Seafood Kitchen Towel - Part Three

I finished all the embroidery on my seafood kitchen towel project.  

I really love the color palette!  I used my color wheel to select the different colors.  

I find using a color wheel so helpful when I am selecting a color palette.  

You may remember that I was planning on adding some trim tape to the bottom of this towel.  I am rethinking that - I have pinned the tape in place and I think it distracts too much from the embroidery ;)

So, unless I change my mind about the tape, this kitchen towel is all finished!  I am really happy with the result!

Easter Embroidery Project Part Two

Since my last post on this project, I have finished the embroidery on the second napkin.  This one features a pink Easter egg.  Isn't this floss pretty?  This is DMC's "color variations" perle cotton floss {no. 4180}.  I love the color shading of this floss, from the palest pink ~ almost white ~ to dark pink:

For the next napkin {you may remember I am making a set of eight!} I decided to combine some of the individual motifs from my Easter pattern set:

I cut out an egg and some grass and flowers and taped them together:

Now I will transfer this to fabric and start my stitching!

I am going to keep the same general theme for each of the napkins.  That means the same mint green grass and flower stems with the same blue French Knot flowers.  I will use a single pastel color or subtle variation in colors in perle cotton floss for the egg. And, I will continue to add Running Stitch to fill the open spaces on the eggs.  As you can see in this close up, I am doing the Running Stitch in a single strand of cotton floss:

I will keep posting on my progress.  I should be able to finish all eight by Easter :)

Wedding Cake Embroidery Part Two

I am back with part two of my wedding cake embroidery project.  

You can read part one {here}.  As you can see, since that last post, I decided to stay with the cream and gold color palette!

I finished the cake plate with some Herringbone Stitch:

This is such a beautiful stitch and adds the perfect decoration for the plate:

I also finished the bow 

and ribbon streamers.  I filled the ribbon with Running Stitch:  

For the top cake tier, I used a Whipped Stem Stitch for the decoration.  I whipped the cream colored cotton floss with gold metallic floss.  For the middle cake tier decoration, I stitched a line of Stem Stitch in cotton floss and couched a row of metallic gold floss right under the Stem Stitch.  I also added some pearl beads:

I really enjoyed adding a few extras to this project. The pearl beads added dimension and the metallic floss added so much sparkle.   I am pleased with the final result and happy that I kept the cream and gold color palette!

Seafood Kitchen Towel Part Two

I am back with part two of my seafood kitchen towel project.  You may remember in part one I had hemmed the towel, transferred my seafood motif and selected my color palette.

I started stitching the swirly background ribbon - you can see in this close up that I used a Whipped Blanket Stitch.  I closed the open edge of this stitch with the Back Stitch.  I love the blue/green color variation of the perle cotton floss!
Also in this close up - you can see the lilac colored scallop shell.  It is outlined in Stem Stitch and the ribs are done with Double Knot Stitch: 

For the star fish, I am using the Blanket Stitch all the way around:

 I still have the big fish motif, another scallop and some assorted mussels and clams left to stitch.  And of course add that trim tape!

Easter Embroidery Project - Part One

If you follow me on Instagram, you will have already seen this yellow Easter egg picture.
I am making a set of small napkins for Easter and will be embroidering on each one.  I am using motifs from the Easter embroidery pattern set.  

I love these eggs surrounded by flowers and grass - I have completed one in yellow floss and now I am starting on a pink one:

I would like to make a set of eight of these - in different spring colors.  I will keep you posted on my progress!

Fancy Stitch

This intricate stitch is the Fancy Stitch.  It is the most recent stitch I have learned on my 100 Stitches Plus journey.

This is a filling stitch and is made up of columns and rows that are evenly spaced.  The stitches used are vertical Straight Stitches  and horizontal Running Stitch.    Then a contrasting colored thread is passed under the stitches.

The Fancy Stitch may look complicated, but it isn't. It just requires some measuring and pre-marking to space your stitches. 

I followed the instructions for the stitch from the book Embroidery Stitches by Mary Webb.  The picture of the stitch shows five columns and five rows made up of both vertical and horizontal stitches. 

To keep my spacing accurate, I actually drew out a grid and then transferred it to my fabric with my water soluble marking pen.

I started the first column by making a vertical Straight Stitch on the top row of marks:

Then I continued along that row, making five vertical Straight Stitches:

Next, I started on the second row.  I worked the Running Stitch horizontally from right to left:

making sure the stitches were evenly spaced between the vertical stitches:

When that row was done, I started the next set of the vertical stitches 

and so on until all the stitches were done. 

Now for the contrasting color floss:

According to the instructions, each column is to be worked individually and from top to bottom. And for the three inner columns, each will be worked on the left and right sides of the vertical Straight Stitches. 

I started on at the top of the first column.  I came up through the fabric on the right side of the first vertical Straight Stitch:

I pulled the floss all the way through and then slid the needle under the first horizontal Running Stitch. Notice that the needle is sliding on top of the fabric but under the stitches:

I wove the floss in and out of each stitch in this first column:

and then went back into the fabric on the right side of the last Straight Stitch at the bottom of the column:

I started the next column on the left side of the top stitch. 

Then I worked the right side of that column:

I repeated these steps until all the columns were done:

Here is the finished stitch with the marking lines rinsed away:

This stitch is dramatic looking and I think it would be a useful stitch for filling large areas.

The floss I used for this stitch is perle cotton floss from DMC.  The blue is number 807 and the coral is number 351.