Thursday, July 05, 2012

Merle's BAS Blocks

OK here is the second set that I worked on and I'm very sorry but as yet I don't have pictures of the before, I didn't take any and there aren't any uploaded from Jackie so far.
But here is what I added to the existing seams and also starting a new seam treatment with the base stitch that was specified.  Here is a description of what I did on Merle's blocks after Jackie had worked on them:

 #1 - cretan stitch - golden orange corner patch with cretan pine trees - also added to the first seam curved accents of tan cotton and gold Delica beads
#2 - herringbone stitch - seam seemed full already - started a new seam treatment with white/grey herringbone stitch with a wrap while crossing over, fly stitch at tips to make diamonds, then with wine filled deep Vs with straight stitches and Colonial knot

#3 - chevron stitch - Bullion knot buds added at base of double leaves on gold patch of previous seam. Then with Ribbon Floss braided rayon stitched varied depth chevron stiches on mauve patch and filled deep Vs with navey lazy daisy chains and straight stitches and then downwards with French knots

#4 - blanket stitch - could not think of anything to add to previous seams and I found this one hard to come up with ideas. I finally came up with blanket stitched "butterflies" with straight & chains in each space and Colonial knots on edges. The bodies are SRE doubled and then straight stitched antennae. I finished off with a varigated mauve cotton blanket stitch seam treatment in varied lengths to fill spaces between.

#5 - chain stitch - green fly stitch in varied sizes up from every second chain base on previous seam. Then using multi coloured thread I did chain circles filled with Bullion knot roses and SRE leaves.

#6 - fly stitch - black/grey centre I did a circle of metallic deep red fly stitches with Colonial knots with chains and straight stitches in centre. Then on gold patch stitched alternated fly and chains along seam with various stems in green.

#7 - feather stitch - again I could not think of anything for the previous seam treatment and what I did is definitely not a seam treatment but I filled the patch with a feather stitched fern stem and some elongated towards the seam (I love this filler).

#8 - running stitch - on the previous seam I added blue "+" stitches in the centres. Then I started a new seam treatment of double running stitch (a might to close tog but my first time) then wove Watercolours through the straight stitches for an awesome look and finished off with a varigated green 7mm SRE woven through centres.

#9 - just have fun - on previous seam treatment I added taupe running stitch curvy stems on both sides. Then with SRE wine I added deep zig zag along printed patch with light blue lazy daisy chains at points on both ends and then with newly learnt "backstitch" did some small circles in the under deep Vs in navy.

Yeppers these BAS blocks are really a challenge for me and within another group is a discussion on some stitches and I've found out that Blanket/Buttonhole and Backstitch/Outline/Stem are totally different whereas I thought them to be the same.  Go Figure!!!  So yes already this is a learning curve I had not anticipated I'd be encountering in this round robin.  Maybe one of these days I'll do up a sampler block of just the various stitches (named that is) and keep it handy for a quick check.

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