This is my sample of running stitch that I have just finished - it is a mixture of patterns created with the stitch and lines of running stitch whipped with various threads.


Today our church has been celebrating it's 350th Anniversary - it is one of the oldest Baptist Churches in the world.

We had a lovely day with special services, many ex-members and friends coming back to share the day with us and to share lunch, and the opportunity to catch up with people we haven't seen for years. This is one of the beautiful flowers arrangements that decorated the church.

Then the young people had a long walk ending in a game of rounders and a barbecue. Now we are all exhausted.

Time to catch up with posting my small samples for the TAST challenge. I don't feel as if I've been very creative with the stitches but I've been busy with other stitching in the meantime and nibbling away at my Module 2 for City and Guilds.

The first stitch is this weeks stitch - Palestrina stitch. I started in straight rows then tried overlapping the rows with different lengthed stitches, then I did the S shape. The bottom two rows were done slightly differently to Sharons instructions - on the first row I added an extra knot to make it more knobbly, on the second row I started off the same but the second 'stitch' I passed under the first stitch then did a final knot - this gives a better right angle - more like a knotted buttonhole stitch.


This is my sample from Week 14 - Bonnet stitch - just a couple of rows - not very exciting.

This example is from Week 13 - Knotted Cretan stitch which was fun to do as it was easier to get some variety in the stitches.


This couching example is for Week 12 - I used some lovely textured thread that I bought in Germany before Christmas and it just cries out to be touched.


This is Week 10s sample - Barred chain - again a fun stitch to play around with.

A belated Happy Easter to you! This is the Easter banner that I have been working on recently for church and managed to finish last week in plenty of time. I became very frustrated with my sewing machine and had to abandon using it by Monday last week as it needed a new lever to raise the presser foot - fortunately it was fixed on Wednesday - now it's a pleasure to use again.


I have had a lovely weekend - the family have all been away and I have been able to experiment and sew as much as I wanted to - nothing to show here as yet as I have been preparing some ATCs for an exchange and will post them during May once they have been received. Just let me say that they linked to my Module 2 texture work - silk painting and texture rubbings and I am quite pleased with the results.

Today a friend and I went up to the Living Crafts Show at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire - the weather was great and we really enjoyed our visit. It was nice to see some different crafts on display, other than textiles and to enjoy a falconry display - we missed the ferret racing! There were lots of jewellry stalls which were very tempting - I did buy one pair of stud earrings and a pair of sandals in very soft, red nubuck leather.