TAST week 10 ~ running stitch

there have been some great responses to my photo challenge celebration giveaway. a big THANK YOU if you have joined in.

if you haven't yet and you would like to try to win a few of my photo art note cards click here.

time is running short and i will draw a winner on march 12.

effervesce:   . . . to bubble . . .  to show liveliness or exhilaration



this is week number 10 with the TAST challenge and it's all about the running stitch.
the running stitch is about as simple  as it gets but can also be very versatile depending on how and where you use it. when used as a technique it is often called by a different name:

The darning stitch is about making rows of straight running stitches near each other. The technique of darning is used to mend torn clothes, especially socks and looks like a woven patch.

Kantha comprises of the simplest stitch in the language of embroidery - the running stitch. It is the way in which this stitch is used, in different arrangements, that forms the complex vocabulary of kantha.

Originally it was used to join layers of old saris, to make quilts. It was also used as a means of self expression by both urban and rural women in Bengal.

sashiko: a simple running stitch born from the necessity of conserving and repairing garments at a time when cloth was not so widely available to farmers and fishermen.

Quilting is a stitching technique which is traditionally done by hand utilizing a needle and thread to stick together two or more layers of material in order to make a quilt.
Classic quilting is completed with three layers - quilt top, insulating material and backing material. In the process of quilting, the quilter passes the needle and thread through all layers and then brings the needle back up. A running stitch is normally made use of in this process, and these stitches are useful, decorative and can be elaborate.

i decided to use it as a quilting stitch. something i'm very familiar with and i thought it would bring a nice texture as well as a subtle bling (metallic thread) to part of my wonderful daughter's stocking.
i used a single strand of metallic thread (both copper and gold) and stitched using an 'echo' technique for patterning.

i almost didn't do this as it didn't seem very adventurous but after thinking about it i decided that it could produce the effect that i wanted and it's not always about doing something new. for me this challenge is about completing a project in a creative manner using the stitches as they are given.

i think it was very effective used in this way and i'm glad that i went ahead with it.

there are many examples of the running stitch used decoratively and beautifully here at Borduur as well as at Fat-Quarter. i like the way that Elizabeth has used it to create the effect of shadow. and how about this creative mosaic making use of the running stitch~!?!

if you think that you may be interested in learning embroidery or practicing the stitches you already know it's well worth a visit to Pin Tangle to join in with this project.


recent gifts include:

• the sun's invitation to sit outside and feel the warmth of the  day
• feeling the light melt pleasantly right through my skin
•  the wonderful rhythm of stitch i feel while practicing the running stitch aka quilting