After introducing the Le Chat pattern set on my last blog post {here}, I wanted to share some of the stitching details on this particular project.
I used Stem Stitch on the woman's skirt, legs and shoe straps. For her shoes, I used the Split Stitch. I also used the Stem Stitch for the wrought-iron fencing and the Satin Stitch for the fence finials.
For the cat's leash, I used the Stem Stitch in metallic cord. It worked really well:
The cat is outlined in Stem Stitch, with two rows on back of his legs and tail to give a little more weight and emphasis. His fancy collar is all Satin Stitch.
For the cat's eye, I used Satin Stitch and I combined blending filament with the floss to add sparkle. His nose is also stitched in Satin Stitch. For the planter, I used Stem Stitch. The leaves are Fishbone Stitch and the flower is Long and Short Stitch with a French Knot Center.
The curb is done in Back Stitch and the road edge is in Stem Stitch.
For all the floss I used, here are the color numbers:
Now onto my work-in-progress. It is the cat sitting in a bicycle shopping basket. I am selecting my colors and experimenting with which stitches to use!
I will be sure to post my progress!
I have a new pattern available in my Etsy shop! It is titled Le Chat. The pattern set has 12 pages of wonderful motifs, all featuring a very pampered cat living in Paris.
I am stitching up all the motifs and will share some project progress soon!
This is what the pattern set looks like - it is available here.
I have a new stitch to share from my 100 Stitches list. The Gobelin Stitch.
This stitch is worked on canvas, here I am using 12 mesh needlepoint canvas . The floss I am using is perle cotton. This rich yellow color is DMC #742.
The first row of this stitch is worked from left to right. Come up through the canvas:
and pull the floss all the way through:
go back into the canvas one square to the left and two squares below where the floss first emerged:
Then bring the needle back out two squares to the right and two squares above where you just went in. The needle will emerge one square to the right and two rows up - you will see that it comes out on the same row that the floss very first emerged:
Pull all the way through and that is the first stitch:
Make the next stitch the same way - go into the canvas one square to the left and two squares below where your floss just emerged and come out of the canvas one square to the right and two rows above:
Keep stitching this way for the first row of stitching:
For the second row of stitching, the stitch is worked the same way but this time from right to left. Go into the canvas one square to the right and two squares above where the floss just emerged:
and come back out of the floss two squares to the left and two squares below where the needle just went in:
Pull all the way through for your first stitch:
Just continue in this fashion working from right to left:
for the rest of the second row:
This is a really simple stitch, I think it would cover a canvas really quickly!
The Gobelin Stitch is number 84 on the 100 Stitches list and is found in the Canvas Embroidery section of 100 Stitches.
You may remember when I first designed my Embroidery Journal. {If not, you can read about it here}.
I have loved using this journal!
I record the pertinent information about all my stitching projects.
And about my embroidery inventory
Having that information and being able to find it in a convenient, organized fashion has been wonderful. I find myself referring to it often.
Recently, a customer purchased one of these journals and told me that she loved using it but she wished that it had a thread inventory list. Such a wonderful idea! An idea that I think will be so useful.
So - I have added some pages to the original Embroidery Journal.
There are two thread inventory pages. One is for large collections of a particular type of thread. There are spaces at the top of the page to record the brand, size, fiber and description of the collection. I am using it for all my DMC solid cotton floss. I record the thread number and best of all...I add a sample of the thread next to the number. This is creating a permanent "color card" with actual thread that I can refer to any time. This is so much more accurate than relying on printed colors or looking at color cards online!
Plus, I can print out as many of these pages as I need to record all my floss and I can arrange them how I like, either by color groups or in numerical order.
The second thread inventory page is for smaller or even mixed collections. I am using it for my perle cotton floss and my metallic flosses.
There is a page for converting thread numbers between the different brands. You can build up your own chart for recording the color number of floss from one brand to several other brands:
I am so happy with these additions to the original Embroidery Journal!
If you purchased the original Embroidery Journal, I would like you to have the updated version! Please email me {kim@kimberlyouimet.com} or leave a comment here on the blog. I will be happy to email you the new version!
I have a few Easter embroidery finishes and a new work-in-progress to share. First up is this sweet egg basket and flowers:
I used an Easter basket motif and two border patterns from my Easter embroidery pattern set:
I finished stitching it yesterday and washed out all the water soluble marker lines. Then I pressed it and took a few pictures. When I was uploading the pictures, I spotted a mistake that I hadn't seen before - look closely at the ribbon hanging off the bow:
I forgot to finish the edge on the right-hand side! It was only a few stitches missing so I was able to fill them in.
It looks much better now!
The stitches I used on the ribbon are the Herringbone Stitch for the inside and the Stem Stitch for the edges. I used the Blanket Stitch for the handle. The scalloped rim of the basket and the accent lines on the front of the basket are all done in Stem Stitch. The outline of the basket is done in Split Stitch and Back Stitch. I used all of these stitches on the eggs and also French Knots and Chain Stitch:
The flowers and the green curvy lines are Stem Stitch. There are also Lazy Daisy Stitch and more French Knots:
Here are the floss colors and numbers I used for this project:
My other finish is this decorated egg. This was so fun to stitch and since I used such easy stitches, it was very quick to finish! This is Stem Stitch for the egg border and the flowers, French Knots, and Cross Stitches with a Straight Stitch in a contrasting color over their middles:
Here are the floss colors and numbers I used for this project:
My new work-in-progress is this little duckling. I am picking some nice colors to finish this:
