Work In Progress Wednesdays-22- TAST Samplers

I have not made  much progress on my UFOS  to write. to see others progress visit Pintangle.

We were on vacation to Chennai, India for two weeks. We visited Bangalore and some temples around our village with our family. Our family Deity [ AngallaParameswari], Avanivanallur, Alankudi [ Guru], SriVancheeyam [ Yamadharma], Ramaswamy[ Kumbakonam], Pattiswaram[ Durga], Suryanar Koil[ Sun], Vaitheeswaran Koil- were the temples . All the temples are centuries old, makes us feel and both proud to be a part of these and humble that how insignificant we are. This trip was more of a pilgrimage to offer thanks to God for looking after us during my hubby’s emergency surgeries. We also had Navarathri Festival during which we refrain from stitching. So lots of excuses for stitchfree vacation.
SharonB had asked about the length of my TAST samplers. The sampler are of 4 inches width. They are still individual pieces, which I am hoping to assemble together one day.
TAST sampler details– I started stitching TAST sampler in 2009, when the TAST challenge was restarted on stitchinfingers. I worked 16 of the challenge stitches. The total length of these 2009 year sampler is 14. 4 feet.
In 2010, I joined the TAST challenge on Pintangle and worked 28 of the challenge stitches. the length of 2010 sampler is 23. 5 feet.
In 2012, joined the TAST challenge on Pintangle and completed all the stitches. The length of 2012 sampler is over 40 feet.
In 2013 , joined the TAST challenge on Pintangle and completed all the stitches. The length of 2013 samplers is 32. 5 feet.
This year too, I started working the stitches as band samplers which is 15 feet in length. And after 22 weeks moved on to working the challenge stitches on some designs, these design samplers are of varying length and width. I have got the sampler fever again and plan to work the stitches which need catching up as samplers. The total length of all these samplers cross 125 feet at present.

Thank you, Sharon.
After returning to Muscat, deciding to catch up on Randje per week challenge and started these six edges,

22-wipw-rwp-79to84-started

The outlining in chain stitch[green] for mirrors to be attached later  was worked on the cream tunic before I left for India.

22-wipw-ct-1

 

Violet and aqua green mirror work tunic

The tunic fabrics are block printed cottons. The violet fabric for the sleeves was pin-tucked.

violetaquagreenmirror-fabrics

The embroidery was based on two elements, a tunic I saw on the net, which had heavily printed borders in the front and sleeves and Balushi embroidery from Pakistan. The Balushi embroidery patterns with mirror work are very different from this pattern. I just mix and matched along the fabrics the two ideas. The pattern for the front, the same border was used for the sleeves.

violetaquagreenmirror-pattern

The embroidery work before working the mirrors in violet thread.

violetaquagreenmirror-emb

Diamond mirrors are worked into the spaces between the embroidery.

violetaquagreenmirror-mirrors

The tunic

violet aqua green mirror work tunic

I feel the contrasts- fabrics, prints are quite intimidating, and the tunic fits the label of –gypsy costume!

 

TAST 2013. Reversed buttonhole bar-3

After realizing the mistake of whipping these buttonhole stitches, today, a few more samples were worked with the reversed buttonhole stitches.

46.94.reversed buttonhole bar-sampler3

6.The first row is up and down buttonhole stitch over which this stitch was worked in pink. In the second sample, two rows of reversed buttonhole stitches are worked over closely worked buttonhole stitch. Reversed buttonhole stitches are worked over basque stitch in the third sample.

46.94.revbholest-6

7.Reversed buttonhole stitches worked over two stitches in the first sample, again with an urge to work a braid, two rows of reversed buttonhole stitches are worked together over arrow head stitches in the second sample. I like this variation. Zigzag coral stitch worked with reversed buttonhole bar in the third row.

46.94.revbholest-7

8.These samples are embellished with glass beads.

46.94.revbholest-8

This sampler was completed.

46.94.reversed buttonhole bar sampler

I learnt and explored so many stitches in this challenge. My sampler with all the TAST 2013 stitches is thirty two feet long now. I am hoping that SharonB will introduce many more stitches. Her step by step approach has been easy to comprehend and follow.
I have developed a liking for samplers, [earlier I thought they did not have any practical purpose], I have also learnt it is only by working and exploring a stitch I can really learn it. I have my own library of stitches with these samples. I have also gained some confidence to learn new things.
I have this dream to learn other ethnic embroideries, crochet, tatting, then work some samplers for reference. For this I need to manage the time, which is the first and foremost thing. My time is divided between designing and embroidering tunics and TAST challenge.
Then choose the types of embroidery which I want to learn, for this I need to segregate what I want [I want all of them!] and more importantly what I don’t want [which is very difficult]. I am still in the browsing the net mode.
Lots of work to do.

 

TAST 2013. Reversed buttonhole bar-2

I started working on this sampler, and did not touch it for two days[went to Dubai] , result instead of buttonhole bars these samples became whipped buttonhole variations. I did not realize the mistake till today! Here are the whipped buttonhole samples-

46.94.reversed buttonhole sampler2

4.The mistake starts in this sample, where I wanted to create a chained or braided effect over the buttonhole stitches, which I did by just whipping. Small straight stitches are worked over the buttonhole stitch rows in the next two samples, in the second row, the buttonhole stitch itself goes through the straight stitches and whipped with pink thread. In the third row, the whipping pink thread goes through the straight stitches.

46.94.revbholest-4

5.Closed buttonhole stitch, bullion buttonhole stitch and top knotted buttonhole stitches are whipped in these rows. Here we have to imagine these samples with reversed buttonhole stitches to make this reversed buttonhole sampler!

46.94.revbholest-5

 

TAST 2013. Reversed buttonhole bar -1

This week’s stitch on TAST 2013 by SharonB is reversed buttonhole bar. An easy stitch it enhances the look of the buttonhole. The sampler so far-

46.94.reversed buttonhole st-sampler1

1.Reversed buttonhole stitches are worked over the three lines of buttonhole stitches- in single line in the first, two lines in the second and in two shades of pink in the third.

46.94.revbholest-1

2.Reversed buttonhole stitches worked in two ways around a circle in the first two samples. I like the second sample. In the next two samples they are worked in a curve. I wanted to bring the effect of a feather [done by Annet on her blog], but couldn’t manage to do so.

46.94.revbholest-2

3.Reversed buttonhole stitches are worked on buttonhole stitch row pairs in these rows.

46.94.revbholest-3

 

 

TAST 2013.45.93.Plaited feather stitch

The working of this stitch is on SharonB ’s blog as a part of TAST 2013 stitch challenge. After working the crossed feather stitch ideas for this stitch were not many. The sampler-

45.93.plaited feather stitch sampler

1.The details on this part of the sampler- the basic plaited feather stitch is worked on the first row, the stitch was worked in two colours in the second row, the feather stitches on one side are shorter than the other side, making an open and closed plaited feather stitch variation in the third row.

45.93.plfeatherst-1

2.Plaited feather stitch is laced with blue thread in three ways in these samples.

45.93.plfeatherst-2

3.The other stitches combined with plaited feather stitch in these rows are – cross stitch, fly stitch, chain stitch and pistil stitch.

45.plfeatherst-3

I liked this stitch because of the braided effect and the width of the stitch. It will be lovely to work borders with this stitch.

 

TAST 2013. 44.92. Crossed feather stitch-2

The second part of the sampler-

44.92.crossed feathr st- sampler2

I started with combining other stitches with crossed feather stitch. Running and pistil stitches are worked with this stitch in the first row. The stitch was whipped on both sides in the second row and laced on one side in the third row.

44.92.crfeatherst-3

4.A satin ribbon was couched with this stitch worked in two colours in the first row. I liked working this sample. Straight stitches were worked in the middle of crossed feather stitch in the second row. Fly stitches and beads are worked with this stitch on the last row.

44.92.crfeatherst-4

This stitch would be useful to work wide borders and couching. The sampler-

44.92.crossed feather stitch sampler

 

TAST 2013. 44.92. Crossed feather stitch-1

This is another feather stitch variation which makes a heavy border which was part of TAST 2013 Challenge by SharonB. The working is on her blog.

44.92.crossed feather st-sampler1

The sampler started with the basic crossed feather stitch in the first row, the stitch worked in two colours in the second row, and the broad version of straight feather stitch crossed with narrow version of the same in the third row.

44.92.crfeatherst-2

The longer feather stitches are crossed with short feather stitches in the first row, the feather stitch with different heights on one side is crossed with another feather stitch in the second row.

44.92.crfeatherst-2

 

TAST 2013.43.91.Straight feather stitch-2

I used the same variegated cone thread to work some more samples of this stitch.

43.91.straight feather st-sampler2

4.Two rows of straight feather stitch are worked together in these samples.

43.91.stfeatherst-4

5.After working a wider version of this in the first row, herringbone stitch is worked over it. Buttonhole stitch was worked over the straight feather stitch line in the second row. The inner skeleton [?] is whipped in the third row. This last row looked like a braid, to remember the working, I took pictures.

43.91.stfeatherst-5

The working of the last row is done this way. Going back with the needle once-

43.91.stfeatherst-5wip1

again going back with the needle under the next one .. The same treatment was continued to get this braid.

43.91.stfeatherst-5wip2

6.Detached chain stitches and french knots are worked over straight feather stitch rows in these samples.

43.91.stfeatherts-6

7.A narrow version of the stitch worked over the wider version. The place for this sample would have been appropriate on crossed feather stitch sampler I suppose. One side of the straight feather stitch was twisted in the second row. Getting too adventurous I tried twisting both the feather stitches in the last row. Not a good idea. Still when I wonder how this row was worked in future, reading this might help.

43.91.stfeatherst-7

I stopped here. A simple stitch which can enhance many embroidery pieces. The complete sampler

43.91.straight feather stitch sampler

 

TAST 2013.43.91.Straight feather stitch-1

I started with 91st week stitch on TAST 2013 stitch challenge by SharonB. This a variation of feather stitch, pop in to know this stitch on Sharon’s blog. When I was working feather stitch sampler some of the samples were straight feather stitch, which I am trying not to repeat here. The first part of the sampler-
 

43.91.straight feather st-sampler1

1.The first sample is the basic straight feather stitch , the second and the third ones are the wider and narrower versions of the same.
 

43.91.stfeatherst-1

2.After working the closed version of this stitch in the first row, the straight feather stitches are whipped on both sides in the second row and laced in the third row.
 

43.91.stfeatherst-2

3.Straight feather stitch  is closed on one side and open on the other side in the first row, the stitches are worked in varying heights on one side in the second row. Two step straight feather stitches are worked on one side in the third row.
 

43.91.stfeatherst-3