Sal kantha – wheel and borders

I have finished the wheel at the bottom of the design and changed the kantha border lines to paichano border lines because the filling stitch inside the border lines looked a lot better with paichano stitch in my test sampler..more about that next week.

                                                    

The spokes of the wheel is done with paichano stitch using 2 strands of yellow embroidery floss shd # 289.The dots are stitched with kantha filling stitch using 2 strands of black embroidery floss.I have filled the outer black ring area (refer the pattern) of the wheel with 'jod'. A 'jod' is nothing but 2 or more rows of aligned kantha stitches.I have filled the area with 3 rows of kantha stitches but if you are working on a larger pattern then you could work more rows. Next I filled the inner black ring and the empty circle with kantha stitches using 2 strands of black embroidery floss. I chose to fill the inner circle too because I find it too small for another color change but you can do that if you'd want to.

I have also worked a circle of paichano using 2 strands of yellow floss shd # 289 between the two black rings of the wheel.

                                        

The borders are now done with paichano stitch.We have already stitched the borders with kantha stitches.Now all you have to do is whip the kantha stitches using 2 strands of black floss and make it into a paichano.

See y'all next Wednesday with another interesting filling stitch.Please feel free to leave if you have any queries or suggestions in the comment box below.

Happy stitching!

Anita.

Sal kantha - crown flower, dot, birds and stem

Time just flies..I can't believe that we are very close to our kantha sal finish line..In just a couple of weeks we will be there :)

The dot above the crown flower is filled with 'kantha filling stitch using 2 strands of red shd # 047.                                                    

The crown flower is filled with 'kantha booti variation' using 2 strands of black and green shd # 239.To work 'kantha booti variation' start stitching from the outer edge of the petal with 2 strands of black just like we did for the kantha booti until you reach the 'v' like slit in the petal and fasten off the black thread.Continue filling the petal from where you'd left earlier with 2 strands of green.                                  

Next I moved on to the stem and birds(!) at the bottom of the pattern.The tear drop shape inside the calyx like thing between the birds(!) is filled with 'kantha filling stitch' using 2 strands of shd # 926.The base of the stem and calyx is filled with kantha stitches using 2 strands of green shd # 269.The outline of the birds are done with paichano using 2 strands of green shd # 239.The beak is completed with 'kantha filling stitch' using red shd # 047.The bands inside the body of the bird is worked with 'bejod' using red shd # 047. A 'bejod' is nothing but rows of non-aligned 'kantha' stitches.

I want to try two different sizes for the bird-eye and see which one looks better for me..will let you all know next week.

See y'all next Wednesday with an update ..

Happy stitching!

Anita.

Sal kantha - tara booti,dots,curlicues and stem

I have finished the dots near the crown leaf with kantha filling stitch using 2 strands of black Anchor stranded cotton floss.

                                                    

I have completed the small flowers above the bud with 'tara booti' using 2 strands of purple floss shd # 112.

To stitch 'tara booti' follow the instructions below:                                         

                         

Step 1: Bring the needle and thread up through the center of the motif, go down at the end of one spoke.                                       

 Step 2: Come up again at the center and go down at the end of the next spoke.                                         

 Repeat steps 1 and 2 until all the spokes are stitched.

                                         

I have also stitched the curlicues at the bottom with kantha stitches using 2 strands of black floss and the stem with kantha stitches using 2 strands of green floss shd #269.

See y'all next Wednesday ..

P.S. Thank y'all again for your wishes and am feeling a lot better now and hope I will be able show some new stuff now that am okay.

Happy stitching!

Anita

Sal kantha - bud and stylized calyx

I'd like to thank y'all for your wishes.I'm still not well..hopefully will recover soon..

I have finished the bud and the calyx(!) part of the design.

                                                      

I've completed the bud with kantha filling stitch using 2 strands of Anchor embroidery floss shd # 1205. The calyx is filled with weave or stacked kantha filling stitches using 2 strands of green shd # 229 and the outline is done with kantha stitches using 2 strands of green shd # 239.

This is how I worked the weave kantha filling stitch:

                                        

Step 1: Work kantha stitches from right to left .The stitch should be equal to the squares in the pattern.

                                          

                                   Step 2: Work kantha stitches from left to right as shown.

                                         

                          Step 3: Repeat steps 1 and 2 until the first set of squares are filled.
                                       

Repeat the first two steps to fill the second set of squares.The second set of squares are the ones which lie between the filled squares of the first row.

Repeat the process until the entire pattern is filled.

P.S Thanks Leela and Isabelle for helping me to rename the leaf.I think I'll go with Isabelle's suggestion, sorry Leela.

See y'all next wednesday ..

Happy stitching!

Anita.

Sal kantha - few stitches at the top

I have finished the curlicues and leafy thing at the top.

Any suggestions to rename the leafy thing are welcome..my choice is weird ..my brain is not working properly right now and I'm going to put the blame on all the medications I'm taking for flu and viral infection for the past few days. I certainly don't want to stick to it so feel free to leave your suggestions in the comment and let's rename the poor thing.

                                              

I have outlined and filled the infamous leafy thing with irregular kantha stitches using 2 strands of Anchor stranded cotton floss red shd # 047. For beginners – irregular kantha stitches means the length of the stitches and also the distance between 2 stitches vary throughout.

The curlicues are done with kantha stitches using 2 strands of green floss shd # 0246.

Hopefully I'll be okay after some rest and will come back with some interesting filling stitches next wednesday.

Happy stitching!

Anita.