spotlights others (with photos and links) in her writings too  -- so many great things to admire and drool over!  As Sharon would say, make a cuppa and come browse for a bit.

Death in a Strange Country

I recently finished the second* mystery in a series set in Venice, Italy and authored by Donna Leon.  The book is Death in a Strange Country and stars Commisario Guido Brunetti.

The mystery begins when a dead body is discovered floating in one of Venice's canals.  The tale of intrigue wanders to a nearby American military base, but never fear, most of the action happens in Venice.  Donna Leon, an American who has lived in Venice for years, has captured the city vividly from the classic beauty, tourist crunches, filth of an old city, and more.   While it has been years since I last traveled to Venice, reading this book takes me back instantly .... and makes me long to return again.

Guido Brunetti, the detective of this series, is a fascinating character, one whom I plan to get to know better as I read more by Donna Leon.  After all, by way of Donna Leon's stories, I can travel to Venice via my armchair dreams much faster and easier than in actuality (though truthfully, I do hope to return to Venice again one day).




*  I discovered Donna Leon's books in my local library.  Since the first book of her series was not available, I began with the second one.  There are several more in the series and I hear that Leon's writing gets stronger and her story-telling more engaging with each new mystery!

the Fly Stitch

The first stitch of the new year of "Take a Stitch Tuesday" challenge is the Fly Stitch.  For directions on how to embroider this stitch, click here (it is a direct link to Sharon B's wonderful stitch dictionary!)

The Fly Stitch is not a stitch I have used ... ever?  But is simple and easy to learn.  I have done a very quick rendition (as I do not wish to start off running behind this year ....)

I stitched my fly's in green embroidery floss onto a small strip of Aida cloth, so that the fly stitch becomes the leaves and stems for my button flowers.  I have been wanting to make a piece of creative button flowers... this is not that piece, but it just enough to further whet my whistle.  These are the simplest button flowers I've ever seen -- just a 4-hole button held down with a cross-stitch of embroidery floss.

I plan to add smaller fly stitches -- in black -- to be flitting among the blossoms (flies, bees, any flying bug?)  stay tuned -- I will add a photo once I've added the tinier flies.


For more about Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST), an annual challenge hosted by Sharon B of Pin Tangle fame, click here (it will take you to the beginning of the 2012 TAST Challenge).  You are free to jump in now and join the group for a year of fun stitching ....