TAST last weeks

Here is my last sampler for the TAST.
I don't like Chained Bar very much and I know it is visible!
I prefer the Spanish Feather stitch.
Anyway, it has been a pleasure to take part to that challenge, and I want to thank Sharon for all the work she has done organizing it!

Postcards and TAST

Here are the last three postcards I've made:

and WK50TAST: berry stitch.
For this stitch, I've completed a PLOS sampler, and have played with thread weights. You can seen the result on the three flowers at the bottom right.

TAST and other...

This is my sampler for TAST week46.

This stitch is fun to do, but I just cannot get it regular. Have to try again and again, because I do like it.

Speaking of TAST, Sharon is trying to set up a new challenge for new year. If you are interested, read her post and leave a comment to tell what you would like to do.

I'm so glad my GTS post has brought 10 comments already.

Regarding the weather, I'm like Sisah, I cannot believe it was winter until yesterday. On Sunday, the temperature dropped to -2°C, and this morning, at the same time, it was back to 12°C... I'm in the living room, with the French window open and the heating is off...

Regarding the lavender, well this plant is at home here. So no wonder it is that big. Although it is a English one, not a French one.

Thanks for the comments on the amaryllis. As it is a bulb I have purchased this year, no wonder it is that big. I've just started those of previous years, I don't know what they'll produce.

I've managed to make a "studio" from a spare bedroom. At the beginning, it was quite nice, with a lot of space to work on. But then, my daughters have changed flats, and left quite a lot of boxes in that room (in my bedroom too). Besides, I've been working on several textile projects recently, and did not take the time to put the fabrics away properly, so there was no space left on my table. And weird furry fabrics had appeared in my stash:

Since I need to find fabrics for XMas cards, it seemed the right time to do some cleaning. At the same time, I've reorganized the boxes my daughters left. I'm very pleased with myself and with the result. Plenty of free space, and fabrics back in their boxes. How long will that stay that way?

TAST, Vegetables, Misc.

For the TAST stitch of this week, I'm a bit lazy and will post a picture from the PLOS course I have attended with Sharon. My excuse is XMas frenzy. :-) Anyway, this is the third from the top.

Regarding that XMas frenzy, this is the squash. Not an easy one, due to the curved seams, but still fun to make. One broccoli to do, and then I 'll assemble the wall hanging with all those vegetables. Must be ready for XMas. I think it will be pretty in a kitchen.

As many of you have pointed, Assistant 1 named Choupette, the one that is sitting, is ready to take all the credit. Osiris does not mind as long as she gets all the love she wants.

Thank you also for the compliment on the rose. It is not the most beautiful in the world, not even of the year in my garden, but I was surprise by its size at this time of the year.

Have a nice week all!

TAST week 44 and 42

During my trip to Sweden, I saw this at the front door of an hotel. It was supposed to represent the archipel of islands and lakes around Stockholm. This has been the inspiration for this embroidery:

The stitches are from the TAST challenge: Zig Zag Spanish Knotted Stitch and Twisted Satin Stitch

I love weekends

... espacially those that last three days, like this one :-)



First, I want to thank you for the kind comments you have left on my blogs. I do appreciate them, and like many of you I'm glad to belong to this community!



This has been a quiet weekend, with a beautiful weather. My daughter was there, but she went out in the evenings to meet friends and came early in the mornings. So she has been sleeping most of the time. Leaving me plenty of free time for textile art.



At last, I've had some time to read Stitch. And the cracker inside was a good opportunity to see how the new machine does free embroidery. It is not finished yet, I have to put some embellishments. I like to make "lace" with hydrosoluble. So this is the first step,
and the result when the hydrosoluble is gone. In Stitch, they use soluble paper. But I think this one may be better: you can dissolve the hydrosoluble just enough to have the lace effect, and still have a stiff effect. I hope I will work on it next weekend. And more important, I love this machine, especially the possibility to select three sewing speeds. And to have the needle down anytime I stop pressing the pedal, with the foot lifted just enough to turn the fabric. My second priority for this weekend was sewing this lettuce. Quite a challence, especially as I drew the pattern on a support, and then cut the bits from that support. In fact, this produces defaults, small defaults, but added together, they end making a big one. The last seam was a bit difficult to achieve. So ladies, if you are sewing on paper and read in the instructions "photocopy", do photocopy :() Anyway, I like it. next vegetable is an artichocke. With curved seams too. I really must be insane to do that.
And the last picture for today is the TAST challenge, with the Lace Border Stitch. It looks complex but it is fun to do, and far more easier as it looks.

TAST up-to-date

I'm happy, I'm up-to-date with the TAST stitches.

Those are the stitches of the last four weeks:

• knotted buttonhole band,
• buttonhole bar,
• cable chain stitch,
• square boss stitch.