Feather stitch and TAST update

I have been slowly working on my gingerbread house.  And sorting through my stash.  I have done the buttonhole edge (my royal icing) around 3 of the 5 pieces of the house with white perle 8.  I have added the single feather stitch (TAST Week 3).  It is shown below in perle 8 DMC 902. 

Single feather stitch

 I added number 8 hex cut beads which I think are these from Whimbeads

Single feather stitch with beads

current view of the house

I still need to get TAST week 4 (Cretan stitch) on the house.  Week 5 is the herringbone, which I have already used in the roof ridge.  So really I am only one week behind schedule.  Once I get the rest of the buttonhole edging done, I should be able to keep up.

Playing with candy canes

I am continuing to play on my doodle cloth trying to decide how to do the candy canes that I want to put by the front door of my gingerbread house.  Some of my possibilities are in my previous post.  I could not find any white beads in my stash.  However, in talking to a friend, I remembered that I have a whole box of beads I had not searched yet.  When you have been collecting stash your entire life, it adds up. 

bead possibilites for candy canes

I found some fake pearls in my stash.  I think they will work for my candy canes.  They are a pain to work with because the holes are not regular, so I will need to dig out the tiny beading needles.

I have not decided what to do with my Cretan stitch on the house.  I played with it a bit on the doodle cloth.  The bottom left corner is Scotish Cretan stitch from here.  The right side is two rows of single feather stitch.  These two stitches are weeks 3 and 4 of Take a Stitch Tuesday.

Cretan stitch samples and feather stitch sample

Playing with samples - want feedback

I have been working on my gingerbread house.  I have done the background for the roof.

I was hoping the glittery thread would show up better in the sunshine, but it really didn't. 

roof in progress

close up of the detatched buttonhole edge - beads will be added later

Now comes the fun part - I will be putting peppermints on the roof. You can see my test peppermints below.  They are made with perle cotton #8. 

test fabric

 The one on the left is needleweaving. The one on the right is detached buttonhole. I like the buttonhole one better.

sample 1

sample 2

                 These are test samples for peppermint sticks that go by the front door.  On the right is feather stitch over knit weight yarn (sample 1). Left is is feather stitch over a lighter weight yarn (sample 2).  And the last is beaded feather stitch over perle 8. If I use that one I will have to dig out some perle 5, or I might try the beads over a yarn (sample 3). Leave comments and tell me which you like and why.

sample 3