MooshieStitch Monday: Interlaced Cable Chain Stitch (& TAST Anniversary)

Have you heard of the TAST challenge?

It stands for Take A Stitch Tuesday and is found on Sharon B's Pintangle blog.

The basics of Take A Stitch Tuesday: to challenge stitchers of all skill levels to learn a new stitch a week or if you already know it, experiment with that stitch.

Why am I bringing this up?

Because in 2017, TAST is celebrating it's 10 year anniversary!!

How cool to think that a stitching challenge has been going online for a decade!

To celebrate the 10 year anniversary, I completed the Interlaced Cable Chain Stitch.

I chose the Interlaced Cable Chain Stitch, because it is a stitch that I left off from when I was participating in the TAST challenge back in 2013 through 2015.

Here is a great tutorial on Pintangle from Sharon on how to work the Interlaced Cable Chain Stitch.

Need to learn the Cable Chain first? Watch Mary's video tutorial!

Just for fun, I decided to add onto the stitch - so I did another two rows of the cable chain above and below.

I like to draw a line in water soluble pen to keep my stitching as straight as possible.

Here it is finished.

Sharon re-started last week with stitch #69 - Magic Chain Stitch. Check it out!

More information about the TAST challenge, guidelines, and stitch list by number can be found here.

Have you ever participated in Take a Stitch Tuesday? Let us know!

And if you are interested -  all of my completed Take a Stitch Tuesday stitches can be found here.

Bride and Groom Hoop - free pattern!

So, I have a bit of exciting news for all of you - I'm getting married! And one thing I have noticed is there is a distinct lack of wedding embroidery patterns out there. I've seen all sorts of fun DIY projects on Pinterest, but very few that actually feature embroidery. Well, I'm gonna fix that!

Our wedding date is rather soon - May, but from now until then, my goal is to come up with one free project each month, to celebrate our wedding. Now I know that may be too ambitious, so I apologize in advance if I fall off the embroidery wagon, due to time constraints.

My first free pattern is a lovely Bride and Groom embroidery, to fit into a 5x9 oval embroidery hoop. I used the same stitching method on my lettering as I did with my free Vote pattern - this time I used 3 strands of split stitch for the thicker parts of the letter and 3 strands couched (how to do couching) for the thinner lines.

This is a quick, easy project that stitches up super fast, and a slightly more personalized alternative to the chalkboard signs I've seen all over the place.

I wrapped my Bride hoop in light grey bias tape to give it a more dressed up look:

I used my wedding colors as inspiration for these hoops - Navy and Ivory. I used a nice Navy linen I also used in this wedding hoop, and DMC embroidery floss in Snow White for the Bride and 822 (an Ecru shade) for the Groom.

Here is the start of my Groom hoop - instead of transferring, I stitched over tracing paper, then used those lines to embroider my design.

It would also be lovely to use a white fabric for the bride, with gold or ivory thread, and a gray suiting fabric for the groom, with black or navy thread. The possibilities to customize this project are endless!

Have fun with it! And please if you stitch up a version of this project, tag us on Instagram - #feelingstitchyIG, comment here, or email us a photo we can share on our blog!

Friday Instagram Finds No. 85 with Katy Biele

Happy Friday! I've been waiting for this Friday for months because I'm on my way to sunny Florida! YAY! My son and I are spending a few days visiting my parents in the Orlando area, and we have our days planned out at Disney.

Today we're featuring Katy Biele @katybiele and her Instagram feed of gorgeous embroidery! I love her use of bright colors, fun stitches, and floral elements. The pictures in Katy's feed are so prettily staged with interesting angles and bright, sunny photos. You can also find Katy on Etsy. Take a look at some of my favorite pictures!

A photo posted by Katy Biele (@katybiele) on Jan 18, 2017 at 10:48am PST

A photo posted by Katy Biele (@katybiele) on Jan 15, 2017 at 8:24pm PST

A photo posted by Katy Biele (@katybiele) on Jan 8, 2017 at 9:02pm PST

A photo posted by Katy Biele (@katybiele) on Dec 10, 2016 at 10:24pm PST

Stitchy Snippets - Lace Pictures

Stunning lace figures by artist Ágnes Herczeg, created entirely from organic materials such as: yarns, tree branches, roots, shell and clay. From her studio in Hungary, which is situated near the Danube river, Ágnes meticulously crafts these beautiful lace portraits using various traditional techniques. These include lace making with a pillow and bobbins, needle lace, macramé and braiding.

Ágnes forged her passion for 'almost-forgotten techniques' whilst majoring in textile conservation at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts. She takes inspiration from prehistoric art and the nature around her, admiring ancient knowledge of the manipulation and application of natural resources in art. Inherently inquisitive, Ágnes continues to experiment with different organic based materials to compliment her intricate lace work.

Friday Instagram Finds No. 84 with Chawne Kimber

Last Saturday I went to a workshop presented by the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild (which I'm a member of), that featured Chawne Kimber leading us in hand quilting. I'm not a quilter, but I want to be, and Chawne was the perfect person to get me started. Chawne is an artist who is well-known for her social justice minded quilts. It was fascinating to listen to the meanings of the various quilts she brought and get to touch them and feel the different textures. You can find Chawne on Instagram at @cauchycomplete and on her website at Cauchy Complete. Here are some of my favorite pictures from Chawne's Instagram.

The One for Eric is on exhibit at the Michigan State University Museum through summer. A group of students used it in performance art.

A photo posted by Completely Cauchy (@cauchycomplete) on Jan 17, 2017 at 5:27am PST

By the numbers: 22,176 stitches at 20 st/in, overall 5"x10", 10 colors, 28 tapestry, started: 9/30, finished: 11/19 (more photos on blog; link in profile)

A photo posted by Completely Cauchy (@cauchycomplete) on Nov 20, 2016 at 6:07am PST

A photo posted by Completely Cauchy (@cauchycomplete) on Nov 2, 2016 at 5:17am PDT

Slowly wanting to share more of this one.

A photo posted by Completely Cauchy (@cauchycomplete) on Jan 10, 2017 at 4:36am PST

And here's a bit of the start of the mini hand stitched quilt I started under Chawne's tutelage.

I'm taking a hand quilting class taught by @cauchycomplete for the @chicagomqg , & its fascinating! I got to meet @sonicstitches & @turtlesrs in person, plus make a new friend @emilybruzzini !! Quilting & embroidery go hand in hand, and both are so classic.

A photo posted by Amy Byrne (@randomactsofamy) on Jan 14, 2017 at 11:42am PST

Friday Instagram Finds No. 83 with Emma Mattson

A couple of weeks ago my son sent me a screen cap of some moss. I thought it was a little weird until I tapped the picture and saw that it was hand embroidered moss in an embroidery hoop! He thought it was neat and thought I would, too. And, boy, do I!

Emma Mattson's (@emmancipationx) Instagram feed is beautiful. In addition to being a hand embroidery artist and weaver, she's a fantastic photographer. She's got a great eye and the way she frames her shots are visually appealing.

A photo posted by Emma Mattson (@emmancipationx) on Nov 27, 2016 at 11:23am PST

A photo posted by Emma Mattson (@emmancipationx) on Nov 14, 2016 at 5:36pm PST

A photo posted by Emma Mattson (@emmancipationx) on Aug 20, 2016 at 3:39pm PDT

And my favorite of her photographs...

A photo posted by Emma Mattson (@emmancipationx) on Dec 19, 2016 at 1:13pm PST

Stitchy Snippets - All creatures great and small

Happy New Year Stitchers! I hope you like creepy crawlies. Here is a collection of Claire Moynihan's embroidered insects. Claire is a UK based artist and her affinity with nature led to her specialization of insect textile art. These beautiful little bugs are constructed with felting and stump work and embellished with embroidery. Both life-size and realistic these tiny creatures form an 'embroidered' entomological collection that could sit happily among a natural history exhibit.

Friday Instagram Finds No. 82 with Rocket Full of Pie

Photo credit: @rocketfullofpie

Hello, Stitchy Friends! I hope that you've had a wonderful holiday season and fabulous New Year! Today for this first Friday Instagram Finds of 2017 we're going to take a look at @rocketfullofpie. As an animal lover and mom to three Chihuahuas and one cat, I adore the pet portraits that Eleri creates! The textures, colors, and fabrics are fresh and fun, and really capture the spirit of the animals. You can read about each of the pets she creates on her blog, and you can commission your own portrait on her Etsy shop. Take a look at some of my favorite pictures from her Instagram feed.

A photo posted by Eleri (@rocketfullofpie) on Nov 18, 2016 at 3:53am PST

A photo posted by Eleri (@rocketfullofpie) on Nov 24, 2016 at 1:54pm PST

A photo posted by Eleri (@rocketfullofpie) on Nov 8, 2016 at 10:02am PST

A photo posted by Eleri (@rocketfullofpie) on Jul 1, 2016 at 7:59am PDT

MooshieStitch Monday: My Stitchable Mesh Project

Last month, Floresita shared a great review and her beautiful stitching on the new DMC Stitchable Mesh. Since DMC also sent me some, I thought I would share with you what I stitched!

First of all, I chose to stitch on the silver side of the mesh. 

A few of Floresita's suggestions when stitching on the mesh really helped, such as:

1. Use a permanent marker to trace your pattern/design onto the mesh. Anything else will rub off!

2. Secure the edges of the mesh fabric - it will unravel. I used black electrical tape on the edges. It doesn't look very pretty but it worked.

Here is the finished product with the tape removed.

To finish the back of the hoop, I used this awesome method with a light colored felt. I trimmed the mesh down so there was just a little bit left around the edge of the hoop to stitch the felt onto.

It is not my best attempt at finishing the back side, I need to work on my blanket stitch. I have never been good at the blanket stitch!! :)

Here is the front view after the felt was attached.

My biggest takeaway on stitching with the mesh - it made me very aware of the back side of the hoop!!

Since it is so sheer, I knew I had to be careful to not carry my thread from one flower to the next. (I hate to admit it, but my embroidery back sides are usually pretty messy!) But I think I did a pretty good job.

It is surprisingly easy to stitch with and softer to the touch than what I was expecting. I used pearl cotton and DMC cotton floss without any issues. I love it's unique look and like that there is a new option of something to stitch on other than regular fabric. 

Thanks again to DMC for sending the stitchable mesh!

Happy New Year Everyone!!