Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Stem Stitch - Week 15

This week for Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST), the featured stitch is the stem stitch. It is one that I have not done before, so I learned it this week thanks to this year-long project.


I embroidered the stem stitch in dark green cotton floss for the three flower stems, and a light green cotton floss for the grass. The fabric is tie-dyed using a few different colors.

The flowers are made from several different patterns and textures of paper. Two of the flowers have colored "gems" in the center. (The flowers were made by someone else. I received them in exchange for a window star that I made.)

This sampler was part of a two-page spread that I did in my embroidery journal. Along with the embroidery, I had a written personal reflection, list of things for which I am grateful, the name of the stitch, and different images that represent (to me) spring and different things I saw this week (e.g., birds).

The candle symbolically represents my Dad who wasn't here for Easter this year (the first Easter without him)...but was with us in spirit.


According to the Embroiders' Guild, to do the stem stitch, "Work from left to right, taking regular small stitches along the line of the design. The thread always emerges on the left side of the previous stitch. This stitch is used for flower stems, outlines, etc. It can also be worked as a filling stitch if worked closely together within a shape until it is completely filled.

2 comments:

Rita said...

Beautiful, cheery page. Nice to have the candle for your dad, too. :)

Arlene Delloro said...

You did a wonderful job learning this stitch. Love your flowers! They make me smile.