German Herringbone in process

 To lace the herringbone you pass the thread over and under the 4 legs of the cross stitches.  The thread on the needle becomes the 5th spoke so that as you encircle the cross stitch the second time around will go over the leg that previously had been threaded under.  For the herringbone row I used a variegated that was dark greys and browns DMC Size 5 Perle Cotton #4000.

 For the lacing I used a variegated #4068 that was a combo of olive greens and browns.  To lace I decided to use the eye end of the needle.  The advantage of this is that you do not have to deal with a point that can pierce a thread or catch the fabric.

The tree trunk is completed now to add the branches.  I think I am going to try to couch a piece of DMC 4000 with a green variegated.  Maybe I will use and Italian knotted stitch.  I will have to check my stitching books for ideas.

Laced Herringbone aka German Herringbone My way for Round the Garden

To create a laced herringbone stitch one must stitch a row of herringbone stitches. Next one would encircle each of the  alternating cross stitches created.  What I figured out was that you can encircle multiple times.  I am trying to create a tree trunk that is narrower on the top than on the bottom,  As my stitches get further apart I am encircling the cross stitches more times to cover the empty spaces.  I will go back and create some branches.  Then after the branches I will look at it and see if I need to fill in the spaces with something else.

In order to encircle the cross stitches and to alternate the over and under pattern you need to have an odd number of spokes.  A cross stitch obviously is four spokes.  I decided to use encircling thread as a fifth spoke so that as I go around the cross stitch the over under alternates.  I hope when I'm done it looks like a tree.  I am trying to get better at composite stitching.

I just figured out that my herringbone row is too close to the light house to add branches so I must unstitch.  Not the first time I have had to do that.  At least with a laced stitch there are not so many holes in your fabric.  I always think that this is just an opportunity to learn the intricacies of the stitch and to practice.  Wish me luck.

Palestrina Knot

 I tried to do this stitch before and I did not finish the stitch correctly with a knot and it did not look so wonderful.  This time I decided to make my stitch by inserting the needle straight up and down.  Wool is so thick this helps keep the stitch straight and small.

To make this stitch you are to pass the needle under a loop without piercing the fabric.  I found that it works very well to push the eye end rather than the point.  Wool is so fuzzy that the needle point can inadvertently grab the fabric and distort.

 

This stitch was made with Perle crown rayon thread and has such wonderful dimension.  I really like the look of this stitch,

Butterflies Round the Garden

 For the butterflies I started with two 2wrap pistal stitches for the antennae, two horizontal 4 wrap bullion knots for the head, and two 8-10 wrap verticals for the body ending in a straight stitch.  The wings were made with lazy daisy stitches or wool.

This blossom was made with pistol stitches for the outside ring and Itallian knotted border stitch for the inside.

Finishing an Open Fishbone Stitch to create a leaf

Sara's Hand Embroidery Tutorials are an excellent source for learning your stitches.  I learn best with step by step instructions in conjunction with hands on practice,  Videos have their place, but do not work so well for me.  I have a left/right learning disability.  It takes me a spell to figure what is left and what is right.  Still pictures allow me the time to figure that out.  These tutorials are great.  I also use my Coats and Clarks pamphlet of One Hundred Embroidery Stitches that I purchased forty years ago.

It has been well worth the 50 cent price tag (although my annual teacher's salary that year was only $3200 and living expenses exceeded my income from that source...ergo 2nd job)

Come up left of center stem.

Steeply slant the stitch by inserting needle in the right edge of the leaf considerably above the emerging thread.  

The needle should emerge on the left side of the leaf perpendicular to the center stem.  

Insert the needle on the right side of the center stem.  The needle should emerge an eighth to a quarter  inch below to the left of the center line to begin the next stitch.

 

Continue this pattern until the leaf is filled.  When the bottom of the leaf is reached the slant lessens.

The needle is inserted at the base of the leaf to finish this stitch.

The next stitch is begun again at the base of the leaf and forms the bottom edge of the leaf.

Bring the needle to the back of the work and knot.  I would not if this was a crewel piece but because this is a quilt the stitching could come loose if not knotted and the batting should nestle around the know so that it would not be noticeable.

I still pull the tail through the next few stitches because it could shadow through to the front.

Snip the tail

I have no idea why my cell phone picture shows the background fabric as pink when it is actually blue.  I did not change the lighting I was seated in the same spot and the pictures were taken within moments of each other.  I need a tutorial on how to use a camera. 

Open Fishbone Stitch

I worked this stitch in three different ways.  This is a photo of the back of the work.  Two ways produced the right leaf and the last produced the left image

I don't think the front of the work looks any different.  The difference in the stitching is related to maintaining the slant.  In the final analysis the stitch is formed by a succession of pairs of slanted stitches.  If you start the stitch at the center stem and cross over for the next stitch horizontally you end up using a lot of extra thread and you constantly have to stretch the thread to keep your work flat.  I decided to move from one pair of stitches to the next along the exterior edges.  I need to work on keeping the slant.  If you get a good slant on the first stitch , I think you can try to maintain it by laying the needle along the previous slant to get a good parallel stitch for the next pair of stitches.  I have fifteen more leaves with which to practice.

Update:  My efforts at stitching down the outside edges just does not have the same look as the extra horizontal threads in the back so I am reverting to the other method and I am stitching down the center stem.  I still cannot get the slanting I need.  More practice is needed to effect a better result.

Woodsmoke or Cavern

I am torn between these two threads.  I love the brightness of the Superior Thread Sew Sassy woodsmoke but the green taupe  of cavern blends so well with the wool branch as well.  I guess I have to stitch it out and see what I like best.

The stitching of the woodsmoke is better than the cavern but I think the woodsmoke blends too much into the background   I am leaning towards cavern.  Lesson learned....sampling is a good idea.  I am trying to decide the better of two great choices.  Back to stitching.