Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Raised Cup Stitch

SharonB's TAST stitch for the week is the Raised Cup Stitch. This is one of my all-time favorite stitches, since it makes a flower and I love flowers. I think it's easiest to do this stitch with a fiber that doesn't split easily, like velour or silk ribbon. Click here for my detailed RAISED CUP STITCH TUTORIAL, in case you have trouble with this stitch - it is well worth learning!

Below are some examples of flowers I have made. Do you see the blue flower made of ombre picot-edged ribbon? Just to the right of it is a cream colored raised cup flower made using velour thread. I put a pink french knot in the center. Just to the left of the same blue flower is a pink raised cup flower.











On this last one, after making the flower out of velour, I went back with 3 strands of cotton floss and did a buttonhole stitch around the outer edges.

Happy Stitching,
Lin Moon

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

The Other Side


Here's the other side of the bra - the beginnings of a mermaid (you were right, Freda!)
I divided silk buttonhole thread into 3 strands, ironed it straight and used that to embroider her features. Then I wrapped her face around a specially shaped piece of cardboard that was padded with felt. Her neck and body are just an applique of cotton fabric, over a piece of felt. Her arm has cardboard in it, which is making the embroidery of her hair a little tricky. I haven't yet decided about her tail. I had made a tail out of some shimmery fabric, which I may have to use if I run out of time, but I'd really like to give her tail some scales, so we'll have to see how that goes. I've been really busy because I took on a temporary job working for the US Census. That has been quite an experience - some people are very nice, some are very paranoid about the government!

And, the other thing keeping me out of the sewing room is the garden. It seems to be daylily and amaryllis season in my yard!

















And at the end is the angel watching over it all....