After a hiatus from working on it, I've returned to the Tree of Life embroidery this weekend. I like having a cross stitch and a surface embroidery project going at the same time. That way I can switch from one to the other depending on my mood. (I do the same with my writing and often have poetry and essays going at the same time.) Today I decided it was time to tackle something I've been nervous about -- stem stitch. I've never done this stitch before and it doesn't appear in any of Krista's how-to videos. I considered begging for a how-to video here! But instead I decided to really study the stitch guide and give it a try on my own. And, to my delight, I was able to figure it out. Not only that, but it covers a lot of ground quickly. I think I'll have the whole outer circle done by the end of the day. Krista's kits really do have everything you need for the projects, including good instructions. I'll add a picture or two in the comments.
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I have two books with beautiful photos that show how to do lots of different stitches. They're called A-Z of Embroidery Stitches and A-Z of Embroidery Stitches 2. Both are Search Press Classics. I think I got them on Amazon and they weren't very expensive. The photos are really easy to follow and very nice. They use colored floss on white fabric, showing where the needle is inserted, with a photo of each step.
Yes, I would strongly encourage you to keep working with reading embroidery diagrams. So much of the older embroidery knowledge is via this type of diagram and they can be really, really helpful! The Enthoven book was first published in the late 1960s/early 1970s so it's a bit of a time capsule, but the info is really solid. You can probably find it used :)
This makes my day! I try really hard to make sure those instructions and sketches will help you out if you haven't done a particular stitch before. Your stitching looks terrific! If you enjoy those sketches, they come from Jacqueline Enthoven's "The Stitches of Creative Embroidery" (used with permission of the publisher), which is a treasure trove of embroidery techniques with over 200 stitches explained and diagrammed.
What a great way to spend your day! Your stitches look very pretty.
Well done! Learning a new stitch is always satisfying.