I’m trying to expand my range of stitches spurred on by the existence of TAST – not that I’ve ever joined in and probably never will. I can’t bear the pressure of having to think of something new to do every week, on the same day, it feels too much like my mother’s old routine of washing on a monday, ironing on a tuesday etc. I feel that once one has decided upon a stitch that it should be explored fully for as long as it takes…which for me probably means dallying with it for several years. I’ve been using chain stitch, feather stitch, seeding etc for ages and I never get sick of them. I find they are like old friends, familiar but each time different, always undulating, like a river flowing out from the needle, always having their own nuances, their own shades, shimmers, shadows and textures. But at the same time I have been thinking, well, am I an embroiderer or not? So don’t be such a stitching wuss and get your stitch dictionary out and do something different! So I’ve started using these little cartwheels which are just a variation on a blanket/buttonhole stitch. Now the same thing has happened as before – I’ve got obsessed with them and I don’t want to move onto a new stitch. It’s too soon. Perhaps in 5 years time?!
The pictures show some tweed that I’ve been messing around with using upside down couching on the machine using thicker thread in the bottom bobbin, some appliqued felt and some fly, feather and chain stitches in there too.
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