TAST – a crappy quintet

First: Thanks to all those who responded to my cry for help. I’m glad to know most of you can read every single word I write! I guess it must be browser error at the other end. Sorry to those who are having problems.

Second:

I have attempted five stitches, all badly. If you want to see good versions of these stitches, look elsewhere. I’ve done cross stitch, up and down buttonhole, barred chain stitch, alternating barred chain stitch and couching.

I know cross stitch is good for something like well ….cross stitch, and I have seen nice examples of cross stitches used in a free form textural sense …but it leaves me cold. I did a few cross stitch variations – long arm, zigzag, and a few other crosses, but short of doing a whole embroidery I could not make this stitch remotely interesting or appealing.

So I tried up and down buttonhole stitch. I’ve never done it before and I think it looks a lot like Eskimo edging stitch. I like the way it looks and it is fairly easy to do…but I’m not sure it’s a stitch I’d use much. The hardest thing about doing the stitch is remembering to actually do it…I kept forgetting and doing normal buttonhole.

I forged ahead and tried barred chain stitch and alternating barred chain stitch. This is FRUSTRATING. I can do twisted chain stitch and normal chain stitch - and this is just a variation - but every time I tried it turned out like absolute crap. I am not sure I have the patience to preserve with this stitch…maybe I’m tired or missing something….maybe this isn’t even really a proper stitch and sharon just sneaked it in specifically to annoy me! How’s that for egocentric. Grin.

Instead of giving up/taking a break….I thought I’d give couching a go. Couching is easy, and because I am lazy I just couched a scrap of ribbon with a few different stitches – straight stitches, herringbone (not very successful), French knots, buttonhole, open chain stitch (not a particularly good example) and …ta dah… cross stitch….which of all the couching stitches I thought looked the best, although I do like the French knots too.

I know that a good worker never blames their tools, so I have no compunction in stating that:

1. I hate aida with a passion, and will never stitch on it again, after this bit is used up.
2. I am now using scraps of threads and ribbons from my orts bowl – they are never long enough or the right colour, or weight. For example - I think if I used a thinner thread (not 6 strands of cottom) on my couching - all the stitches would have looked better.
3. I was using a tapestry needle for all the stitches… I could have reached over and changed needles, but I just didn’t. Lazy.stupid.

Now reading this, you might be wondering why I am even bothering with this, because a lot of my TAST efforts seem a bit half hearted, but I am actually learning things, even if it’s just to confirm what I don’t like! I think my problem is I’m not much of an experimenter –I like to learn new stitches in the course of doing something else, rather than as an isolated exercise. If I don’t have, or can’t envisage, a purpose for the stitch I have trouble obtaining/ maintaining the enthusiasm to play with it. Also I think I am more drawn to stitches which I can use as design elements in an embroidered picture, rather than say, CQ seam treatments. I like embroidery stitches like French knots and fly stitch which I can make look like things (flowers/leaves/trees) rather than stitches like up and down buttonhole which I just see as a border stitch or seam treatment. Having said that – I look forward to doing each weeks stitch – even if it ends up being a pathetic 3 inches of wobbly bits. (Jane: stop it…I know what you are thinking about!)