365 Stitch-A-Long - day 21 blanket/pistol

On this last day of January, I am reflecting on my goals and resolutions. Hand stitching a few minutes every day has become a habit. A good one for me and hopefully for you too.

Todays stitch is a combination of a large blanket stitch and a pistol stitch. The pistol stitch is a straight stitch with a french knot on the end. It is stitched in one step. The secret is to keep the thread taunt when wrapping the french knot and pulling the thread to the back.

Keep stitching,

Janice

365 Stitch-A-Long - day 20-2 rows crossstitch

Today is two rows of cross stitches. One large and one small. A simple one so we can finish the week quickly and enjoy the weekend. The weatherman predicted that it will be above 50 this weekend. We will not know how to act but will try..... Enjoy your weekend....

Keep stitching,

Janice

365 Stitch-A-Long - day 19 closed blanket stitch

The sun is finally shining here...yeah... It is amazing what a little bit of sunshine can do to brighten your day. Today stitch is a closed buttonhole. Instead of making your buttonhole stitch straight, angel your needle into a V, keeping the thread under the needle.

Keep stitching,

Janice

365 Stitch-A-Long - day 18 - running/weaving stitch

Today is another beautiful snow covered morning. Love how everything is so white and clean and covered in fresh new snow. I am very thankful to be in a warm home with needle and thread.

Stitch 17 consists of two rows of running stitches in red with a gold thread woven through it. It is easier to run one row down one side and come back on the other. Use a tapestry needle (blunt) needle to weave your gold thread through the running stitches.

Keep stitching,

Janice

365 Stitch-A-Long - day 17-straight/french knot flowers

Today is an easy combination of pink straight stitches, stitched into a V that flip flop on each side of the seam line. Yellow french knots (wrapped twice) are added to each point. More snow is headed our way so it is a good week to be indoors sewing .....

Keep stitching,

Janice

365 Stitch-A-Long - day 16- blanket/flower

Are you ready to start back after a busy weekend? Pick up a needle and stitch a blanket stitch. The blanket stitch is done in groups of threes with the middle stitch being longer. Leave a little extra space in between the groups of threes. Lets add some spring flowers to the mix. Five weeks to spring....can't wait.

Keep stitching,

Janice

365 Stitch-A-Long - day 15-chain/lazy daisy

Another combination to finish up this third week. As I look at my antique crazypatch quilts and pillows, I realized that most of the patterns are combinations. That is the beauty of it. Todays stitch is a chain stitch with lazy daisy in two shades of purple. Also, today I introduced another fabric to the mix. It is a royal blue velvety fabric.

Keep stitching,

Janice

365 Stitch-A-Long - day 14-3 leg feather

Today is a variation of the feather stitch. We are adding one more U to the grouping. Remember to keep the thread under the needle. If you are brand new to this stitch, I suggest you draw it with a disappearing pen. This will give you a guide and direction. This morning I enjoyed our sit-n-stitch group. Girl time is always great. If you have a local group, I encourage you to join or start one of your own. Tonight we are completely covered with new snow. How beautiful and the perfect setting for picking up a needle.

Keep stitching,

Janice

365 Stitch-A-Long - day 13-lazy daisy

Today is a combination of lazy daisy stitches worked in purple. Simple and easy for a busy day. I need to get more blocks pieced as I only did a few to get started. It would be great to clean up my cutting table and have a stack ready for stitching. It would be even better if I could get this all organized in some kind of container. I am sure none of you are like me...lol..... What is your favorite organizer for handwork?

Keep stitching,

Janice

365 Stitch-A-Long - day 12-sheaf stitch

Good Morning. It is so rainy and gloomy here that I have to turn lights on to see in my home. Hope the sun is shining brightly in your world.

Today's stitch is a group of straight stitches. It may have a fancy name but I think of it as bundles of wheat. The easiest way for me to stitch this group neatly is to make the center stitches first along the seam line. Mine are 1/4" long with a 1/4" space in between. I then go back and use this stitch as my marker for the "wheat" stitches. Start at the left upper corner 1/4" from the top of the center stitch and cross over to the lower right hand corner. Bring the needle out at the upper right hand corner and angle down to the lower left hand corner. Place the center cross over stitch last. Run the needle under the center stitch each time.

Remember you can click on the picture to make it bigger.

Keep stitching,

Janice

365stitches@gmail.com

365 Stitch-A-Long - day 11-lazy daisy leaf goups

A friend sent this to me this weekend.

DREAM

De Clutter

Re Organize

Execute

And

Move Forward

I have decided to adopt this as my New Years Resolution for this next year. I have it posted in my office and sewing room to help keep me focused. which is hard when you have an addictive personality like mine.

Today we are doing a combination of straight stitches and lazy daisy. The straight stitches are 3/8" long. I really like the sweetness of this combination and hope you do to.

Enjoy,

Janice

365 Stitch-A-Long - day 10-straight/lazy daisy

Our last stitch of the week is a combination of a straight stitches and lazy daisy stitches. Start with the straight stitches making a L. The vertical straight stitches are 1/2" apart. Add lazy daisy stitches for fun. I am leaving the weekends free to catch up if you need it. Today we are going to be above freezing for the first time all week. YEAH!!! The sun is shining and I am in the mood to clean (which is rare...lol...) Enjoy your weekend and sneak in some sewing.

Keep stitching,

Janice

365 Stitch-A-Long day 9 - fly stitch

Good Morning. Today we are adding a fly stitch to our chain stitch. The fly stitch can be used in rows of horizontal or vertical stitches. We are going to use singles this time. Bring your needle above the line and make a loop coming back directly across and angling down toward the seam. Use a long tack stitch to secure. Tie off after each stitch. Add pink french knots to the tips.

Keep stitching,

Janice

365 Stitch-A-Long -day 8- chain stitch

Another beautiful snowy day here in the south. Hope all of you are staying warm.

Today we are stitching a chain. Use the end of a spool of thread to draw your lines if you need help. On the dark fabric you can use a chalk pencil. I used a small pin to mark my center point. Make a loop, come back to the starting point and take a stitch with the thread under the needle. Go back into the same hole and make the next loop. Continue making scallops.

Keep stitching,

Janice

365 stitch-a-long - day 7-straight stitch

You can't get any easier than the straight stitch. Alone as a running stitch or in groups like we are using today, this lowly stitch can add punch. Start with the center long stitch and then add the side "wings". French knots or lazy daisy stitches can be added to the tops.

Keep stitching

Janice

365 stitch-A-Long -day 6 - Chevron stitch

Today we woke up to 3 inches of fresh beautiful white snow. What a perfect day to pick up a needle, a cup of tea and snuggle under a quilt near the fireplace.

The chevron stitch is done in 2 steps. Bring your needle up on the left hand side and make a small tack stitch. Bring the needle up in the middle of the tack stitch and cross over to the other side of the seam. Make the top part of the V. Stitch a tack stitch centering over the end of the V. Bring the needle back to the center of the tack stitch and take the needle back to the left side and repeat.

Keep stitching,

Janice

365 Stitch-A-Long - day 5 -feather stitch

The feather stitch is one of favorites. This is the basic stitch today but you will see lots of variations in the coming weeks. Start with your needle 1/4" away from the seam line. Bring the needle out directly across from where you came up. With the thread under your needle, angle the needle down to the seam line. Start again on the left and bring the needle to the seam line. You will be working from left to right, and then back to left. Be gentle when pulling the feathers into position. Enjoy!

Keep stitching,

Janice

365 Stitch-A-Long - day 4-cross stitch

Today's stitch is the cross stitch. This is one of the most versatile stitches and I personally use it in multiply ways. From counted cross stitch to stamped cross stitch to an embroidery stitch. This is a peak at a stamped cross stitch project that I have drug around the country and overseas. It was my staple in cars, planes, airports and hotel rooms. I have trouble sitting still anywhere, so I always have some busy work to keep me calm. I really enjoyed this project since there is no thinking if your are tired or chatting with friends. I am in the process of hand quilting it. Something I never thought I would do but am loving it. As chilly as this winter has been, I keep pulling it up in my lap to stay warm and do a few stitches.

The cross stitch is actually easier to stitch on even weave fabric. To help get your stitching even, you can mark the fabric with a wash away fabric marker and ruler. I don't mind if mine is not perfect, I like the charm of the hand sewn look. Make a row of slashes on angle working your way to one end. Turn and come back the other way, crossing your X.

Keep stitching,

Janice

365 stitch a long - day 3 -French Knot

I am so blessed to have such a diverse group of friends. One friend commented that I have actually lost it if I think she is going to pick up a hand needle..lol... Well you can use all those wonderful built in stitches on your sewing machine and still follow along. Then I have a few new friends who don't have sewing machines but want to join in. This project can be stitched anyway you want. Just relax and have fun. Today, we are adding the french knot to our pink lazy daisy. Bring your needle up and wrap the thread around the needle twice, slide the thread all the way down to the fabric pulling out the slack, and push through to the back. If you have a loop, your thread was not taunt or at the bottom. Never wrap more than once or twice. If you want a heavier look, use more strands of thread. Multiply wraps tend to unwind.

If you are afraid to post your question, you can always email me privately, at itssewright@gmail.com

Keep stitching,

Janice

Rail Fence pattern

This is the rail fence pattern I decided to use for our crazy patch stitches. I choose this layout as it is very simple and doable. Most crazy patch blocks are very complex and require hours of sewing just to assemble the block. I have wanted to stitch a crazy patch quilt for a while now and thought this would be the easiest while still having a great look. While this would make a great full sized quilt, it would also be a great throw over a chair in your den or office, or at the end of your bed. Choose your fabrics and threads with this in mind. 1/4" seams are used and are pressed open for easier stitching. This can also be pieced by hand for a totally on the go project. I like a quilt thread for hand piecing. Start one stitch in and back up to the edge of the fabric to avoid knots along the edges. End the same way with a back stitch.

Keep Stitching,

Janice

Welcome to 365 stitch a long

I am so blessed in having such a diverse group of friends. Your comments and feedback are like a nice hot cup of tea. Soothing and comforting to the soul. I have been told I am out of my mind and completely lost it if I think one dear friend is going to pick up a hand needle. For those of you that a hand needle is not an option, you can use the decorative stitches on your sewing machine. For those of you without a sewing machine, these pieces can be sew by hand using small stitches. For hand piecing, I like to use a quilt thread that is just a little stronger.than regular thread. Start one stitch in f rom the end and take a stitch back to the edge so your knots are not all on the edge of your piece. This also makes your seam stronger. I also backstitch one stitch to end my piecing. Sew the seams together with a 1/4" seam allowance. Press seams open for easier stitching.

365 Stitch a long - day 2-Blanket Stitch

The response to my stitch-a-long is just wonderful. Thank you for all your support. I will answer a few questions first. The rail fence units we are starting with are just groups of 3's that will be joined together later. ( sewing 2 x 5 pieces into groups of 3) This makes it very portable and easy to handle. At present, I am using 3 strands of floss with an embroidery needle. Just pick one that you can thread. That is more important than size. This project can be done in quilters cotton. Use what you have. The Victorians would be proud of you. Some of my fabrics are re-purposed from my closet.

Today's stitch is the blanket stitch. Bring the thread out on the seam line, insert the needle in position on the left (or right) facing the needle back to the seam line. Take a straight stitch with thread under the needle and gently pull taunt. Work 3 stitches on one side and switch to the other side of the seam.

Keep stitching, Janice

365 stitch a long -day 1 - Lazy Daisy

Here we go with our first stitch for the first Monday of this brand new year. The lazy daisy is a very basic and easy stitch to get us started. I am sooo excited and can't wait to see how all our quilts will come together. Grab your needle and thread.

Bring your needle up on the seam line and make a loop. Secure with a little tack stitch at the end of the loop. Click on picture to enlarge photo.

Keep Stitching,

Janice

Happy New Year -365 stitch a long

New Year, new computer, new projects. Don't you love a brand new year to start fresh? I realized this past year that I am most happy when I have a needle in my hand. Although I love machine sewing and designing, I have gone back to my first love - hand sewing...and have decided to try to squeeze in a few minutes of hand stitching every day. I love the peace and stillness that comes over me while stitching. In our crazy busy world, we all need a little calmness. So I have decided to post a new stitch or a variation of a stitch each week day. Lets see how far we get at years end. Dig out some fabric and floss and join me. We are starting with a rail fence pattern using 2" x 5" pieces in groups of three. I am using moire, velveteen and suede fabrics. Other projects will be introduced along the way. Those that know me well, know that I tend to have multiple interests...lol... as I am sure some of you do too.

Won't you pick up a needle and join me?