TAST 7 & Beyond TAST 7 - Detached Chain Stitch & Barred Chain Stitch & Alternating Barred Chain stitch

 Here is my TAST 2021 sampler with this week's stitches.

Artistic Gardens

 Some days ago, I joined Kathy Seaman Shaw 's Artistic Gardens course. Few years back, I had done a couple of her other courses and I really enjoyed the new learning and finishing each task and there by gaining knowledge and confidence.  Needless to say, this course too was fun and packed with new learnings like trying out freezer paper, art supplies on the fabric, painting the background, weaving techniques, burden stitch, embroidering wee little garden creatures, narrating a story through painting and embroidery, embroidering hair.  Thankyou Kathy for offering this course.  Without this course, I would never have tried out these new things.

Task 1 was organising the supplies.  I had most of them handy in my craft shelf apart from the freezer paper, which I ordered and got it in few days time.

Task 2 involved using art supplies on the fabric.

This one was done with crayons

This one was done by using water colors

This one was done with oil pastels.

This one was done with fabric paints.

This one was done with color pencils.

Task 3  involved playing around with fabric paints and freezer paper masks.

Task 4 involved stitching on these painted backgrounds with feather stitches.

Task 5 involved simple garden scences.  To pique the interest of the viewer, I added a small snail in between the bushes. 

Here, I added a tiny spider busy weaving its web.

Task 6 involved a weaving sampler followed by the creation of Topiary with weaving stiches and burden stitches.

Task 7 included a garden visitor.The hair is embroidered with  the Turkey stitch .  For the dress I used fabric glue and stuck the fabric in place and a couple of straight stitches for the belt. The little girl is very careful not to step on the tiny lady bug, patiently waiting for the lady bug to cross the garden pathway. :)-

Task 8 involved creating flowers with simple straight stitches and French knots. 

Squirrels bury nuts to prepare for the cold weather, as the availability of food is limited during winters.  If this squirrel named Ojoe forgets the hiding place, Would you be kind enough to remind him that he buried it in between  the plants Kumquat (orange flowers) and Chinese Forget-me-not (blue flowers)?

Avenue de Breteuil - Paris

I admire architecture.  I like to travel.  I love embroidery.  This embroidery combines all the three - virtually traveling to Paris, fascinated by architecture and presented in the form of embroidery.

I follow Charles and Elin and a few months back I bought the kindle version of their book Mindful Embroidery.  I stitched this pattern  Avenue de Breteuil - Paris from the book.

It was a joy to stitch this pattern with very simple stitches - Back Stitch, Straight Stitch filling for the trees, satin stitch and some French Knots.  I like the way , how this design has little pop of color ,with Eiffel tower in the back ground, the details in the balcony railings.   Instead of filling everything with satin stitches,  only few areas are done with filling stitches which adds to the over all beauty.

TAST 6 & Beyond TAST 6 2021 - Herringbone Stitch & Raised close Herringbone

 Here is my 2021 sampler after adding this week's stitches.

TAST 5 & Beyond TAST 5 - 2021 - Feather Stitch & Feather and Chain stitch.

 The TAST practice doodle cloth , after adding Feather Stitch & Feather and Chain Stitch.

TAST 3&4 - Beyond TAST 3&4 - 2021

 Here is my TAST practice piece after adding TAST 3 & 4 (Buttonhole stitch,Reversed Buttonhole bar)   Beyond TAST 3 &4 (Reversed Buttonhole Bar,Portuguese Stem Stitch).

TAST 2 - 2021 - Fly Stitch & Italian Border Stitch

My TAST & Beyond TAST practice piece sampler after adding Fly Stitch and Italian Border Stitch

TAST 1 - 2021 - Chain Stitch & Linked Chain Stitch

 I did not intend to do TAST this year, as the  entire 2020 was spent focusing completely on TAST stitching.  However, I realised , I have already forgotten some of the TAST stitches I learnt.  I understood a revision of these stitches is mandatory  to memorise them with my 40+ year old brain.  At the same time, I want to keep this TAST practice a simple task, just spending under 30 minutes per week.  I am not following any set pattern.  The colors and placement of stitches are going to be random 

Here is my practice piece after TAST 1.