TAST-2019

Hello Friends!

Hope you are all doing well. 

After Sankranti, I wanted to take a small break. But it got extended. So I am back now. Actually, on the academics side me and my students are in the last leg of learning for the year. So we are all concentrating on finishing of the portions and start our revisions. Thank fully I am finished up with the teaching portion though a bit later than what I actually planned at. But no problem. Now we are into our first round of revision. 

Well, added to all that hectic schedules, we have a severe cold wave here. With continuous rains on the top of that, I have had some health issues. I need to strictly safe guard myself against the cold. So I am spending most of my time recovering my health.

Amidst all this, I decided to join the TAST 2019 challenge. Well the link is here:

TAST 2019

TAST  is a challenge for embroidery, on PINTANGLE  run by Sharon Bogon a very talented  and accomplished artist in embroidery. I love her work and dedication to hand embroidery and quilting.

Actually I am a bit late in posting it here. Already four weeks have gone by. Please do visit the site and read the FAQs. 

Do participate and leave me a line so that I can visit your blog/site. 

There is lot to learn from this challenge. So much creativity and so many ideas. 

Even if you don't participate just go through the previous works of the participants from the PINTANGLE site. There is much more on the site. Please take time to browse.

I have not yet started on the challenge. I did want to join from the first week. Any way one can jump in whenever you like and jump out. I have taken out all my embroidery materials out. It has been a long time. But I want to take it up again.

I will try to do as many as possible. 

My TAST Samplers from previous years are listed out in my PAGES separately so that it is easy for you. Please do go through them.

So do watch out this space. I will be posting my TAST samplers and much more.

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Friday Free Pattern- Valentine Day Special

My Heart Beats For You...

Here is a pattern I am posting for you on Saturday rather than Friday. Sorry for the delay. I have to attend to all my pending matters, held up due to the demonetization. I wanted to embroider the pattern before posting. So It took me some time.

Since Valentine Day is fast approaching, the theme of the pattern is centered on it. 

I first drew the pattern and digitized it. Then printed it out. 

Since I was stitching it on a hand kerchief which was made of fine cotton, I could place the design under the cloth and easily trace it.  

This is how it looked after tracing it with a pencil.

First I started with the heart. I stitched the outline in Chain Stitch. Then filled it using buttonhole Filling Stitch. Then stitched the flourishes on either side using, Stem Stitch.

I have used red coloured Pearl Cotton thread from Anchor - single strand.

So my embroidery looks like this.

You can use other stitches, threads according to your liking. I feel this pattern looks good on hankys, blouses, shirts, -sleeves and pockets, kids garments, small bags or purses, pillow cases, cushion covers. 

Here is the free pattern

Just try it out and please share your work. I would love to see how it turned out. I hope this pattern is easy to down load and print and the size is also OK.  If there are any issues with downloading and printing, please mail me. I am not well versed with digitizing drawings. I tried my best.

Hope you like it...

Please Note:

• These designs are my own creations.
• All images and text in this post are copyrighted and all rights are reserved.
• You can use them for your personal use only.
• If you use them, please send me the pictures of your work using these patterns, which I will post on my blog
• OR if you post your work using these patterns on your blog or site please link to the original pattern here on my blog and let me know about it. I would appreciate that very much.
• If you want to share them please attribute the work to me, with link back to this blog.
• Please do not re-publish or Post the patterns or my work on your site or blog or any where or distribute my photos or text.
• I hope you will respect my request.

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Friday Free Patterns

Here is today's pattern

It is Sunflower embroidered on a pure cotton handkerchief. 

The base is pure cotton fabric. I have used Pearl cotton threads- single strand through out. 

I first embroidered the edge of the circle using dark brown thread and outline/stem stitch. Then I filled up the inside with Chinese knots using the same thread. 

Then, I used yellow thread to stitch the petals, using lazy daisy stitches, starting from one end and stitching around the circle and ending near the place I started. Note that the stitch anchoring the chain is a bit longer and I left a little space between the stitches.

Then using a shade lighter thread, circled each of the chain stitch, passing through the anchoring stitch of the chain. 

I stitched the stems using stem stitch and the leaves using satin stitch.

Stitches used: Stem, Lazy Daisy, Satin, Chinese Knots.

This pattern can be used on hand kerchiefs, blouses, children's frocks, kurtis or tunics, saris, hand and bath towels, table linen, kitchen linen and bed linen.

This is the pattern. You have to size it according to your requirement while printing this.

Hope you like this pattern. 

Please Note:

• These designs are my own creations.
• All images and text in this post are copyrighted and all rights are reserved.
• You can use them for your personal use only.
• If you use them, please send me the pictures of your work using these patterns, which I will post on my blog
• OR if you post your work using these patterns on your blog or site please link to the original pattern here on my blog and let me know about it. I would appreciate that very much.
• If you want to share them please attribute the work to me, with link back to this blog.
• Please do not re-publish or Post the patterns or my work on your site or blog or any where or distribute my photos or text.

I hope you will respect my request.

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Friday Free Patterns

Oh my gosh! It is Friday again. I feel as if days are flying by. 

Well we had some showers, just enough to wet the surface soil. But still facing water crisis as there are no rains in the catchment areas to fill up our lakes or water channels from where we get our supply. We are all praying for rains. The present reserves of water may suffice for another few weeks. 

I am slowly working on my garden. Not much for now, as heavy rains will damage small plants. We need to go slowly, step by step.

Well here is this weeks pattern.

I have embroidered this motif on a handkerchief. The fabric is pure white cotton. I have used 6 strands cotton floss for embroidery- all the 6 strands through out. 

Stitches Used : Lazy Daisy for petals of the flower and the leaves, Outline or stem stitch for the circle in the center, filled up by Chinese Knots. You can stitch more leaves if you want. 

When stitching, first stitch the petals, starting at any point on the inner (green) circle out to the outer circle and filling up in a circular motion.Try to place the stitches, side by side without crowding or leaving space in between. Then stitch the green circle in the center and  fill it up with knots.

This pattern can be used on hand kerchiefs, blouses, children's frocks, kurtis or tunics, saris, hand and bath towels, table linen, kitchen linen and bed linen.

Hope you like it.

For the first time, I have created this design on a computer, as it would be easy for you to use. I could not print it to test it. I hope the size is OK for you to use. I will  try it out my self and see. But do let me know if there is any problem so that I can correct it and update if need be. 

Please Note:

• These designs are my own creations.
• All images and text in this post are copyrighted and all rights are reserved.
• You can use them for your personal use only.
• If you use them, please send me the pictures of your work using these patterns, which I will post on my blog
• OR if you post your work using these patterns on your blog or site please link to the original pattern here on my blog and let me know about it. I would appreciate that very much.
• If you want to share them please attribute the work to me, with link back to this blog.
• Please do not re-publish or Post the patterns or my work on your site or blog or any where or distribute my photos or text.

I hope you will respect my request.

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Friday Free Patterns

Friends I am reviving this post. I have lots of patterns to share with you. The only problem is I have pencil sketches, which need to be inked with black ink, so that you may get a crisp picture when you take a print out. 

I have been promising since long to post these. But I wanted to try them out and give you my version of stitched design too. Any ways from this week I will again post patterns every week. 

This weeks pattern is here:

This is a small design embroidered on a hanky. The base fabric is white coloured pure cotton fabric.

I marked the design with a pencil directly on to the cloth. 

 After finishing my embroidery, I drew the pattern on paper for you.

Stitches used were: Bullion, Stem, Lazy Daisy (Single Chain Stitch), Chinese Knot.

I have used mostly 2 or 3 strands of 6 stranded cotton floss. For the flower in the center done with Chinese knots, I have used all six strands.

This pattern can be used on Hand kerchiefs, blouses, children's frocks, kurtis, saris, hand and bath towels, table linen, kitchen linen and bed linen. 

Hope you like it.

Please Note:

• These designs  are my own creations.
• All images and text in this post are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. 
• You can use them for your personal use only. 
• If you use them, please send me the pictures of your work using these patterns, which I will post on my blog 
• OR  if you post your work using these patterns on your blog or site please link to the original pattern here on my blog and let me know about it. I would appreciate that very much. 
• If you want to share them please attribute the work to me, with link back to this blog. 
•  Please do not re-publish or Post the patterns or my work on your site or blog or any where or distribute my photos or text.

I hope you will respect my request.

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Fly Stitch-1

TAST-2015-Week1-Fly Stitch

The challenge for first week is Fly Stitch. You can see the details and instructions for the stitch here;

Week 1- Fly Stitch

This is my attempt. The first few doodles.

I was just warming up. So 12 bands so far.

Watch out for more on this Fly Stitch in my next posts.


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Inchies Sampler - Square - 11

This is my 11th block. 

Here the theme is the Sun gently shining upon my Home- Sweet Home. My garden full of greenery and colourful flowers swaying gently in the wind.

After long periods of heavy showers, when Nature is revived from the hot and dusty Summer, and is smiling with lots of greenery and blooming flowers, the Sun suddenly appears from behind the curtain of the clouds, to take a peek at the earth below. 

This is my home with Sun gently smiling upon us. 

Though we (all life forms and Nature) desperately wanted the rains during the long hot summers, to quench our thirst and drench our parched throats, we the worshipers of Sun cannot live with out Him for long. We want Him shining upon us but gently, providing the warmth and sun-shine. 

Oh! What a feeling.

I have used pearl and stranded cotton threads.

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Inchies Sampler - Square 18

Hi there. My work is progressing very slowly. It is terribly hot here. We cannot move out of our houses. The temperatures are ranging between 40 to 47 degrees Celsius. Even as early as seven in the morning, the heat is so much that  we feel as if we are sitting on the burner. As the day progresses, it is getting hotter and hotter so much that we cannot venture out. It is very hot till late in the night.  

We are all forced to sit at homes unless it is something very urgent or unavoidable.

So amidst all this here I am trying to make some progress in my crafts. it is really difficult to do anything when you feel as if you are sitting on fire and your skin feels as if it is burning and there is so much humidity. 

I have completed Square No. 18. This is again related to Square No. 10.

In Square 10, my theme was a Rainbow. So now, in this square, my theme is Dancing Peacock. 

Our elders say, that, when the sky is heavily filled up with dark clouds, just before it starts to rain, the Peacocks open their trains to display their beauty. It is said that, the Peacocks attract the females - Peahen with beauty of their trains and their dance. When the Peacocks dance, and the heavily clouded dark skies adorned with a Rainbow form the backdrop, then it is such a  beautiful sight- isn't it ?

I have embroidered this theme of dancing Peacock, clouded skies, with a Rainbow as its back drop and the jungle filled up with greenery and colourful flowers as its stage.

I wanted to embroider the Peacock. But I could not fit it into such a small square. So I opted for an embellishment (acrylic I think). I could not get a blue one so it is golden Peacock. I have used, Pearl cotton threads and stranded cotton threads for the rest of the embroidery.. 

Do you think the square is too much crowded? Please mail me or drop in your comments, suggestions  or what you think about this sampler, I will be glad to know. 

Watch out for the progress in my next posts......

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Inchies Sampler - Square 17

Here I am posting after a long time. 

It is summer here. But in between we have had some rains which is disrupting all the things which we women do in summer. Like pickling, sun drying  vegetables, making crispies and poppadoms...

The untimely storms have damaged mango crop besides, other fruit crop like plantains, papayas, citrus fruits and also other crops. This being the peak season for pickling mangoes, there is huge demand for them. But supply of good produce is so less that the costs have sky rocketed. On the other hand there are power cuts and water shortages.

Well that is the day to day challenges which we people face here. I am just hoping that all  plants in my garden survive the heat. 

Because of all that I could not concentrate much on my projects. I am just picking up what ever UF projects I have and carry on the work as much as I can. 

This is Square 17 of my Sampler.

This is linked to Square 9.

When it rains heavily as shown in square 9, children are the most happy ones. They enjoy the showers, they can bunk schools and play. Here in this square I have embroidered children- a boy and a girl making paper boats and playing in the rain. That is what we used to do when we were children. Now our children don't enjoy such simple things any more.

I have used pearl cotton mostly and some stranded cotton threads. Stitches used were also simple except for the girls hair.

I found it very difficult to stitch such tiny figures to fit into the square. The ground fabric was also a heavy one making it very difficult to stitch. I wanted to have a raised or 3 D effect. 

I am not satisfied with the way the figures turned out. But I did not dare to undo all the embroidery and start allover again. 

I learned some lessons while doing this square. 

Any suggestions on how to stitch such tiny figures? Can any one of you share some tips please?

Hope you like this. Still many squares to go.....

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StitchXplorations-French Knots

Take a look at my exploration of French Knots.

The back ground is as usual, unbleached heavy cotton cloth. I have used stranded cotton thread mostly. I have used all the 6 strands for a thicker knot. I have also used stem, outline, detached chain, and fly stitches with long tasils.

For grass I have used Rim Jim Threads(it is some what fuzzy) for grass for the fluffy look. 

This is one more stitch I am not so good at. But I think it is better than my satin stitch skills. I find Chinese knots easier than this for filling up.

Strictly speaking Knot stitches are fun once you master them. they give a textured look, a 3D effect and are quite interesting.

What do you say?

This is one more stitch I need a lot of practice. 

Watch out for more......

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StitchXplorations - Satin Stitch

This is again one more attempt at satin stitch from the same sampler done long time back.

The background is unbleached cotton fabric. I have used a shaded cotton thread, 2 strands. I have outline some petals with back stitch to see how it looks. The leaves and stalk, stem have been done in satin stitch.

I have not filled in the center. I think s few french knots would look nice. I will try them.

What do you think?

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StichXplorations-Satin Stitch

This is a very old sampler. This was my attempt at satin stitch. The stems and sepals of the buds are chain stitch. The center of the flower is diagonal stitch over satin stitch base.

The fabric used is unbleached heavy cotton. I used Neem zari thread; cotton thread with gold or zari thread. 

This one time I got it perfect, as you can see below:

This is not my favorite stitch. Nine out of ten times, I cannot do this perfectly as I would like to. But I have improved over the years.  I need to practice this stitch  to improve my skills. But I keep on postponing it as this stitch is a strain on the eyes. 

What do you say? 

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Ribbon Embroidery

Hi friends!

Its been long time. Well let me wish you a belated Happy New Year. 

Like every year, this year  I have made resolutions. Let us see how much I can implement them. 

Here is my ribbon work completed at last. I have used satin ribbons and threads or floss (cotton -stranded, pearl and silk  thread). The back ground is unbleached cotton fabric circular in shape.

This was my first attempt at ribbon work, one of my old projects started but not finished. it was difficult for me to stitch on the fabric as the fabric was very thick. But I have completed it at last. I took this up as a test project to learn the stitches and gain some experience before taking up silk ribbon embroidery. 

I wanted to use as many stitches as possible. This was one of my projects where I began without any planning or sketch and just went on adding the motifs, as I proceeded with my embroidery. I love this way as it gives me more freedom to be creative. 

Please do leave your comments and criticisms. I would like to know how I have done this.

Oh! by the way can any one tell me where to get Silk Ribbons for embroidery in India? I would be grateful if you can give me the address please.

Watch out my blog for more........

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Inchies Sampler-Square 10

In my sampler for Square-9, the theme was rain-heavy downpour of continuous or intermittent showers for long periods of time ranging from 1-2 days to nearly a week or so. So I embroidered an umbrella. 

Well there also days, when it is partly cloudy sky with showers now and then and suddenly you see a rainbow as the Sun appears for a brief visit. You feel so happy when you find a rainbow in the sky. Whether one is young or old, every one loves a rainbow.

In India we call the rainbow as Indra Dhanush. Indra is God of thunder and Lighting. He is also the King Of Devas and rules the Heavens. Dhanush means a bow. So Rainbow is known as Indra's Bow.

A rainbow may mean different things in different cultures and religions. But in general, it symbolises, love, peace, happiness, divinity, creativity, harmony, expansion and so many things. We hear about "the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow". Rainbow and its colours also mean, our dreams, hope and aspirations. 

So I choose this as my theme for my square no 10. I first wanted to do a simple one rainbow across the sky.

But somehow I felt that the square looked empty so I added the rest-clouds, trees, green grass and flying birds. Here it is

It is difficult to stitch something so small. It is a real challenge. I have mostly used pearl threads and cotton stranded floss for clouds. I used all the seven colours of VIBGYOR. 

During the monsoons, for the first few showers, the clouds carry lot of dust particles and look brownish to muddy in colour. So I added a little bit of brown to the clouds.

Hope you like it.

More to come in my next posts....

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Inchies Sampler-Square9

I have jumped to Square 9 now. Square 5 to 8 I will do it later.

Well, the Indian Calendar months of Sravana (5th month-July to August) and Bhadrapada (6th month-August to September) form the major part of rainy season. During these months, there will be heavy to light showers. Sometimes it keeps on drizzling for three-four days. 

After the hot summers, these rains give relief. But the continuous raining is sometimes very difficult for us city folks. Slushy roads, heavy traffic jams, overflowing gutters, slippery roads, very humid climate, power cuts if there are heavy rains and winds have to be dealt with in cities. 

In villages, the farmers are very happy to start their farming work. It is a relief for them and their cattle after a long dusty hot summers. Drinking water and water for farming activities is available only when the local water bodies like wells, rivers, rivulets, lakes, ponds are filled with these rains. There is greenery every where. 

So this is my 9th square:

We have to take out umbrellas to go out in case of the showers. I have used pearl cotton  no 8. The stitches I have used are detached chain, chain stitch, detached button hole and raised satin stitch(actually I have worked slating straight stitches two layers, one upon another for the handle).

Hope you like this. Please do drop in and leave any comments or suggestions. I will be more motivated to finish this early :).....

Keep a watch on my blog for more in my next posts..... 

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Inchies Sampler-Square4

Sorry I could not post for the past few days. It was raining very heavily here. With the festivals and other personal matters to attend to, I could not post my sampler.

Here is square no 4. When there are lots of flowers in my garden(Square-3), it is but natural that there will be butterflies too. Beautiful colourful butterflies, keep visiting my garden through out the day. I have been sharing their visits with you. However, a little glimpse one more time.

So this inspired my 4th square.

Butterflies hovering over flowers. Sorry for the bad quality of the picture. I tried my best but could not get a better one.

I have completed around 7 squares. but sometimes, when I look back at some squares, I feel I need to add more. Any way, I will keep you posted about my WIP of this sampler.

Keep an eye on my blog.....

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