More Thread Play

Still reading Libby Lehman’s book and want to try more of her techniques.
I cut 3 circles from freezer paper and ironed them onto the left over background fabric. Everything is stabilised with Tearaway, and pooped into a hoop. Dark blue thread outlined each circle and then the freezer paper patterns were removed.

Free motion zigzagged on 2 quarters of the circles. Changed colour and stitched the other quarters, trying to stitch dense at the edges and more open towards the middle.

Using the twin needle and the widest width and shortest length – chose orange thread and red thread. I really like the effect of a ribbon curving through the worked. Changed the threads to dark and light green and curved a line through the orange/red ribbon. Changed the threads again! To dark / light blue and curved that around too. Had to reduce the tension a little (3.5). Changed to a single thread needle, and with variegated brown/orange/yellow meandered this to join up with the red ribbon. Important to use the hoop to prevent tunnelling on the satin stitch.

Thread Play

Libby Lehman’s book Thread Play is an inspiration, and I have enjoyed learning several techniques of hers. The traditional patchwork background is embellished with machine embroidery, ribbons, transparent spaces, satin stitch and appliqué, all machine, and all freehand – perfect for me to have some fun.
I drew a squiggle onto freezer paper, and then drew curves meeting at the squiggle. I numbered the curves, and cut this out of freezer paper, and ton a pieced background that I had left over from another project.

Using a cream thread I stitched around the freezer paper and then removed the paper. This stitching provided a guide line for the free motion zigzag in cream and brown thread. I highlighted the curves in yellow. A simple technique, and one I love.

Very Important though, USE A HOOP and stabilise the background with tearaway before stitching!Moving the hoop along the work is a hassle, but it keeps everything nice and taut. Wanted to try a thicker quilting line, so settled on a zigzag width1, length 0.75, and used the edge of the clear embroidery foot as a guide.

Mary Transom Tulips

Went to Mary’s class with Rainbow Quilters, which was raw edge appliqué, something I have dabbled in, but could be much better at.
Important: Reverse the design your have drawn, and trace onto fusible webbing the reserved image.
Baking paper is such a versatile product, and handy for fusing the cut shapes together into tulips.

I cut out a total of nine tulips, but decided on just a few for my projects. I have put the others aside for now.

When pressing the tulips onto the background fabric, hot steam and hold for 10 seconds, really secures them well for the machine embroidery.

I enjoyed this project as a colour study, and auditioning the fabrics for the backgrounds really helped me understand the relationships between the colours.

Making a small organza butterfly out of a left over ribbon, and wash away stabiliser, completed the composition for the yellow tulips. Small beads in the middle of the tulips completed the projects

Tawhiri-matea “Wind”

I want to try and capture the essence of the wind blowing . Tawhirematea is the god of wind, so I will need to include a moko (tattoo) onto my wind. I visited the Rotorua Museum, and made notes and sketches from the Te Awara collection (local Maori tribe) of different faces and mokos.
After happy with a sketch made by combining several of the moko techniques, I scanned this into the computer.

In Publisher, I expanded the sketch, and then had to “flip’ it vertically. When I printed it onto stabiliser it was the reverse to how it will look on the quilt.
Reverse bobbin couching with following the printed drawing is easy. I drew in some more swirls in the forehead, and some more hair curls to give myself a guide while sewing. It was neat to flip the stabilised fabric over and see the sewn result.
I echo quilted using a variegated blue and white thread. White metallic thread was embroidered in the eyes.

Accidental Landscapes

Had a go at Karen Eckmeier’s "Accidental Landscapes". Very easy to do, and effective on a small scale. The hardest part was cutting the strips of fabric free hand with the rotary cutter, something I had never done before. I also found “hills” more useful in putting the landscape together, than “valleys”.

Using the same fabrics, but changing the order, I made 2 landscapes. I chose purple for the mountains, and Angelina fibres for the snow. The nikau and flax are free motion embroidered with the sewing machine.

Next time I will do this on wash away stabiliser and handsew them to the landscape. Fluffy novelty yarn completed the flax.

By changing the mix of the strips of fabric, a different feel is created in the landscapes, even though the same fabrics are used.

A quick and easy technique that is simple to create, but not mind challenging enough for me to repeat unless I need a small gift quickly for a visitor.