Q is for ............

Quilt 

in Queen stitch

another counted thread stitch, more stitching and picking out then stitching again!
Stitched in a quilt like pattern, using three different variegated threads plus white.

There are two or three variations on this lovely little stitch, which can be worked in a vertical or diagonal direction, also some examples I have seen have had a central stitch but I prefer this one which has two vertical stitches each side with the horizontal pining stitches meeting in the middle.

Spring Sampler ...a little progress

to show....... have worked a little on the insects, 

ants, tiny bees and the ladybird in stumpwork

spiders web is stitched in a double thread of lilac and silver but not sure I like it,

think it needs redoing, 

beginning on the dragonfly.....

stitched wings in fine metallic teal, and legs.

Looking forward to the EG Scottish Regional Day in Dundee tomorrow.

P is for .........

Pineapple

 in

Pulled Thread Work

&

Pattern Darning
working one these two slightly different forms of counted thread work is very slow and not to be done when tired! this little piece is far from perfect, I had to pick out and redo bits I had to remind myself that this is just a little sample piece or it would never had got finished! and there are still more than a few mistakes in there!
It was nice to work the pineapple in the variegated thread, I think the colours worked out well.
Now on to the letter Q ! ......hmmmm

and ........ Progress it's  been a very busy time here with changes taking place in the garden and at the side Kevin has extended the fence to meet up with the conifers on the side of the drive, it used to stop in line with the house.

 we had a few instances of children from the park running through them and throwing things at our little caravan :( it looks much better now :)

The dividing fence and gate are removed for now and will be put up again further back to give us a longer bit of drive out front again, that is sitting on the decking joists outback for now, weather has slowed things up with the decking but it is getting there!

O is for ...........

'Ocean'

in Open Cretan and Open Chain 

Outline, Oyster & Overcast stitches.

Miniature Needlepoint Nest

I have been stitching away at my little needlepoint nest

hoping to get it finished for today, 

I did manage it ......

......thankfully!
 as there is not a lot of stitches out there beginning with the letter N
and my little challenge was for Tag this week

Click here to read my original post about it > Painting on needlepoint canvas in miniature 

It's ok for a first attempt I think, Stitched in single strand embroidery threads,

I would have liked to have got more detail into it, but that's difficult when restricted to canvas,
 I suppose that was the challenge!
It was nice to venture back into miniature work again too.

Sketchbook .... Spirals

This months theme over at Sketchbook Challenge is Spirals

so I had some fun with my little brass stencils

and prismacolor pencils

Spring Sampler WIP

There is a little progress on the spring sampler

I re stitched the border where it was supposed to go

 under the beehive and insects row ....

 then I stitched a double knot row under the letters,

 I used a Caron 'Autumn Leaves'

on the row above I stitched a row of beaded blanket stitch, however the beads covered up most of the stitching, should probably have used a darker colour, I used the Caron 'Lemon and Lime', so I whipped it with another, more colourful thread just above the beads called Chameleon 'Summer garden'

You can also see I have completed the birdhouse and grasses below and began stitching on the flower basket next to it, the next stage of this bit is the basket which will be done in bullion knots so I might leave it until I have completed all the other more flat embroidery and put it back onto the larger frame.

EG Airdrie branch meet again tonight, I was supposed to have some stitching on my Cretan door to show you but I found it difficult to concentrate on it with so much chat and demos going on so I only did a small amount, tonight I will probably do some more on the sampler or my needlepoint nest which I worked on a little at Tuesday's meeting with Fife branch while we discussed ways to display all our 'Houses'.

M is for ........

That other little Mountmellick piece I was working on.....
For my A~Z 'M' tag
There are very few stitches in embroidery that begin with the letter 'M'
so I decided to dedicate my tag this week to a particular type of embroidery,
Originating from the town of Mountmellick in Ireland, which is traditionally worked in white.
I designed my own little piece
 Mung Moth

The stitches are worked using 4 different thicknesses of mat cotton threads on a soft sheen fabric called 'Jean' which is as it suggests like jeans, a close woven twill fabric.

Stitches used include satin, stem, whipped back and stem, french knots, overcast, and split stitch but there is also a specific Mountmellick stitch

shown here along the top wing sections
I was introduced to Mountmellick through one of Embroiders Guild groups that I attend
 and have recently completed the piece that I worked on at meetings there.
if you missed my post about it you can see it  here

If you want to read more about the origins of Mountmellick embroidery then there is more here

Spring Sampler & Easter offerings

A little progress on my spring sampler 

I decided to try my hand at Portuguese Border stitch using this lovely Caron Wildflower thread called Raspberry Sorbet.

along the third line 

I enjoyed working the stitch which looks similar to Heavy Chain
 but is worked in a completely different way,

very enjoyable and easy going, 

most of this is worked on the top of the fabric

 love the effect of the thread too

this is the underside,

Unfortunately, once finished I realised that I had in fact stitched along the wrong row :(

so I had to snip it out 

not too laborious, 

quite quick really .... now I get to stitch it all over again ! 

in the right place this time :)

 Primroses on the top row I stitched the stems in overcast stem stitch

and leaves in buttonhole stitch  DMC 3348 lt yellow green thread 

*****

As Sunday was a busy day for us I didn't get to post a picture of the little Easter gifts

which we put together for our family

 Charlotte and I made some more of the little nest that she made at Nursery

We used High Bran cereal  mixed with melted chocolate cake covering, spooned into cupcake cases and topped with sugar coated eggs, delicious!

These were popped into little bags with foil covered eggs and little fluffy chicks and rabbits. 

The Azalea I bought for my Mum.