Barb Stitch

There is a new stitch to add to my 100 Stitches journey.  This is the Barb Stitch.  

This stitch requires two threads.  One for the foundation stitches and one to whip around the foundations stitches.  The threads can be the same color or contrast in color or texture.  I chose to contrast in both color and texture.  I am using perle cotton floss and metallic floss:

The Barb Stitch is made by forming two rows with Blanket Stitch that are then whipped.  The Blanket Stitches should be arranged so that their spines are together in the middle. 

The first Blanket Stitch row is started working left to right:

The first row of Blanket Stitch is finished and then the next row is started: 

To whip these stitches, first come up through the fabric on the left side of the Blanket Stitches:

Then whip around the two spines of the Blanket Stitches.  Notice that the needle is not going back into the fabric but just sliding over it and under the stitching:

and finish the whipping by going back into the fabric and the right side end of the Blanket Stitches:

Here is a look at the underside of this stitch.  

I learned this stitch from Embroidery Stitches by Mary Webb.

Embroidered Valentine Heart

 

This beautiful flower-filled heart is from my Be Mine Valentine hand embroidery pattern.  

The stitches I used are so simple!  The outline of the heart is the Pekinese Stitch.  The flowers are Lazy Daisy Stitch with a Straight Stitch for added dimension.  The decorative dots are all French Knots:

You might notice that I used DMC Blanc perle cotton thread for all the white and DMC 349 six strand cotton for all the red.  I used all six strands for the outline, but three strands for all the interior work.

Floss Color Swatch Book

 Here is some new floss to add to my floss color swatch book! 

 I ordered 62 skeins of floss from DMC:

60 of which are not in my swatch book and many are new to me colors.  I made my swatch book with number lists from 1 to 5000.  To add the new color swatches to my book, I punch a hole next to the corresponding number:

 Then I take a swatch from the floss skein and loop it through the punch hole:

Then I wind the skein around a floss bobbin 

and add it according to color to my collection!

 Currently, DMC has over 600 thread colors, and they are adding new colors all the time.   I like to keep my swatch book up to date and I also like to make a nice, big swatch so that it is easy to match threads!

Pueblo Stitch

This beautiful stitch is the Pueblo Stitch.  This is the latest stitch I have learned on my 100 Stitches project. 

I found this stitch in the book Embroidery Stitches by Mary Webb.  My version looks a bit different because she used a two-ply twisted wool thread that is split while stitching but I am using two separate perle cotton threads in contrasting colors: 

This is a decorative line stitch, I worked this from left to right, however Embroidery Stitches shows the line worked from right to left.   

The first step is to come up through the fabric:

Go back into the fabric a little to the right of where the needle first emerged.  Since I am using two threads, I needed to make sure to have them spread apart on either side of the needle so that they will "split" the stitch and give the correct twisted appearance: 

Come back out of the fabric right next to the spot where the needle first emerged:

pull all the way through:

Now bring the needle around for the next stitch.  Go into the fabric a little to the right from the first stitch:

Set up your threads - to add the twist, change the thread positions.  The thread that was on top now is on the bottom.  In my case, the first stitch had the brown thread on the top and the creamy pink on the bottom.  for the next stitch I made the creamy pink on top and the brown on the bottom: 

Pull all the way through to form the second stitch:

Bring the needle around and arrange the threads to start the third stitch:

I continued like this until the end of the stitching line and ended by going back into the fabric right at the final stitch:

I secured my thread underneath by weaving it between a couple of stitches:

Here is the completed line of stitching:

Color Palette Inspiration

I have some palette inspiration to share.  This little image is from a vintage bookplate.  I think the colors will make up an interesting palette for an embroidery project.  I matched all the colors with DMC brand floss I had on hand but

I did not have any floss that matched the banana:

I think DMC 370 may be a good match so I will be ordering that color and adding it to my collection.

My color palette inspiration journal is really filling up!

  

Works-in-Progress

I have three works-in-progress to share.  These motifs are from the Thanksgiving and the Sly Fox pattern sets: 

All three have been transferred to fabric and I am stitching them in beautiful autumnal shades

I will post stitch and floss color palette information soon!