Erica's Stitches

This is the same pattern as the Smyrna Cross only using eyelets instead. I stitched and finished using pastels to remind me that spring is coming soon. Same pattern + different colors and stitches = totally different look 

I was taking pictures outside because the light is better.  I stopped and came back and was struck at how absurd the card lay propped up next to some dead plants. Up close, it looks better. Here it is even closer. The big stitch is a Smyrna Cross (or Double Cross) and it's my new favorite stitch.  It is a cross stitch with and upright cross stitch on top of it. It's done here with DMC Color Variations thread and I love the subtle color changes.  I also love the texture that the stitch brings to the finished piece.  I am imagining a landscape done mostly in Cross Stitch with the Smyrna Cross, and possibly other stitches, used to give it more dimension.  I wonder if I'll ever get around to it. The Smyrna Heart pattern is for sale at Patterns Online.

Last weekend was beautiful and I was able to spend time in the shade stitching.  I worked on this simple little bookmark - the stitching equivalent of a good beach novel. It wasn't quite as simple as it appears as the front is the same as the back.  I'm not going to use the "r" word to keep people from looking for that to find this post. It took some work to figure out the technique.  But then I was able to zoom through it.  After the first heart, I didn't even need to consult the pattern. If you look at the border it's not 100% the same on the back.  The Nun's stitch looks good from both sides, but it's not the same. On the second bookmark I have shown the hearts in different stages of completion.  The hearts are stitched in two passes.  The top heart has the first half of the first pass completed.  The second heart has the first pass completed.  The next heart has some of the second pass done and the final heart is complete. The...

The following challenge was posted on the Embroiderers' Guild of America Facebook Page recently.  It came from Philly chapter. Nametag Challenge: 5 + 5 = 2010 Use 5 fibers and 5 stitches to make a new nametag in 2010. Isn't this a great challenge?  I'm going to have to do this just for fun.  Deciding on 5 stitches was relatively easy.  I have 5 letters in my name so I'll use one stitch for each letter. E = Eylet Stitch R = Rice Stitch I = Interlaced Running Stitch C = Chain Stitch A = Arrowhead Stitch Some of the stitches were easy to come up with (eyelet, rice and chain).  I had to search to find stitches which start with "I" and "A".  Algerian Eye would work but it was too similar to an eyelet for me.  The Arrowhead stitch looked like something fun to try.  I'll admit using the Interlaced Running Stitch for the "I" is pushing it, but it was the only "I" stitch I found.  And, I think it will look great. Finding ...

I learned to make a knitted picot yesterday but at the time I didn't know what I was doing.  I was struggling to follow instructions that where perfectly clear and yet didn't make sense. The pictured example was small so I wasn't sure what the end result would look like. As I finally "got it" the lady next to me looked at my work and said "a picot".  Then it made sense.  I've done many picots before, just not in knitting. When I think of a picot my definition is "that bumpy thing".  That's not very technical so I just looked it up and the paraphrased definition is an embroidered loop.  That makes more sense than "that bumpy thing". My favorite picot is done using beads.  It makes a great edging. Tatter's do a lot of picots but I don't tat.  The next picot I discovered was in lace making.  They are very small and hard to make and hard to make look even. I didn't make this picot, it is from one of my anti...

I've been doing the buttonhole stitch recently.  I'm mentoring in a Basic Hardanger Class for the Yahoo Group StitchMAP and the current lesson is on the buttonhole stitch.  I thought I'd better refamiliarize myself with it in case I get asked some tough questions. The buttonhole stitch is used for blanket edgings and wool embroidery for appliqueing: I've also used it on crazy quilts: In these cases, the buttonhole stitch is free-form and fun.  In Hardanger it is a bit more precise.  Always over 1 thread across and 4 threads down (except when turning corners). I've done alot of buttonhole edgings: Althought tedious, they look great, especially filled with eyelets.  The first inch went slowly.  I found myself getting off, sometimes over 3 and sometimes over 5.  I started over and kept going. The next day I didn't pick it up - everything else on my to do list looked like more fun.  Time for some serious will power.  Whenever I want to...

My thrift store Christmas continues.  As well as the potholder kit, I also found a Candlewicking ornament kit for 50 cents.  I've heard of Candlewicking before, but I've never tried it so I grabbed the kit as well. When I opened it up I discovered the stitches where mostly french knots, with lazy daisies, stem stitch and padded satin stitches.   Nothing new, I've done all those before. A quick trip to Wikipedia revealed that Candlewicking is traditionally done on muslin with a thread that could be braided into candle wicks.  So, the name is more for the materials and style and not the stiches themselves. So, while the dog slept I started stitching.  I didn't get the ornaments completed, but I made a good start.  I'll get my ornaments for next year done early.  Maybe. Those are padded satin stitches and I've only done the first pass, so they will look better when complete.

Last Christmas during an ornament exchange I recieved one made in a technique I did not recognize.  I've been stitching a long time now and this doesn't happen too often.  I tracked down the lady who made it and discovered it was the Aztec Stitch.  Some quick googling revealed information and a free project from Piecework Magazine that I quickly printed out.  I didn't have the supplies on hand so it was put aside, but not forgotten. My EGA (Embroiderers' Guild of America) Chapter was looking for program ideas so I suggested the Aztec Stitch.  Patience paid off and the program was a few weekends ago but I had to miss it.  I picked up the canvas and instructions last weekend and dropped everything to get started.  This bookmark is stitched using 18 count canvas and #8 pearl cotton. Canvas threads are removed and the design area is outlined with nun's stitches.  Then the fun begins.  Alternating stripes of wrapped b...

In my previous blog on the Antique Flower Samper I mentioned eyelet stitches.  I thought I'd devote this blog to the elegant eyelet. The stitch pulled slightly to distort the background fabric.  Here is the A of an Antique Alphabet.  It was stitched by my friend Pat. And here are eyelets used in the center of a Kloster Block on a Hardanger border. A basic eyelet is done over a grid of 4 threads by 4 threads. This eyelet is freestyle without following the grid of the background.  The stitches where padded to give them a totally different look. Here is an eyelet flower.  These eyelets are done over a grid of 4 threads by 5 threads.  Notice the stitching is placed on a yellow background which shows through. Another eyelet flower.  Eyelets can be combined with other stitches to form designs. Colored eyelets combined with Pulled Thread.  Another technique where the background is distorted to create a textured p...