Buttonhole Bar Stitch

Just in time before the next stitch is announced, I have completed my weekly stitch challenge for Take a Stitch Tuesday, buttonhole bar stitch. I’ve used this stitch before in clothing construction. It makes a good, strong thread chain for loosely attaching the bottoms of skirt linings to skirts or for small belt carrier loops. It’s one my mom taught me years ago. I’ve never used it as an embroidered embellishment until now. That part is new. I started with a scrap of needle felt and made random loops in  pearl cotton 5.Then I laced and looped sari silk yarn through the bars for lots of added texture.Aren’t the colors yummy?

I’m In!

Great news! Two of my dolls have been accepted to be a part of Lesley Riley’s new book of illustrated quotes! I don’t often send in entries for calls for art. It’s not often that what I do fits in with the requirements. This call was for fiber or mixed media; two or 3 dimensional. And to my surprise and joy, both of my entries were accepted. The expected publishing date is October 2013.  I’m not supposed to post pictures online until that time so there are no images in this post to share. Sorry. But I will say that these dolls are part of my spirit figure, wall doll, series. Like many of the others, they are felt and embroidery with a little silk and beading. Check back in the fall.  As soon as the book is released, I’ll have pictures to share.

Raised Cross Stitch Flower, Scroll Stitch, Top Knotted Buttonhole

Three weeks and three new stitches. I have been behind in the Take A Stitch Tuesday challenge. Too much else going on. I was all caught up and just in time, but now I’ve got this week’s stitch to do next! I have added raised cross stitch flower, scroll stitch, and top knotted buttonhole to the spirit figure that I’ve been working on. She is nearly done now.  Too bad this week’s stitch won’t fit in with the little bit there is left to go. I may have to finish her with a stitch not in the TAST challenge. Starting at the bottom, there is scroll stitch in a variegated light blue. On top of that is top knotted buttonhole in medium blue.  Above that are six raised cross stitch flowers. I’ve filled in the background with a few Chinese knots. This completes the stitching for the front of her body. I’ll add a little stitching to her face and then sew her up and see how she looks.

AFICC Report

Now that I’m home from Artistic Figures in Cloth and Clay and have had a chance to unwind and unpack, I want to say that it was a fabulous experience. From the hotel to the participants, everything was great.  Cyndy Sieving, the organizer of the entire event couldn’t have done a better job. My classes and all the events went off without a hitch. If only I had taken more pictures! When I got home, I realized I had taken only 9, total! And most of them weren’t any good, either out of focus or missing the moving target.

My first class on Friday morning was  Embroidered Faces from Ancient Sources. My intrepid students drew their own designs and plotted the stitches to use. They plunged willingly into almost blind contour sketching and were amazed at what they could draw. By the end of the afternoon, the embroideries were nearly complete.  I think they are wonderful.  I would have like to have kept them for myself!My next class which I taught twice, Saturday and Sunday, was pattern design for cloth dolls. Unfortunately there are no pictures to share from either class. I guess I was too busy teaching to remember to take pictures.  I do know that the students learned a lot. The most frequent comments I heard were “Ah, so that’s how that is done” and “Now I’m not afraid to experiment.” That’s just what I like to hear as a teacher.  I like knowing that my students have the confidence in their own abilities, that they can create from their own imaginations. I am happy to report that, for me, AFICC was a success!

Hats and Heels, Here I come

Excitement is running through the house. Tomorrow morning, bright and early, I’m leaving for Artistic Figures in Cloth and Clay. Poor Burton will be left behind with only Venus to keep him company. Venus always goes a little haywire when she sees the suitcases come out of the closet.  I think it must have confused her though, when I filled one bag with my dolls!

Thursday night is opening night and the night of the Hats and Heels Banquet. I am ready. Martha designed a hat to go with my outfit and made it special just for me.The white shrug is another of Martha’s designs.  I’m borrowing it for the event.  It’s a soft, white corduroy. I wouldn’t mind keeping it too.

I have few shoes with heels.  These are from Alison’s wedding last year.  They aren’t especially comfortable, but I can handle them for a couple of hours.The hat is so cute. I hope I’ll be adventurous enough to wear it often.

Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole Stitch

Just the name of this stitch is a mouthful and more complex than the actual stitch.  And it’s just what you might think it should be.  It’s a combination of up and down buttonhole stitch and feather stitch.  Since my armadillo is finished, it was time to mosey on back to working on this spirit figure.  She’s nearly complete too.  There’s only one small space left to fill on the other side of where her face will be.  I may have to embellish the face as well.  Her body will be so full, the face will need some stitching to keep it as the focal point.

The new stitch, this week’s Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge stitch, is the rusty orange stitching.  It’s pearl cotton #5.  I added some detached chain stitches in #3 and some echoing straight stitches in #8.

Saved by the Bell Jar

Safe from the evil cat.

That’s what poor Bianca must be thinking.  Perhaps the cat can not come in, yet neither can she get out.  Like a princess in a fairy tale, she is trapped and kept apart from the world.

On Doll Street Dreamers a current topic now is about the havoc cats can wreak in the doll maker’s workroom.   My Venus has done her share of mayhem.  She absolutely adores the Tibetan lambskin that Bianca has on her head.  The only place some dolls are safe is on the mantel where Venus can’t jump.  Now I have another safe spot.  This display case.  It was passed along to me by way of a sister.  It’s too small for the dolls to stand in or even sit on a seat.  There’s something rather sad or creepy about the look.  I almost like it.

What do you think?  Keep it or pass it along again?