100 Stitches - loop stitch

I have just learned another stitch from 100 Stitches - the loop stitch:This is an easy to learn and very quick to do stitch. For my demonstration, I am using this pretty pearl cotton floss:Just to keep everything looking even, I recommend using some guidelines with this stitch. I drew two parallel guidelines at 1/4" apart: This stitch is worked from right to left. The first step is to come up through the fabric halfway between the guidelines: Pull the floss all the way through and go back into the fabric on the top guideline: Pull the floss through, making a small stitch: Next, come back up through the fabric on the bottom guideline: Pull the floss all the way through. Bring your needle around to the stitch you made, and slide the needle under the stitch, not going into or catching any fabric, just sliding under the stitch. Once you have passed under the stitch the needle should go over the working floss: Pull all the way through: That is all there is to this stitch...now you just start again on the top guideline: Pull your needle all the way through to form a small stitch:
Bring your needle back up on the bottom guideline: Pull all the way through: and bring your needle around to slip under your stitch and over the working floss: Pull through: and start the next stitch:just keep stitching until you have the length of stitching line you want.100 Stitches does not have any instructions on how to end this stitch. For my line of stitching, I just ended it by going back into the fabric: pulling all the way through: and then securing my floss on the underside: Here it is all cleaned up without the guidelines:
It sort of looks like a zipper! The loop stitch is #33 on the list and is in the Looped Stitches section of 100 Stitches.

stitching some salad fixings

I stitched up some of the vegetables from the Salad Fixings embroidery pattern packet: I love the way they turned out! I stitched a tomato:
a purple onion:
and a little radish:I am really pleased with the look of the running stitch around each one, sort of like a picture frame:
I also wanted to share - on a non-salad or even embroidery note - some beautiful garden pictures! These gorgeous blossoms are on my apple tree: and these blossoms are on the ornamental cherry - so dreamy!

100 Stitches - #43 zig-zag chain stitch

Here is the latest stitch I have learned from 100 Stitches. It is the zig-zag chain stitch:I think it is a beautiful stitch! Especially when using this floss:This is pearl cotton floss, dmc color variations #4180: I found this to be a very easy to learn stitch. When I saw how slanted the stitches looked in the example picture in 100 Stitches, I thought I would need guide lines. I was right! I drew mine at 3/8" apart. The example in 100 Stitches is worked from right to left so that is what I did. The first step is to come up through the fabric on the top line:
Pull all the way through and go back into the fabric right next to where your needle emerged:
bring your needle out on the bottom line, at a diagonal from where the needle went into the fabric:
Now make sure the working thread is under the needle tip: and pull the needle all the way through forming a loop:
I was a bit surprised at this next step. You now take the needle and go back down into the fabric, but on the way you pierce the end of the loop!
You go right through the floss with your needle - then come back out of the fabric at a diagonal to the top line:
Then, as before, make sure your working thread is laying under your needle tip and pull all the way through.
making a loop that you pierce again to make the next stitch:
pull through
and continue
until you have a long line of stitching:
According to 100 Stitches, piercing the end of the loop will insure that each loop will be held in place. It makes a difference - the finished line of stitching looks so nice and even. It looks so much better without the guide lines: Here is the nice neat underside of this stitch:
This is stitch #43 and is in the linked stitches category of 100 Stitches.

Summer pillow wip

I am putting together all the elements for a summer-y pillow.I already have the front panel embroidered:Here is a close up of the color combination of white, yellow, purple and green:I embroidered the front panel on this nice big piece of yellow fabric. The fabric measures 21-1/2" x 40" - so it should be more than big enough to make a pillow - but at the rate this fabric frays...
I think I want to add some trim
If I do add trim, I have narrowed my choice to these three candidates - the wide ribbon in the picture above is just too wide:
This first one is beautiful, I love the little loop edging on both sides of this ribbon but I don't really know how to incorporate it into a pillow: This second candidate is a nice size and is streamlined with no frills:
The third one, this pom-pom trim is actually my favorite, but I think it may be too big and busy. I think it will depend on the finished dimensions of the pillow.
I am also going to embroider the back panel of the pillow with one of these border patterns:
A lot of decisions to make! I will post on my progress - any suggestions are appreciated!