First Voluntary Project – Fifth Installment
Cretan Chrysanthemum
This chrysanthemum is outlined, like the other, in Whipped Stem Stitch, but in this case the filling is Cretan Stitch, quite widely spaced. I rather like the slightly rippling effect this creates, but the stitches perhaps needed to be just a little more closely packed to make the ripple a bit stronger. The calyx is rows of coral stitch, and the stems of those strange little buds are the very first appearance in my work of one of my favourite stitches – Cable Chain Stitch.
Brick Stitch Vase
The vase is worked in Brick Stitch, and since the fabric is a heavy square weave it was easy to do as a counted stitch – easier than when I worked the Prince’s Steed in the Persian Fantasy!
The foot of the vase is in closely-packed blanket stitch, and the ornamentation is Whipped Chain Stitch. I think if I were to be working it like this now, I would continue the brick stitch down the stem of the vase and leave out the whipped chain. But after all, it was my first solo project…
Naturally this won’t be going on display anywhere, but it’s been fascinating to revisit it, and try to remember what I chose and why. There wasn’t much of the why, but I’ve enjoyed looking at my experiments, anyway!
Been catching up with your posts – beautiful work as ever!
The chrysanthemum is lovely!
I particularly like the brick stitch. It is dramatically effective.
Lovely neat even stitching.
I love the contrast of textures/stitches in the crysthaneneum (like I can spell it! 🙂
Very neat stitching!Those blanket stitch buds looks so cute! It’s great to re-visit an early project.Thanks for sharing yours with us. I’ve always thought that writing about a project which was worked a long time back is quite a challenge unless there are written notes somewhere which I didn’t bother to do during my early stitching days 🙁 . Now when I look at some of my pieces I don’t even remember why I chose a particular stitch/color etc. How do you manage to remember all these little details? Did you write it down back then or just remember all the tiny details ?
The rippling effect is lovely and the color is pretty. Reading your blog I know the names of stitches now.
Beautiful work!
I love the stitch on the outline of the chrysanthemum. I’d like to do some hand embroidery on the plain squares of my quilt I’m making – names of our family members, dates of birth, etc. Still mulling it all over, but that chain stitch might be just the thing. What is happening to me??? xCathy
I wish I had had a sampler with all these stitches in it when I was a girl. Only thing I learned were the five basics…your sampler is more like a high school text versus my first grade primer.