Catching Up

TAST (Take a stitch Tuesday) Week 8 was the chain stitch. I used perl cotton throughout. The design comes from an old pattern resource book that I have had for years. I like this odd shape, sort of like some sea creature. Chain stitch in perl cotton gives a nice full line.

TAST Week 9 was couching. I used a thread from Rainbow Gallery called Very Velvet, 100% nylon. This is a deep purple color and as the name says, very velvety. Couching is when the thread (the velvet) is held on top of the fabric and stitched down at short intervals with another finer thread. The couched thread stays on the surface. I used a matching embroidery floss, 2 strands, to couch the velvet. I embellished the letter with detached chain in a wool variegated thread. 

Now, on to quilting. Here are some of the spools I made and some are from our swap. First we swapped strips to make the spools, then we swapped spools. If you remember this is an Edyta Sitar pattern. I did not want to make the full size spool quilt she shows in her book, although I have enough spools to do so. Instead, I am making a wall hanging for my sewing room. Edyta's quilt has a lovely applique border around the spools. I have been playing with some of the shapes and probably will incorporate some of the vines, leaves, flowers, and birds in my hanging. 

I chose a pale lavendar batik for the alternate blocks and borders. the spool tops are in blues, purples, and a brown. Love those batiks!