TAST week 31~34 and the 15 minute challenge as well as Photo Art Friday

 

this image began in my garden with a macro of a kale plant . . .
the fish was a fabulous freebie from Deviant Scrap.
i'm becoming a little more relaxed within my photoshop elements program but it seems to take enormous amounts of time to complete anything. i'm sure that's because i don't read quite enough and choose to randomly experiment most of the time. it is loads of fun though~!!~

spontaneously linking up with photo art friday this week.












i have another group of photos/practice stitches from the TAST challenge hosted by sharon b at pintangle. remember that i'm quite late getting the TAST work posted and the stitching was done several weeks ago but it's been a great way to practice some stitches that i'm familiar with, learn some new stitches and keep me going on the christmas stockings that i hope to be 'hanging by the chimney with care' this upcoming holiday season . . . can you believe it's already late september~!?!

week 31~ algerian eye stitch:
i used a gold colored silk thread (24 wt) and placed this stitch on my wonderful daughter's stocking. i've once again positioned the stitch within a lace piece that has been sewn onto the stocking. i like the way that this area is beginning to look. each new stitch adding another layer of complexity to the area.


this is also true of an area within my own stocking that i have added a bit of vintage antique lace collar to. . .
week 32~cast on stitch: i've used a white pearl cotton (sz 12) and this has created a white on white effect, adding a raised textural quality to a section of the collar.


i've include a before (right) and after (left) shot for comparison.

once i figured it out i had an easy time with it and decided to also practice/use it within a fabric postcard that i was working on at the time for my mom's birthday.

i think that this stitch is really pretty and potentially quite versatile. i will definitely be using it again.

 

 

week 33~pekinese stitch:

 

now you are going to think that i'm using the same photo as in week 31 because i once again added onto that bit of lace that is part of wonderful daughter's stocking. if you look closely you will see a subtle addition. i used a heavy white cotton as the back stitched portion of the pekinese stitch and 3 strands of metallic red thread for the woven/looped part of the stitch. i worked this stitch with the stocking upside down so that the "line" created by the red metallic stitches was not interfering with the previously placed  buttonhole wheel stitch (week 24).

 

 

week 34~linked double chain stitch: 

i practiced this one first and used several different threads/colors within the practices to get a feel for what i could do with it.

 

a mid weight single strand of orange cotton
spacing the two components of the stitch differently

a mid weight single strand of purple cotton
once again altering the spacing within the stitch

 

a mid weight single strand of red cotton
this time keeping the components of the stitch equal


in the end i used two strands of a variegated "rainbow tweed". a mixed fiber (44% cotton, 39% wool, 17% acrylic) thread with a distinct wool like character varying the two parts of the stitch only slightly.

 

this stitch was placed on my stocking. you'll notice that i hid the beginning part (looks like a pitch fork) of the stitch behind a bit of lace. i thought it a bit awkward and not at all like the rest of the stitches.

i will probably build off of this area with other stitches yet to come . . .

 

 

 

 

 

i continue to meet my daily goals with Kate for the fifteen minute challenge  (despite my not linking up as frequently as i should) and have worked on numerous projects while doing so.

thank you Kate~!!~

 

one of those projects has been a christmas stocking that i made and embellished for another community fundraiser. it won't go up for auction until mid october and hopefully someone will see it as a great way to get a jump on their holiday buying. it's just short of 20 inches long and i'm wondering what sorts of surprises i should fill it with . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

recent gifts include:

• a trip out of town (included time with the wonderful daughter, a movie and dinner) to celebrate wonderful husbands birthday
• time to play in my photoshop program
• lots of generously shared juicy ripe pears