QA-Sewing-Techniques[1].pdf

4 FINE SEWING TECHNIQUES: SEWING IDEAS TO EXPAND YOUR STITCHERY AND SEWING MACHINE TECHNIQUES 1 Q U I LT I N G A RT S . C O M

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4 FINE SEWING TECHNIQUES SEWING IDEAS FOR STITCHERY

3

4 FINE SEWING TECHNIQUES FROM QUILTING ARTS:

Sewing Ideas to Expand Your Stitchery and Sewing Machine

Techniques for Quilting

1 Transform a Quilt with Hand Stitching LAURA WASILOWSKI

2 Retro-inspired Stitch Samplers JACKIE CARDY

3 Painting with Pattern Stitches CAROLE REDLICH

4 Thread Painting 101 TERRY WHITE

1

4

2


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When it comes to creating a quilt,

stitching is like the icing on the cake.

After all the piecing and surface design

are complete,

we quilters

use needle and

thread to add a

final element of

design, texture,

and color, truly

bringing the

piece to life.

Whether

working on a

machine or by hand, Ive always found

stitching to be a soothing and rythmic

process. I love cuddling up on the sofa

for some hand sewing, or getting lost

in the steady flow of my machine as

fabric slides beneath its needle. And

especially as the cold weather arrives,

there are few things Id rather do than

huddle up indoors and sew to my

hearts content.

4 FINE SEWING TECHNIQUES F ROM

QUILTING ARTS: SEWING IDEAS TO EXPAND

YOUR STITCHERY AND SEWING MACHINE

TECHNIQUES FOR QUILTING

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Pokey Bolton ASSISTANT EDITOR Pippa Eccles

CREATIVE SERVICES DIVISION ART DIRECTOR Larissa Davis PHOTOGRAPHERS Larry Stein Korday Studios

Projects and information are for inspira-tion and personal use only. Quilting Arts Magazine is not responsible for any li-ability arising from errors, omissions, or mistakes contained in this eBook, and readers should proceed cautiously, espe-cially with respect to technical information. Interweave grants permission to pho-tocopy any patterns published in this issue for personal use only.

IN YOUR LIFEtextureexturete

I YOUR FE

PUT MORE

ART QUILT

fabricdXb\fm\i

entering QUILT SHOWStips

FROM MISTAKE TO MASTERPIECE

tips

800.406.5283 (U.S. & Canada) 760.291.1519 (International)quiltingarts.com

QUILTING ARTS MAGAZINE, P.O. Box 469087, Escondido, CA 92046-9350

QUILTING ARTS MAGAZINE explores ideas, textiles, and techniques related to embellished and contemporary art quilting. Inside, youll find design inspiration, step-by-step directions, gorgeous photo graphy, and motivation for developing your personal style, at all skill levels.

This free eBook contains several

ideas for allowing your stitching

to take center stage. First, Laura

Wasilowski uses hand stitching to

add vibrancy and color. Then, Jackie

Cardy shows how to create samplers

of serendipitous hand stitching

inspired by mid-century motifs.

If youve ever wondered what to

do with all of those programed

pattern stitches on your machine,

youll love Carole Redlichs article

on using these designs to create

Impressionist-style pieces. Finally,

Terry White describes the basics of

thread painting, and shares one of

her patterns to get you going.

Happy stitching!

PIPPA ECCLES Assistant Editor


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transform A QUILT WITH HAND STITCHING

ADAPTED FROM QUILTING ARTS MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

i3BOEPN"DUTPG1JFDJOHwt12" 1112"

BY LAURA WASILOWSKI


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Hand stitches add color, texture,

and pattern to the surface of small

art quilts. They form detailed marks

that cannot be made with fabric. The

embroidered stitch also helps define

fabric shapes, provides a focal point,

and most importantly, draws the

viewer closer.

FOUR BACKGROUNDS FOR STITCHINGThere are four basic ways I use

hand stitching to enhance quilt

tops: place stitches on geometric

pieced backgrounds; add them to

a wholecloth quilt without any

machine stitching; place them on a

fused composition and add machine

stitching later; or put hand stitches

on a completed, machine-stitched

quilt.

Geometric background shapes are

ideal for practicing a variety of stitches

(see Random Acts of Piecing #12).

Choose a basic book of embroidery

stitches, such as ELEGANT STITCHES by

Judith Baker Montano, and follow the

stitch directions page by page. As each

pieced rectangle is filled in, you are

reminded of stitch names, variations,

and their visual impact.

In Blue Chair at the Window, the

needle and thread work as drawing

implements. The hand stitches do all

the work in creating the room setting

for the chair.

This I believe: a stitch by hand transforms a quilt. The simple stitches of hand embroidery

can take a flat, uninteresting quilt

top and bring the quilt surface to

life. Its like transforming from a

cocoon to a butterfly.

Above: Blue Chair at the Window 7" 912t5IFDIBJSTIBQFNBEFXJUIBIBOEDBSWFETUBNQJTTUBNQFEPOUPBQMBJOCBDLHSPVOEGBCSJD4UFNTUJUDIFTPVUMJOFUIFDIBJSEFOFUIFXJOEPXGSBNFBOEEFMJOFBUFthe division between wall and floor. Cross TUJUDIFTQBUUFSOUIFPPSBOETFFETUJUDIFTUFYUVSFUIFXBMMT5IFXPWFOTUJUDIFTGPVOEJOUIFBOUJNBDBTTBSBEEEFUBJMBOEESBXUIFFZFUPUIFGPDBMQPJOUUIFDIBJS

3JHIUi3BOEPN"DUTPG1JFDJOHwt


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The power of

the stitch is

best seen in

Joyful Heart

#21 (following

page). A simple heart is fused onto

a plain background fabric, and

free-motion machine stitches form

canals of thread, guiding the

placement of the embroidery stitches.

This random hand stitching adds

pattern, texture, and color, and

converts a plain quilt top into a little

gem.

RANDOM ACTS OF STITCHINGImprovisational embroidery is

stitching without a plan, without a

pattern or drawing to follow. Stitch

choices and placement are designed

as you go, with one stitch building on

another. Its a heady, reckless feeling

to stitch without a plan, but thats the

thrill of handwork and why so many

stitchers have a gleam in their eye,

including me.

NOTE: 5IFDPMPSPGNZIBOEEZFEWBSJFHBUFEUISFBETDIBOHFTFWFSZPSMFTT5IJTLFFQTUIFTUJUDIDPMPSJOUFSFTUJOHXJUIPVUIBWJOHUPDIBOHFUISFBETGPSEJGGFSFOUDPMPST

M A T E R I A L S

UA fused quilt topUFusible battingUVariegated, cotton embroidery

thread, size-8 or -12

ULong-eyed embroidery needle, size to correspond with thread size (In hand needles, the smaller the number size the larger the needle diameter. Use a size-3 with size-8 thread and a size-5 with size-12 thread.)

Optional

UEmbroidery hoopUQuilters pencilUThimble

i+PZGVM)FBSUwt4" 114"

The backing of Blue Chair at the Window was added after the embroidery was complete. No stitches show through on the fused back.


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DIRECTIONS1. Steam set your fused quilt top to

the non-scrim side of the batting

before adding handwork (fusing to

the scrim may ripple the quilt).

2. Knot or imbed a maximum 18"

strand of thread in the back of

the quilt and bring the needle

and thread to the top of the quilt

to begin stitching. Stitch only

through the batting and quilt top

layers. It is one less layer to stitch

through and you can hide all your

stitching mess when you add the

backing (see the back of Blue

Chair at the Window, page 4).

NOTE: 'PSNFBOFNCSPJEFSZIPPQPOMZIBNQFSTNZGSFFEPNUPTUJUDICVUVTFPOFJGZPVBSFDPNGPSUBCMFVTJOHPOF"UIJNCMFTBWFTOHFSUJQTBOEBMTPMPPLTSFBMMZDPPM

3. Mark the areas to be stitched with

a quilters pencil, or stitch freely

without following lines.

i+PZGVM)FBSUwt


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i$PMFFOT$BMMJOH#JSETwt414" This fused quilt composition was steam set to batting. The stitching is just through the batting and top layer of the quilt; red French knots were added to the leaves for hits of color. The bird became the focal point with the addition of running stitches to pattern the wing, back stitches to outline the wing, and lazy daisy stitches and French knots to create his coronet. Once the handwork was done, the backing was put on the quilt; machine stitching fills in the background, adding subtle pattern and texture.


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Placement of stitches is dictated by

the shapes on your quilt top. Start

with the easy stitches you know; use

them separately or in combination

with other stitches. The running stitch

leads the eye around the quilt top.

Back stitches or stem stitches

outline and define fabric shapes.

Cross-stitches build pattern. French

knots add dynamic hits of color and

texture that attract the eye and are

often mistaken for beads.

TIP:5PHBVHFUIFMFOHUIPSUIFDVSWFPGBTUJUDIMJOFPOBOPQFOFMEPGGBCSJDESBXUIBUMJOFXJUIUIFUJQPGUIFOFFEMFBOEUIFOGPMMPXUIFDSFBTFJOUIFGBCSJD

NEW LIFE THROUGH STITCHERYAnother benefit to adding hand

stitching to a quilt top is that it can

revive old work. Having documented

the transformation of a piece from

before embroidery to after

embroidery, I can confirm there is a

marked change in the vitality of the

piece. Hand stitching adds vigor and

spark, texture and pattern, to a quilt

top and rescues it from obscurity. It

also invites the observer to step closer

to the work to share the beauty of the

embroidered stitch. And, maybe, they

too will be as captivated by the joy

and the power of the hand stitch as

Iam.

5PTFFNPSFPG-BVSBTXPSLWJTJUBSUGBCSJLDPN

A

A

French knot

Running stitch

Stem stitch

Cross stitch


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RETRO-INSPIRED

stitch samplersDESIGNING WITH DYED SILK, VELVET, FIBERS,

AND NOSTALGIA

I am an untidy worker, and Im

constantly thrilled by unexpected

meetings of color. I remember

with delight when a piece of bright

turquoise velvet landed on a piece I

thought was finished. It was a sizzling

orangey-red, and when the funny

little bit of turquoise fell on it I just

had to sew it down. It was a peculiar

shapejust the shape and size of a

snippetbut it sang out and became

the focus of the piece in a way I could

never have planned.

My serendipitous approach has led

me in a new direction recently. I

stitched some pieces of velvet to the

cover of a sketchbook as usual one

day, for selling at a craft fair. They

were bendy rectangles and when

I surrounded them with stitch and

F abrics and threads fill me with inspiration, and combining them with stitch is my absolute favorite activity. My greatest delight is to sit down at my machine with a big pile of materials, picking up whatever colors come to hand, stitching them together, and drawing in extra lines and patterns with the machine thread. I

get into a kind of automatic modecombining, snipping, stitching, and addinguntil a little piece of art is

completed to my satisfaction.

BY JACKIE CARDY

ADAPTED FROM QUILTING ARTS MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY 2009


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added a bit of extra crosshatching

around the edges, it took me straight

back to my childhood.

Having been born in 1951, the height

of the age of atomic design, I

suppose I must have grown up steeped

in mid-century style and become more

aware of design around the late 50s

and early 60s. The deep memories of

curtain fabrics, wallpapers, summer

dresses, my mothers aprons, TV

graphics, and packaging design came

flooding out of my head through my

sewing machine and onto the fabric

constructions I was making. I showed

them to my son who said, without

being prompted, It reminds me of I

Dream of Jeannie. I dont know why.

I found the patterns and designs of

my childhood came easily to me as

I worked on a series of pieces for

an exhibition. That 50s feeling

overtook me, and, without any

preliminary design, I stitched and

composed whole pieces inspired by

the first style I encountered in my

early life.

DIRECTIONSDYEING1. Dye your fabrics. I dye silk velvet

randomly to the intense jewel

colors I enjoy using. As I have said,

I am a haphazard sort of worker, so

I can rarely repeat a tone or hue,

except by accident. I use a Shibori

dye method to get subtle shading,

often twisting the silk velvet tightly

and tying it into a huge knot, and

then syringing the dyes into it. I

let the colors and shades meet to

create other unexpected colors.

Sometimes, I syringe in plain water

to make the dyes move further

through the fabric, or to create

paler areas or areas of separated

colors, a kind of chromatography.

2. Leave the fabric soaking in the dye

overnight, then rinse and dry it.

NOTE:*OEUIFCFTUXBZUPQSFTFSWFUIFQJMFPGUIFWFMWFUJTUPOJTIESZJOHJUJONZESZFSGPSBGFXNJOVUFTPUIFSXJTFBDSVTIFEWFMWFUFGGFDUJTBDIJFWFEBOEUIBUJTOUTVJUBCMFGPSNZXPSL

3. Dye your assortment of bers so that you have a whole range of

your favorite colors ready to use.

I also buy some ready-dyed silk

bers if the colors appeal to me.

BACKGROUND4. Construct the background fabric,

silk fiber paper. Tease your fibers

M A T E R I A L S

USilk velvetUProcion MX dyesUAn assortment of bers: tussah silk

tops, mulberry silk tops, silk noils, and soybean bers

UNylon or plastic mesh, or pieces of polyethylene

UPVA glue, diluted (You can also use cellulose paste.)

UBurnishing tool, spoon or otherUSewing machine and threadsUBits of chiffon and other sheer fabrics UScissors (I use little stork scissors.)Optional

USyringes (for applying dye)UHair dryer or other drying toolUStabilizer


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out and spread them in a layer

on nylon or plastic mesh, or on a

piece of polyethylene, and apply

an adhesive. I prefer using diluted

PVA glue because the finished

paper is more durable.

5. When the fibers are wet right

through, cover them with another

piece of mesh and use the back of a

large spoon to smooth them into a

flat sheet.

6. Gently peel the sheet from the

mesh and place it on a dry piece of

plastic or mesh to dry. Heat from a

hair dryer or heater can be used to

hasten the drying, but it will cause

the paper to wrinkle up. If this

i5IBU'JGUJFT'FFMJOHwt14" 14" (unmounted)


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happens, flatten the sheet under

a pile of books or other heavy

weight.

ASSEMBLYWhen the velvet is dyed and the

paper is ready, all I need is my sewing

machine, some luscious threads, some

bits of chiffon and other sheer fabrics,

my little stork scissors, and Im off.

1. Cut the velvet pieces into desired

shapes and sew them to your

background paper, stitching

around them by machine and

adding a little chiffon here and

there. I use my machine to draw

in extra details, sometimes varying

the stitch width to create little

blocks of color. I use variegated

threads because the different

shades on each spool give me

variety without too much thread

changing. The ones I use are

slightly shiny and gleam nicely

against the velvet. I also use a

matte thread that is thick and

woolly. It makes a good companion

to the shiny threads, especially

where I have used it to create

outlines and then filled in with the

variegated or vice versa.

NOTE:0DDBTJPOBMMZ*VTFBCBDLJOHUPTUBCJMJ[FNZXPSLCFDBVTFUIFXJTQZTJMLCFSQBQFSTBSFOUBMXBZTFOPVHIUPIPMEUIFTUJUDIFT"TXJUIFWFSZUIJOHFMTF*BNBMJUUMFIBQIB[BSEJOUIJT4PNFUJNFT*VTFBQSPEVDUFTQFDJBMMZEFTJHOFEGPSUIFQVSQPTFTVDIBTPellon4UJUDI/5FBSPS*NJHIUOEBCJUPGQBQFSPONZUBCMFBOETPNFUJNFT*VTFEJBQFSMJOFSGBCSJD*G*BNNBLJOHCSPPDIFT*VTFBNPSFTVCTUBOUJBMNBUFSJBMTVDIBT5JNUFYXIJDIBMTPBDUTBTBTUJGGFOFS

2. To finish, take several small pieces

and add them to the design,

working intuitively, cutting,

layering, and adding as you go. I

continue to add pieces, growing

the work, until I feel its finished.

I rarely plan pieces, except for

deciding I will have a number

of motifs or rows, but even that

often changes before its finished.

Keep adding until you feel your

composition is complete.

These samplers look beautiful

mounted on mat board, placed on

cards, and on journal covers. Enjoy!

5PTFFNPSFPG+BDLJFTXPSLWJTJUEPHEBJTZDIBJOTCMPHTQPUDPN


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PAINTING WITH pattern stitches

EXPLORING STITCH SHAPESWhen you stitch parallel butting rows

(blocks) of one pattern, the results are

often very surprising; the character

of the block of stitching can differ

dramatically from the single unit on

your sewing machine menu. I assign

these blocks different categories or

characteristics that help me use them

more effectively when I stitch them

over a fabric collage. An example

of this is the stitches that resemble

netting. When these are stitched as a

block they obscure the fabric beneath;

too many of them and the finished

piece appears flat and lifeless.

1. Cut an 812" 11" piece of both black poly-cotton and heavyweight

stabilizer. Sandwich them together

to prepare for stitching.

W hen I bought my first Husqvarna Viking sewing machine in the 1970s, I fell in love with all the pattern stitches. They

whispered romantic nonsense about faraway

places, carried echoes of ethnic embroidery

with small repeating motifs, and enticed me

to stitch small hearts on everything. I used the

stitches to decorate fabric, couching over ribbon and yarn

with pattern stitches, then extended this into braids and

braid fabric. Many of my early works feature these. As time went by

I became more interested in the pattern shapes themselves and observed

that some Impressionist work was composed from small repeating

marks. I began to experiment, focusing particularly on the effect of the

stitch shapes rather than their intended uses and learned how to create

Impressionist-style fabric where there is a lovely interplay between the

stitch shapes and the base fabric collage.

ADAPTED FROM QUILTING ARTS MAGAZINE FALL 2005

BY CAROLE REDLICH

M A T E R I A L S

U812" 11" (A4) piece of iron-on, heavyweight stabilizer such as Vilene (for the stitch sampler)

U812" 11" (A4) piece of black poly-cotton or cotton fabric

UTailors chalkU11" 17" (A3) piece medium weight

non-iron stabilizer (for the collage)

USmall pieces of patterned fabric for the collage (patterns, spots, stripes etc.)

UMachine embroidery thread to match fabric

UPinsUSewing machine with built-in pattern

stitches


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2. Mark 10 equal-sized boxes onto

the fabric with chalk.

3. Look at the first category listed

below. Stitch a single row of a

number of stitch shapes that fit this

category. Look again at the rows

of stitches, keeping in mind you

are looking for the effect produced

when stitching close, parallel rows

of a single pattern. Check whether

the stitches you selected still fit

into this category.

4. Repeat the exercise for each

category.

The remaining boxes are for you

to select other interesting stitches

that dont fit any specific category

and stitch them in blocks to see the

resultant character.

Stitch shape categories

WavyThese stitches have a fluid

movement and when stitched in

blocks add a vibrant informality.

BlockThese stitches have strong

positive/negative areas and are very

static.

NetThese are deceptive stitches that

look interesting as a single unit but

interlock when worked as a block to

give the appearance of a net overlay.

The smaller the stitch pattern the

more the resultant block of stitch will

mask the background fabric.

ZigzagThese stitches have a strong

zigzag character and have less

movement that a wavy stitch.

LaceThese stitches create the

appearance of blocks of lace and can

be used in combination for pretty

effects. The smaller the pattern the

more it will act as a net stitch.

IntermittentThese leave most of the

background showing but add a splash

of stitching at regular intervals.

Cant work out which category a

stitch fits? Sometimes stitch shapes

can fall into a number of categories or

they are difficult to assign. It doesnt

matter, the idea is to use whatever

stitch shapes you have; the categories

are just a general guide. If you have

a sewing machine with maxi stitches

or a stitch creator, use these to add

more interesting shapes or categories

(such as spiky stitches or text). If your

stitch palette is a little limited, you

can create variations by altering the

stitch length and width, the direction

of stitch, layering one type of stitch

over another, or by altering the thread

tension. One of my students made a

lovely piece using mainly zigzag and

utility stitches.


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CREATING A FABRIC COLLAGEThis is where your knowledge of

stitch categories is vital. You are

going to create a fabric collage and

use blocks of stitching to blend and

blur the edges of the fabric pieces so

they merge together and appear to be

a single fabric. In order to make this

fabric interesting we need the stitching

in adjacent areas to have different

character and movement.

1. Cut an 11" 17" piece of heavyweight stabilizer.

2. Cut 6 irregularly shaped pieces of

patterned fabric, approximately

212" wide (use colors that work

well together). Select one as a

central piece and overlap the

others around it so that no

stabilizer is showing. Pin the fabric

in place.

3. Thread your sewing machine with

a thread matching the central

piece of fabric and use a light or

dark general-purpose thread in the

bobbin. Make sure your top and

bottom thread tension is nicely

balanced so that no bobbin thread

shows on the top of your piece.

4. Set your sewing machine for

pattern stitching, use a decorative

sewing foot, and work with the

feed dogs up.

5. Select a stitch category and shape,

then stitch close parallel rows of

stitch beginning in an adjacent

fabric, stitching across the central

fabric and into the next abutting

fabric. Each successive row of

parallel stitching should not begin

or end in the same place as the

previous row. Make sure the lines

of stitch extend into the adjacent

fabric and are tightly butted up, or

the effect is lost. Stitch until the

central fabric is completely covered

with parallel lines of stitching.

6. Select an adjoining piece of

fabric and match your thread

to that fabric. Add more fabric

pieces to ensure it is completely

surrounded. Change the angle of

your stitching and select a different

stitch shape. Stitch another block

of pattern stitches, ensuring your

stitching lines extend well into the

surrounding fabric.

7. Continue to stitch, starting each

new section by matching the

thread to that fabric piece and

completely surrounding that piece

with more fabric. Change the angle

and the stitch character each time

and make sure you stitch into the

adjoining fabric areas.

Top left: The first area of stitching, with thread to match the fabric below.

Top right: The second block of stitching flows into the first but at a different angle.

Above: The angle of the stitch and the stitch character is changed each time with each area of stitching flowing into the next.


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The success of your collage depends

on the following factors:

U Tightly butting up the rows of stitching.

U Selecting appropriate thread colors.U Stitching into the surrounding

fabric areas.

U Varying the type of stitching.What do you do if some areas dont

work well? Simply place another

fabric over the top and stitch over

them as before. You can also leave

some areas unstitched (there will be

stitches from adjacent areas attaching

it to the surface of the stabilizer) or

stitch using very long stitch lines

that meander over the surface of a

number of adjacent areas. This creates

extra movement and links the design

together.

Some people hate the discipline of

working parallel rows of stitch and

just want to work freely. If this is you,

go for it! Once you begin to look at

the stitch shapes as paintbrush tips, a

whole new world opens for you.

COLLAGE VESTFor a vest, you can do the following:

1. Select a vest pattern of your choice.

Draw the shape of the vest onto

medium-weight stabilizer, making

it slightly bigger all around.

2. Prepare a fabric collage using a

selection of cotton quilting fabric

for the background. (I prefer to pin

the pieces onto the stabilizer; using

fusible web makes the fabric too

stiff.)

3. Cut fabrics and pin. (You can

also choose to cut motifs such

as flowers and arrange them in a

pleasing design.) If you choose to

cut out motifs, you dont need any

background fabric under them.

4. Stitch the background collage in

the same manner as before, except

where the motifs (such as flowers)

are placed. When you block stitch

fabric you are trying to blend

and blur the edges so the fabric

pieces merge together. This

is great for the background but

to prevent the motif detail from

disappearing it is important not to

stitch too far into the next shape.

5. Hand stitch some areas to highlight

detail.

6. Pin the pattern pieces to your

fabric collage, cut it out, and sew

the vest together in the usual

manner.


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WALL HANGING1. Create a fabric collage using

patterns and colors of your choice.

2. Use a rotary cutter a nd cutting

mat to cut the collage into cubes

approximately 212" in diameter.

3. Rotate and reassemble the cubes so

they look nicely balanced.

4. Select a thread that will blend with

the collage.

5. Set your sewing machine for a

small triple zigzag and sew all the

cubes together, going over all the

seams twice.

6. Apply a cord of your choice over

the joins and around the outside

using a small zigzag stitch (I used

stitched-over wire, but cord is

easier). This piece may be framed

or stitched onto a backing fabric

for use as a wall hanging.

OTHER VARIATIONSUUse lots of glitzy fabric and metallic

thread.

UUse very subtle colors and patterns.U Stitch over a collage using blocks of

pattern stitches but only one color

thread.

UCarefully select the fabric pattern and the collage shapes, then with

tailors chalk or water-soluble pen

draw in specifically designed areas

to apply the stitch blocks. This will

create a less spontaneous, more

designed result.

UWork blocks of stitch over transferred images.

UWork over yarn and fiber in a water-soluble fabric sandwich.

UUse single stitch blocks onto vanishing muslin to create lace;

onto Kunin felt and burn out

sections; or onto painted Tyvek

paper for variety.

5PTFFNPSFPG$BSPMFTXPSLWJTJUUIFUISFBETUVEJPDPN

i1PJOUTPG-JHIUwt 16"


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thread PAINTING 101BY TERRY WHITE

ADAPTED FROM QUILTING ARTS MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

i3FE"QQMFTPOUIF&EHFwtt4UJUDIFEPOMJOFOI obtained a Fabric Collage bundle from Judy Gula of Artistic

Artifacts and inside was a lovely coral, hand-dyed, vintage handkerchief. It has hand-stitched eyelets and a scalloped border.


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M A T E R I A L S

ULightweight linen (I used a vintage linen handkerchief.)

UGreen background fabricUMedium-weight stabilizer (Use

a medium-weight, non-woven stabilizer. A medium-weight tear-away stabilizer is ne, but dont tear it away; it needs to stay in the work to stabilize it after the work is nished.)

UA variety of threads, including reds, rose, deep orange, greens, and a yellow/green/orange variegated

UBobbin thread (Use a regular sewing thread. I use Dual Duty by Coats & Clark in white.)

U90/14 embroidery needIe (If this needle is too small, use a 100 topstitch.)

UNo-slip embroidery hoop (I use a 9" Morgan.)

UMarking pen (I use a Pigma Micron 01.)

USewing machineUDarning foot, open-toe stippling foot,

or free-motion foot

Cotton machine-quilting threads

stitch out thick, so there is excellent

coverage with less stitching required.

When stitching open designs, the

cotton machine-quilting thread shows

up boldly. Size-12 threads are very

thick and create lovely embroidery.

Its possible to achieve the same effect

as a 12-weight by using two thinner

threads (40- and 50-weight threads)

through the eye of the needle. By

using two threads you can create your

own color mixes, expanding your

dozen or so colors of thread to many

more color combinations!

At times, when Im working with two

colors individually, Ill reach a point

when I need a color between the two

Im using. This is when Ill put the

two colors together for a special effect

or to create a third, blended color.

THREAD PAINTINGNOTE: "LOPXMFEHFPGCBTJDUISFBEQBJOUJOHBOENBDIJOFRVJMUJOHJTSFRVJSFE

1. Drop the feed dogs and decrease

the top thread tension. The ideal

tension is different for every

machine; essentially you need the

top thread to flow freely.

2. Trace your embroidery design onto

the linen with a bold line. The

pattern for the apple is included

on the following page.

3. Layer the linen on the stabilizer

and place it into the hoop. Place

the large hoop on the bottom and

the small inner hoop on the top

so that the fabric will be down

against the sewing machine bed.

The fabric must be very taut in the

hoop.

4. Thread your sewing machine.

If you are using two threads,

thread the machine with the two

threads as if they are one, and then

thread the single needle with both

threads. If you use two variegated

threads, you will create a mottled

twist thread of your own design.

5. Place the hoop under the sewing

machine needle. Start with the

main shape of the apple. Bring up

the bobbin thread by taking one

V ariegated, colored cotton threads are toys for thread painters. The many effects one can achieve by paying some attention to the color changes are magical. The mix of these threads can add complexity and

interest to a simple shape.


Interweave


thread QBJOUJOH

T I P S

UGet your needle going before you move your hands.

U In general, make your free-motion quilting stitches

long; this will give a more

painterly effect than short

stitches. When I use thick

threads, I create longer

stitches; thin threads, shorter

stitches.

UWhen thread painting, good tension means that the top

thread is pulled to the back.

You should see the colored

threads on the bottom of the

work.

stitch

and pulling

up the bobbin

thread. Hold the top

thread and the bobbin thread

together and take a few short

stitches. Cut the thread tails. Hold

the hoop gently and start to stitch.

6. Run your sewing machine at a

medium pace to get the feel of the

work. Stitching from side to side

is a good way to practice and gain

the freedom of movement. Start by

filling in the deep red portions of

the apple.

7. Fill in the open area on the left

side of the apple. If you dont have

a color like the orangey-red I used,

you may wish to use two threads

through the eye of the needle, such

as a deep orange and a red.


Interweave


i5IJTTBNQMFSGFBUVSFTBHSPVQPGUISFBET4UBS.VMUJDPMPS$PUUPOTCZ$PBUT$MBSL*MJLFUPQMBZXJUIUIFJOUFSFTUJOHDPMPSNJYFTCZTUJUDIJOHUISFBETJOBWBSJFUZPGXBZTPQFOTUJUDIJOHTNPPUIDPOUPVSTUJUDIJOHBOETQFDJDTUJUDIFTMJLFTFFETUJUDIBOEDSPTTIBUDIw


Interweave


NOTE: -FBWFVOTUJUDIFEDIBOOFMTJOUIFEFTJHO-BUFSJUXJMMCFFBTZUPRVJMUUIFQSPKFDUJOUIFTFDIBOOFMTJOTUFBEPGUSZJOHUPRVJMUUISPVHIUIFIFBWZTUJUDIJOH

8. Sew the shape in the right side of

the apple. Again, you can always

create a color combination with

two threads.

9. Add the green details.

10. Stitch the little table in a small

clamshell pattern with a

yellow/green/orange variegated

thread, and then outline it with a

deep green. Add the flowers with

the yellow/green/orange variegated

thread. I stitched the flowers to

cover holes in the handkerchief.

11. Appliqu the linen to the green

fabric background using a machine

bar tack stitch in the widest

setting. I used a deep rose thread.

12. Decorate the edge of the linen. I

used my machines programmed

decorative stitches and green

thread. Tatting was stitched to the

border with the bar tack stitch.

TIP: 5IFQSFQSPHSBNNFEEFDPSBUJWFNBDIJOFTUJUDIFTBSFHSFBUGPSBEEJOHextra details easily.

FREE-MOTION STITCH SAMPLERSA great way to practice stitching and

to see what the various threads will

do is to make stitch samplers. Just

draw some simple shapes and begin to

stitch.

I like to use linen when I make my

samplers. Its open weave receives the

stitches well, with little puckering or

distortion. I usually dont quilt these

pieces.

I never know what my samplers will

look like because they arent planned.

This is the play place where I try out

background fills, overstitch various

colors of threads, and experiment with

new design or stitch ideas.

Quite often, an idea is sparked from

this work (play) and it becomes

the focal point of a planned work.

Samplers can also show me things that

dont look very good; of course you

wont be seeing those elements in my

work.

5PTFFNPSFPG5FSSZTXPSLWJTJUUISFBEQBJOUDPN

i'PSUIJTTBNQMFSBTJOHMFNPUJGXBTTUJUDIFEJOTFWFSBMEJGGFSFOUXBZT5IFMJUUMFCMPDLTMPPLMJLFUIFCFHJOOJOHTPGBPSBMRVJMUw

Documents

QA-Sewing-Techniques[1].pdf