Bunched Couching Stitch

This is the Bunched Couching Stitch.  It is the latest stitch I have learned on my 100 Stitches Plus journey.

Isn't this a beautiful stitch?  


Just like a regular Couching Stitch, this one is made up of laid threads that are couched with a stitch.   In this case, a Straight Stitch.  

I decided to use contrasting colors, blue for the laid threads and brown for the couching:

The instructions for this stitch mentioned that this is a good stitch to use for wide lines, giving a bold effect. To get the bold effect, use as many strands as you like for just the right chunkiness. 
For demonstration, I chose three strands of perle cotton thread for the laid threads:

The stitch is worked from right to left.  The first step is to take one of the laid threads and come up at the right edge of the stitching line:

Pull that thread all the way through and let it just rest on the fabric:

do the same with the second and third{or however many you are using}threads:

Once all the laid threads are pulled through, it is time to couch them:

 Bring the couching thread up just below the laid threads:

 Pull all the way through.  Bring your needle across the laid threads and go back into the fabric above the laid threads:  

this will form a small Straight Stitch and couch the laid threads.  Make sure to pull this stitch tight!  It will help bunch the laid threads.  A tip that I discovered is to make the Straight Stitch small, almost bringing the needle out and putting the needle in under the laid threads at the bottom and top - this really helped with bunching the laid threads.

Just continue to couch by making Straight Stitches along the stitching line.  
I measured the distance between each of my couching stitches, to make sure I ended up with even spacing:

After the last Straight Stitch, I secured the couching thread on the underside.  
Then I carefully threaded a needle on the laid threads: 

and pulled them through the fabric.  I secured each one on the underside.

Here is a look at the underside.  Looks like a lot going on!

This is an easy stitch to do:

I am looking forward to using this on a project!

This stitch is from the book Embroidery Stitches by Mary Webb.

Home Sweet Home

There is a new hand embroidery pattern set in my shop.
The title is Home Sweet Home.  

I have been busy stitching up so many of the motifs from this set and planning out stitching projects.    
One of the projects I am just starting is a home surrounded by flower borders with the text "Welcome".  

What do you think of the color palette I plan to use? Normally, these are not colors I would choose to put together! However, I was looking through an old art book and found a beautiful watercolor.  It is a village scene on a rainy day with houses and shops and pedestrians and horse drawn carriages.  I loved the overall color and mood of the painting.  The individual colors that made up that mood were an interesting palette - I started matching them with embroidery floss and this is what I came up with:

The black, brown and red were just small touches and I plan to use them sparingly.
This palette turned out to be 15 colors, so I will have lots of options! 
I added the floss samples and color numbers on my project page in my embroidery journal, but I am missing the floss numbers for two of the greens so I have some research to do:  

Here is my progress, I think I am really going to like this color palette:

Dala Horse Embroidery

I just finished up this Dala Horse embroidery.  These motifs are from the Scandinavian Christmas embroidery pattern set.  
Isn't he colorful?  I really like the palette on this project.  {I noted all the floss colors at the bottom of this post!}
His scalloped saddle is outlined in Blanket Stitch - I was pleasantly surprised at how easily the Blanket Stitch worked around all these curves:

I outlined the horse in Back Stitch.  I used Stem Stitch for his bridle, reins the inside of the saddle and the saddle straps.   The accents are done in French Knots and Lazy Daisies:

For the berry vine I used Stem Stitch for the vine, Straight Stitch for the leaves and Satin Stitch for the berries. Again I used French Knots to embellish:

Here are the colors and floss numbers I used for this project.  {In case it is too bright to read :) the yellow is dmc 307}

Santa Claus and Reindeer Finish

I have a finished stitching project to share.  You may remember this from a previous post {here} or, if  you follow me on Instagram you have already seen the completed picture!  

Here are a few details.  

This sweet little reindeer has been outlined with Stem Stitch and filled with Straight Stitch.  His holly leaf and berry collar is done with Satin Stitch.  I blended brown and a light tan colored floss for his fur:

and I used just the darker color for the outside of his legs and just lighter color for the insides of his legs:

Santa is done in rows of Split Stitch and French knots for all the embellishments on his suit. 

Ho Ho Ho and a Holly Border

I have a finished stitching to share. 

Do you remember when I posted about combining some motifs from my Here Comes Santa Claus pattern set?

I put these motifs together and finished up the stitching.  I am so happy with the result! 

The red lettering and the white snowflakes are the perfect combination for Christmas.  I added some sparkly rainbow blending filament to the snowflakes. 

I used a Whipped Blanket Stitch for the left arm of each H.  The Blanket Stitch in red and the whipping in white.  It reminds me of a candy cane.  I also added some of the rainbow blending filament to the right arm of each H:

I also completed a beautiful border. This is all done in metallic floss!  

Well, except for the red berries.  They are Satin Stitched in regular cotton floss.  I added a few Straight Stitches using gold blending filament to add some sparkle.  

The holly leaves are outlined with Stem Stitching and filled with Straight Stitches.

The light and dark green lines with the gold French Knots are couched.  What an easy way to deal with metallic floss!

Cup Stitch

Time for another 100 Stitches Plus post.  I just learned how to do this interesting stitch - the Cup Stitch.    

For my floss, I used perle cotton - DMC #742

The stitch is made by looping around a triangle foundation formed from three Straight Stitches.  
To make the triangle, I came up through my fabric:

Went back into the fabric at a slight diagonal:

and pulled all the way through to complete the first Straight Stitch.  This forms the left side of the triangle:

Next I came up through the fabric to start to form the bottom side of the triangle:

I pulled all the way through and went back into the fabric at the base of the left side.  

I pulled all the way through, forming the bottom side of the triangle and then I came back out of the fabric at the top of the left side of the triangle:

I pulled all the way through and then went back into the fabric at the right edge of the bottom side of the triangle. 

I pulled all the way through and that completed the triangle foundation: 

To start the looping stitches, I came up through the fabric just below the bottom side of the triangle: 

I pulled all the way through:

Next I brought the needle around and slipped it under the bottom edge of the triangle.  I didn't go into or pick up any of the fabric, I just slid the needle under the triangle edge.  As I slide the needle under the edge, notice the position of the needle to that of the working thread:

First it slides under the working thread and then over the working thread.  This will automatically form the loop when the needle is pulled all the way through:

The first loop:

Next, I brought the needle around and repeated the loop steps - needle sliding under the triangle and then under/over the working thread:

I continued the looping all around the sides of the triangle:

until I was back to where I started.  To make higher sides to the cup, you can do another round of looping stitches all around the triangle. 

I did the second round and then when I was back to the beginning, I went back into the fabric:

and secured my floss underneath:

I like this stitch!  I also like the puffy effect the double stitching gives so I think in the future, when I use this stitch I will always use the double stitching.

This stitch is from the book Embroidery Stitches by Mary Webb.