Honey Bees and Flowers

 This is from my Honey Bee hand embroidery pattern.  

I really like the variety of stitches used and my color palette!

The large flowers are all Spiderweb Filling Stitch.

The stem and leaves are Stem Stitch.  The daisy flowers are Lazy Daisy Stitch:

The buds and the bee bodies are all French Knots.  The bee wings are Straight Stitch using blending filament.  This is Kreinik brand.

Here is the floss color information:

 

I almost ran out of the pink floss before I finished this project.  You can see the small amount I had left...I also didn't have the color number!  Good thing I had enough left to match to the sample in my Embroidery Floss Swatch book:

Hand Embroidered Flowers

This beautiful flower spray is from my Flower Fancy hand embroidery pattern set.  

I used three different stitches for this project.  The stems are done with Stem Stitch:

The leaves are Lazy Daisy Stitch and the flowers are Spider Web Filling Stitch.

My color palette :

Woven Oval Stitch

I have a new stitch to add to my 100 Stitches list.  This one is the Woven Oval Stitch.  The stitch starts by making two Straight Stitches spaced apart:  

The next step is to come up through the fabric in the space between the Straight Stitches.  Not in line with them, just a little to the left or right side of them:

Now to start weaving.  Slide the needle under one of the Straight Stitches.  Notice, the needle slides under the Straight Stitch but on top of the fabric:

Pull the thread all the way through and slide the needle under the next Straight Stitch.  Keep the thread tension loose - eventually, this will create a soft oval shape.

Keep weaving and when the oval looks the way you like, go back into the fabric under the oval and secure your thread on the underside.

Simple!  I used six strand embroidery floss, I like the puffy texture it gives this stitch.

Valentine's Day Envelope

Notice this pink envelope sealed with a red heart?  I just finished the stitching.  This envelope motif and all the others pictured are from my Be Mine Valentine pattern set.  

This was so easy to stitch - I used four different stitches.  The Back Stitch for the outline of the envelope and the scalloped edge of the envelope flap, Stem Stitch for the upper edge of the envelope flap, French Knots to accent the scallops and Satin Stitch for the heart.

 For the color palette, I used two DMC colors:

and I also used sparkly blending filament 001L from Kreinik.  

Laced Edging Stitch

Time for another 100 Stitches post.  I recently learned this beautiful stitch called the Laced Edging Stitch.

For my demonstration of this stitch, I used two different colors of perle cotton floss.    

I found that it helps to use a ruler to make some guidelines for keeping the stitching straight and evenly sized. 

To start, I drew two parallel lines 1/4" apart: 

The top line of the stitch is a Running Stitch, worked from left to right.  For my demonstration, I did a Running Stitch composed of four large stitches:

Now for the lacing line.  I came up through the fabric on the bottom parallel line.  Notice the needle is coming up just a little to the right of the first stitch of the Running Stitch line:

After pulling the thread all the way through, I slid the needle along the fabric and under the first stitch of the Running Stitch. 

I slid the whole length of thread under the stitch, then brought the needle around and slid it under the second stitch of the Running Stitch:

Then I took the needle back into the fabric and pulled the thread through, leaving it a bit loose...

so that a sort of loop is left after I have pulled the thread all the way through: 

I just repeated these steps along the Running Stitch line

Here is a look at the underside of this stitch:

I also tried this using a Running Stitch with the stitches much closer together: 

 

which made for a lot more loops:

I found this stitch in the book Embroidery Stitches by Mary Webb.

New Works-In-Progress

 I have several works-in-progress to share.  These motifs are from the Hot Air Balloon, Honey Bee, Candy and Sweets, and Cherry Blossom embroidery pattern sets. 

I have transferred these all to fabric and have made progress on this balloon.  I am experimenting with colors and stitches right now...

I am pleased with the effect these lines of Running Stitch give this white cloud:

I will post updates on my continuing progress!