It's Take A Stitch Tuesday...again

In the Sewing Studio, I continue to quilt and stitch and work on the C&G.  Startitis seems to have hit me here too, for since mid-November I've fallen prey to a Mystery Quilt Project, a Crazy Quilt Journal Project, and now, TAST -- Take A Stitch Tuesday!  

In an attempt to achieve some sort of stitching economy, I decided to combine the Crazy Quilt Journal Project (CQJP) -- which is monthly -- with TAST which is, of course, weekly.  However, now it seems that my addled brain, flush with startitis, has decided that means that I should do all 52 Tuesday stitches in crazy quilt form -- creating, that is, a small crazy quilt block each week.  I seem to have succumbed to the appeal of this idea...and present to  you my block for TAST, Week I, featuring the Fly Stitch:

The coloured fabrics were cut from two of my collection of men's neckties; the centre fabric is a scrap from my drapery/upholstery stash.  It took me a while to warm up to the embellishment of this block, as I've not done any of this art form for a couple of years.  Once I got going again, however, inspired by a my library resources*, I began to loosen up and have fun with it.  Perhaps the second block -- featuring blanket stitch -- won't take me as long.

* Suggested resources:

• A - Z of Embroidery Stitches -- Country Bumpkin Publications, 1997 (Reprinted March 2005);
• Stitches: New Approaches -- Jan Beaney, Batsford Classic Embroidery, 2004;
• The Magic of Crazy Quilting -- J. Marsha Michler, Krause Publications, WI, USA, 1998;
• The Crazy Quilting Handbook --  Judith Montano, C&T Publishing, 1986;
• "Men's Ties = Crazy Quilts" by Vivian P. Leidy, Miniature Quilts Magazine, Issue No. 81, 2002; and
• Notes from "Encrusted Crazy Quilting" taught by Sharon Boggon.  (As of this writing, this class is not under way, but keep an eye on Sharon's site for possible future sessions.)