Beginning steps for an autumn stitching

I transferred this pattern to some fabric:

Now to choose some lovely autumn colors:

I think that for the acorn, I might try a combination of these sage greens, camel and dark brown:

For the big pumpkin, one of these oranges:

For the zinnia, petals in this dark red and the center in this deep yellow:

For the sunflower, a combination of these oranges for the petals, dark brown for the stripes in the center, and this soft yellow for the center:

For the chrysanthemum, I think a mixture of this warm yellow and dark yellow:

I will be posting updates on this project regularly, I am planning on using some fancy stitching that I will want to share!

100 Stitches - Spider Web Filling Stitch

This interesting looking stitch is the spider web filling stitch. 

This is the latest stitch on my 100 Stitches journey. 

To demonstrate this stitch, I am using this beautiful pearl cotton floss - it is dmc color variations, #4025:

To set up this stitch, I really recommend using a circle as a guide.  I also recommend making a dot in the middle of the circle:

The first step is to come up through the fabric on the upper left hand edge of the circle:

Then go back down into the fabric on the upper right hand edge of the circle:

Take a downward pointing stitch and have the needle come out right on the center dot.  Notice that the needle is going to go over the working floss - pull and this will form...

the start of a simple fly stitch:

Go back into the fabric at the center of the bottom edge of the circle:

and pull all the way through:

 now come up on the bottom left hand edge of the circle:

and go back into the fabric right on the center dot:

and pull all the way through:

and then come back up on the bottom right hand edge of the circle:

and go back into the fabric on the center dot:

Now you have five "spokes".  You are going to weave under and over these spokes with the working floss.  To do that, come back up at the center dot:

and just start weaving - go over the first spoke, under the second spoke:

over-under, over-under, around the spokes:

keep going around and around, filling in the circle:

When you are done, just go back into the fabric and secure on the underside to finish the stitch:

Does my stitch look correct?  I am just wondering because 100 Stitches didn't show a finished stitch picture.

I like the way this looks, especially with the color variations floss.  I think it would make a good stitch for stitching Christmas candy if I get some of this floss in red and white!

Here is the underside of the stitch...you would never know what was going on up on top from this picture!

This stitch is #73 and is in the couching and filling stitches section of 100 Stitches.

Two gingerbread stitchings

I have two new stitchings I am working on. This group of yummy candy:

and this sweet gingerbread house:

Both of these are from the Gingerbread Embroidery Pattern Packet

On both of these, I am using some interesting stitches.  The candy canes are the long and short stitch and the swirly candy is the whipped running stitch.  I am using dmc pearl cotton floss size 5 for this:

On the gingerbread house, I am using the whipped running stitch in minty green and chocolate brown floss. I think it looks like chocolate chip mint frosting!

For the candy decoration on the side of the house I am using the checkered chain stitch in red and white - and I'm sure by now you recognize the whipped running stitch in pink and purple around the door:

On the foundation line of the house I am using the double knot stitch...sort of unevenly - looking at this picture, I'm thinking I may have to go back and restitch the left side as there are too many knots too close together!

Did you notice that I have partially stitched different areas all over this pattern?  I find that I like to jump around and try out different colors and stitches to see how they are working together.   I prefer to do that rather than complete one area and then move on to the next...I wonder if that is the case for most stitchers?
I will be back with more progress pictures later!

Some odds and ends

I have some random odds and ends to post... First, I finished a wip:

This is a little octopus, some waves and sea grasses from the Seashells and Seahorses pattern packet.  I think it makes a really sweet picture. I stitched double lines of back stitch in two blues for the waves:

 

and I combined these two greens to highlight the sea grasses:

Second, some I took some really interesting garden pictures.  How fuzzy is this bumble bee?  I am growing oregano and I have let a lot of it go to flower - the bees love it!

This is a picture of the beautiful berries on an oregon grape bush:

I have quite a few sunflowers blooming:

Here are a couple of blooms from my "Queen Elizabeth" rose bush that is

always fun to photograph!

and a bloom from "Chrysler Imperial"

And the best for last - Berit and Rego!  Here they are relaxing in the shade:

and here is Berit - wishing I would come out of the weedy herb garden!

100 Stitches - Sheaf Filling Stitch

This is the sheaf filling stitch:

I can see why it is called the sheaf filling stitch since these sort of look like sheaves of wheat!

This lovely stitch is the latest stitch I have learned from 100 Stitches

I am happy to report that this is a very easy stitch to learn and do.

It is made up of three vertical stitches and two horizontal stitches. So easy, and I think this stitch gives such a beautiful result:

I really love this "wheat" colored floss I am using.  It is pearl cotton floss -  color variations from dmc and is #4128.  To demonstrate my stitching, I am marking three vertical, parallel lines, 1/2" apart:

The first step is to come up through the fabric on the left side of the top line:

Pull all the way through and go back into the fabric on left side of the middle line, directly below where your floss first emerged.

Pull all the way through to make a vertical straight stitch:

Come back out a little to the right of the first stitch

and make a second straight stitch:

Do the same think to make a third straight stitch:

Now for the two horizontal stitches.  Bring your needle up through your fabric under the center vertical straight stitch.  Don't pierce the vertical stitches, just slide the needle under them towards the left:

Pull the needle all the way towards the left:

Keep pulling all the way:

Now bring your needle around to the right side of the three vertical straight stitches and slide it under the three vertical stitches.  Don't pierce the fabric or the stitches...just slide the needle under the stitches.  Notice the working floss is curving around above the three stitches and the needle is sliding below where the floss emerged:

Slide the needle all the way and keep pulling to the left.  Notice the loop forming?

Pull all the way until the loop is fairly tight and this will draw the three vertical stitches together.  This is the first horizontal stitch:

Now to make the second horizontal stitch, bring the needle around to the right side of the three vertical stitches.  Notice the working floss is looping over the vertical stitches and the needle is sliding to the left and under the vertical stitches and below the first horizontal stitch:

Keep sliding the needle to the left and keep pulling until the second horizontal stitch is formed:

To finish this first sheaf, just go back into the fabric under the two horizontal stitches;

If you were only doing this stitch as an isolated stitch, you would now secure the floss on the underside of the fabric.

To stitch in rows, now come back up through the fabric on the middle guide line, to the right of the fist sheaf filling stitch:

Make the three vertical straight stitches:

and then the two horizontal stitches:

and complete the second sheaf filling stitch:

just keep alternating stitching on the top and bottom rows for this border effect:

Here is the interesting look of the underside of this stitching: