Take a stitch Tuesday Challenge week 15
Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at 6:21AM | Sharon B | 31 Comments | in Challenges, Hand Embroidery, Needlework, Take a Stitch Tuesday 
Good morning everyone! Imagine I am doing my best imitation of Robin Williams greeting in Good Morning Vietnam. Screaming at my computer screen, then feeling a little daft, I look around and shrug. No harm done and it woke me up. Now you have that image in your head, I swing my chair around (I have one of those swivel chairs), pull myself towards the desk (yes it has wheels too!) hitch my sleeves up to the elbow (habit) and settle down to announce this weeks challenge stitch.
Last night I spent some time really poking about the sites that have been joining in on this challenge. It really is fantastic to see so many interpretations.
I hope these slightly more complex stitches are not too frustrating for new hands to embroidery. The majority of people seem to be having fun with them. I am thoroughly enjoying following the links as I approve the comments.
This week the challenge stitch is oyster stitch. Most often you encounter this stitch worked in singles arranged in a circle to produce flowers. This sample is worked in perle 5 cotton with a center of French knots.
It is a stitch that looks quite complex but once you are in the swing of it is enjoyable and relaxing.
This stitch is a highly textured complex form of chain stitch. This sample is worked in wool, perle 5 cotton, silk, and linen threads stacking the stitches close together.
For new hands this stitch works best in a thread with firm twist although most thread types are suitable and you can be quite creative with this stitch. This is simply a straight line worked in perle 8 thread on aida cloth.
On this sample worked on Aida, I have worked the stitches separately on an angle and simply extended them slightly.
As you can see in the sample above you can easily work this stitch in a spiral.
If you extend the tail of the stitch ie the thread you use to tie the stitch down all sorts of interesting arrangements can be created. These samples worked on dress linen are worked in a circle but worked as a linear stitch it can be worked on a curve, worked in a zig zag formation, or you can weave threads under it. Worked as a isolated stitch it can be arranged in patterns or sprinkled across an area in singles.
These flower buds is Oyster stitch worked in a chenille thread.
Here I have some more crazy quilt seam embellishments both using ribbon floss to work the Oyster stitch.
Click through to the directions on how to do the challenge stitch oyster stitch in my stitch dictionary.
When you have stitched a sample swing by and leave a comment (preferably on this post) so people can check out your site. Don’t forget to leave your URL. To avoid spam you must be registered to leave a comment and all comments are moderated. This means when I have read them I approve them and they are published.
Don’t forget that Debra Spincic generously runs a web ring for the TAST challenge which is found here and for those who have a Flickr account there is the Take a stitch Tuesday flickr group
That’s the Take a Stitch Tuesday Challenge stitch this week …as usual experiment, explore and Enjoy!
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Reader Comments (31)
One of my favorite stitches, Sharon--well met!! And I love your "wake-up routine" -- caused me to sit up rather straight!! Now that I have that mental image, what *am* I going to be able to produce today??!!
Thought I was going to miss my plane waiting for this week's challenge. Since I'll be away for a couple of weeks, I knew I'd go into withdrawal not to mention fall behind. I'll try to find an Internet Cafe while in CA and catch next week's challenge. Grabbed up some fabric & threads and threw them in the suitcase along with the lessons I just downloaded.
Thanks for coming through for me! Have fun everyone.
I admire the beauty and intricacies of your work. Wow, it's lovely.
Although I'm an artist & do work with needle and other fiber arts on occasion I'd never heard of Take a Stitch Tuesday. I hope you don't mind if I share this with my blog soon.
TAST samples on a ring. I have posted some pics of how I am keeping my TAST samples together as a resource for my projects. This has become an addiction... my week is not complete unless I have worked on one of my samples. Kate at http://katemadeloso.vox.com
Hi all,
i'm back and already "catched up".Posted a compendium of weeks10-13 and a separate week 14 at http://amovablefeast.blogspot.com
Nancilyn, way to go!
neki
This is a fab stitch. I've never used it. Never tried it. Thanks for diagram & photos where you used the stitch.
I'm still on catch-up, and tried to leave a comment on feather stitch - but it wouldn't let me. Sorry. You can view my meagre effort here.
http://my-efforts.blogspot.com/
Due to having a new grandson and a wedding in the family in the last few weeks I was behind in my Tast stitching, but I'm glad to be able to say I have almost caught up. I have put them up on my blog http://digitalgran.blogspot.com
I am so glad you seem to be in better health Sharon.
my tast week 15 adventure is already posted at http://amovalbefeast.blogspot.com
neki desu
my tast week 15 adventure is already posted at http://amovablefeast.blogspot.com
neki desu
I am a week late, so I put together week 14 and 15. Thank you again, Sharon, for all the great ideas, I really enjoyed working with the last two stitches. My problem is that I have the felling I forgot already the first ones! Almost everything is new for me:)
http://corinaj.wordpress.com/
Here is my oyster stitch. I explored various yarns & textures.
http://vivian-institches.blogspot.com/
I've added a few posts on this week's challenge at http://quietermoments.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow">quietermoments.wordpress.com
Hi Sharon,
Ive added another sample to my blog. It will be another cell phone pouch upon completion.
http://crazyquiltsusan.vox.com/
No oyster stitch yet, but I have updated my blog and added all I have done until now. it is at http://tenar72.wordpress.com . Should I post comments to all the individual stitches, too?
Tenar
Tenar you can post comments to all the individual stitches if you want to but its not necessary
Hi there, my beginning sample for oyster stitch is posted on the blog and on the Flickr site.
http://smockery.blogspot.com/2007/04/tast-oyster-stitch.html
Sharon I have finally done my Oyster stitch sample and now thatI have mastered it I will be using it a lot more.
http://doreeng.blogspot.com/
Here's my oyster stitch - I liked this one. http://faffingabout.blogspot.com/2007/04/tast-oyster-stitch.html
Another new stitch for me Sharon, but I like it. You can see my attempt here:
http://normasneedlez.blogspot.com/
I had fun playing with this one. Not my usual flora theme.
http://lifeneedleworkandeverything.blogspot.com/2007/04/tast-15-oyster-stitch.html
Margaret
here's my oyster stitch:
http://heegeldab.blogspot.com/2007/04/tast-weeks-14-and-15-bonnet-and-oyster.html
Hi everyone, my oyster stitch sample is here, also some couching.. http://randomapplique.blogspot.com/2007/04/oyster-shmoyster.html
My oyster stitch samples are now available at http://embroideryoverlaps.blogspot.com/
I meant to say how much I've been enjoying, and admiring, everyone else's efforts. They are so varied and interesting, not just the variations in the stitches themselves but the fabric, type of sampler, different threads, colourways . . . .
http://embroideryoverlaps.blogspot.com/
Hi Sharon and everyone...I have Oyster Stitch here http://loopylace.com/anniescrazyworld/?p=414 and here http://loopylace.com/anniescrazyworld/?p=419
Another stitch that was completely new to me. I did like the very raised effect.
I have posted my oyster stitch sample on the flicker group site and on my account at http://flickr.com/photos/helenad/
Hi Sharon,
I am brand new in CQ and I learn a lot from your sites, thanks for this!
I tried to do oyster stitch and I really love it!
I also did some palistrina stitch but it's hard to see on the picture.
http://kissycross.twoday.net/
My blog is in German, you can try the translation tool on the right - it's terrible, but better than nothing ;-)
I used oyster stitch on sunrays on my new large bag. Pictures are on my blog: http://aboutivana.blogspot.com
.
I loved Oyster stitch and will definately be using it again! I took the stitching away with me on my holiday (just back) and it took me 2 visits to internet cafes to work it out - but it was well worth it.
Now I've a few weeks to catch up...
Thank you Sharon - this challenge just gets better and better!
http://luciscreativeadventures.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/luci_f/
oh, I didn't like this one!
http://fionacupcake.blogspot.com/search/label/oyster%20stitch