Paper and Fabric Quilt

I've recently relocated to another city. My heart is still in the *old place* where we spent many happy years. To be more present in this new city I needed to embrace it and to help me with that I decided to do a paper and fabric quilt.

The quilt started with a painted background. I applied 4 layers of paint before stenciling the focal point and wrote with hand-calligraphy the message *embrace change* and appliqued paper.



After the base was finished I started to make decisions on how to apply the *toppings*, that is what I call the upper layer-texture with thread. I used a combination of 12w and 40w Aurifil thread.

First, I loaded my sewing machine with 12w Aurifil thread and started sewing the flowers, when finished I sewed details with the same thread, by hand.

I sewed the sun with thick 12w yellow thread and beaded following the sewing lines.

I sewed around each letter.

I changed the top thread for a 40w Aurifil thread and sewed the background with a simple loop design.

This quilt is hanging in my living room where I can always see it and reading its message helps me with the process to embrace this new city--my new city.

Can You Make a Piece of White Fabric *sing* With Thick 12 and 24 Weight Threads?

The answer is yes, if you use good quality thread! I used Aurifil 12 and 24 weight in this piece for machine and hand embroidery.

If you have been reading my blog you must know by now how much I like texture in my quilts. I try to obtain it in many different ways. For this *quiltlet* I chose to add texture with thread.

For that, I picked 4 different spools of 12 weight thread in shades of pink (colors I don't usually pick) for the flowers, 3 different spools of 24 weight thread in neutral colors for the background and a slippery white silk/cotton fabric.

To add even more texture, I did a trapunto technique for the heart.

After I loaded my sewing machine with a 12 weight thread and a new needle (100/16 sewing machine needle for home sewing machine or 20 needle for a mid-arm/longarm machine), I started to draw-sew the design.

Once finished, I did hand embroidery using the same thread.

When I was happy with the added details, I took the *quiltlet* again to the sewing machine and loaded it with 24 weight thread this time.

I chose the classic meandering stitch and sew with the three different spools of neutral color threads to add interest to the background. It's more fun than just one color.

details

The finished heart!

The monochromatic color of the flowers stand out with the splashes of color achieved from the different threads in the background. A surprise for the viewer!

I hope this gives you an idea on what to do with a simple piece of white fabric.



Working with Thick Threads by Hand and Machine combined with Beading

*Compost*

 30" inches by 44" inches

It has been quilted with thick Aurifil 12 weight and 28 weight thread.
 

I wanted to do a quilt with one of my favorite fruits as the main design *The Apple* and show off how beautiful it can be even when it is in it's rotten stages.

After I designed and painted each block, I didn't like the *too white* background around each apple, although it can be ideal for showing off the true colors of the paint. To fix this, I chose a light green 28 weight thread to do the quilting around each apple. It gave it just enough color to tame down the white and, in my opinion, give it more depth.

Then I chose a black 28 weight thread to quilt on top of the black and white dotted fabric and red 28 weight thread for the curved red inserts; it gives enough coverage to allure the viewer.

Let me show you how I did it:

I designed the stencils in my Silhoutte Cameo machine and with painsticks I painted the designs on white muslin fabric.

I loaded my sewing machine with 12 weight Aurifil thread and started sewing/drawing around each shape.

With the same thread I did hand embroidery.



And then some beading.



When I was happy with each apple, I sewed the blocks together. Then I loaded the sewing machine with 28 weight thread this time. Although there are so many quilting designs to chose from, I decided to use the *classic* meandering around each apple and loops on the dotted fabric.

(looks like white thread but it is actually a light green color)

Detail of one block.

As you can see, the thick threads adds extra dimension to your work, calling the viewer in, surprising them with the texture achieved and the unexpected hand embroidery and beading. I hope you will give it a try.



Can this *Quilt* be saved?

"Sunny Butterflies" 26 by 45 inches

Well, this is the finished quilt and I have to say I am quite happy with the results.

But this is how I found it while reorganizing my studio:

 I started this quilt 6 years ago. Examining the composition, I realized why I didn’t finish it—I used only dark colors and no contrast to harmonize! What was I thinking.

I asked myself: How can I bring this quilt to life? I challenged myself to make this quilt sing with *texture*. For that I used leftover batting, thick 12 and 28 weight threads for hand and machine embroidery and seed beads.

First, I needed to rip the bottom part of the quilt, where I used thin threads....sigh, this is such a tedious work.

Then I loaded my sewing machine with 12 weight aurifil thread and started sewing with extra batting underneath. After that I hand embroidered with the same thread and applied seed beads.

When I was happy with each butterfly, I loaded my sewing machine with 28 weight aurifil thread and started sewing freely.

I am happy with the end result and I feel I made my quilt sing!



I'm Not a *Pink* Flamingo

This small quilt is the outcome of playing around with my latest stencil and leftover fabrics from other projects.

Let me show you how I did it:

Paint muslin fabric with the help of a stencil.  -Who said all flamingos are pink?- Then lay  a fluffy high loft polyester batting underneath the muslin.

Cut small circles from fabric that has been ironed with steam a seam interfacing on the back, placed them on top of the flamingo and ironed in place.

With thin #50 sew fine thread and in a free motion setting in my sewing machine I sewed carefully all around the flamingo shape and the circles. When finished, I cut the excess batting from the back. 

With thick aurifil #12 cotton thread, embroider around each circle then sew delica seed beads at the end of each flower petal.

Choose a paper laminated fabric for the bottom and a translucent fabric with mistyfuse for the sun.

Sandwich the top with cotton batting and a back fabric.

Load the machine with glide thread in the needle and bobbin and start to sew/draw with plumes and meandering stitches to fill the whole quilt.

Thread Tension Practice in my HQ Sweet Sixteen Machine

"I love my Plumes"

 

The day I sold my HQ Avanté sewing machine I had mixed feelings, I was sad to let go of such a wonderful machine but at the same time I was glad she was going to a loving house once I met the new owner, a kind Canadian lady.

Some weeks passed and finally I decided to buy an HQ Sweet Sixteen Machine. Once my machine arrived I started to play with it and since I like to change threads constantly I had some difficulty with the tension. No matter what I did, how many times I loosened or tighten the bobbin case, or the spring in the top, I couldn't find the right tension.

I tried pre-wound bobbins from Bobbin Central which have a *magnetic* ring. I decided to order some and give them a try. It worked!
 
Let me show you what I did:

When I ordered my machine I asked for an extra bobbin case (I always do that with every sewing machine I have, so I can play around). I took out the backlash spring and replaced it with the magna glide pre-wound bobbin. I chose a hot pink color and only use this one for this exercise; what I changed was the upper thread for each feather.

You can see on this sample, I practiced feathers with: LYI 40 weight thread, Signature 40 weight thread, Kingtut 40 weight thread, Sew easy 50 weight thread, Kimono silk 100 weight thread, Lava 30 weight thread and Glide 40 weight thread.

You can see the back side. Once the bobbin thread was balanced it was not difficult to adjust the tension for the upper thread! I was so happy and confident that I decided to start a small project using all these colorful and yummy threads.

With a temporary marker, I marked a design (in this case one of my stencils) on a light colored fabric, sandwiched with batting and a backing fabric.

I chose to work freely without much planning. Once the bird was finished, I quilted the background with glide thread on top.

I am very happy with this discovery! I'm a happy customer :)

Hand Embroidery and Beading on Stenciled Fabric

I wanted to make a quilt with a simple shape. I chose the apple since it is my favorite winter fruit. My goal was to work with this shape, do some variations to make it interesting, and at the same time end up with a set of cohesive blocks so I can sew them together to make a quilt!

I started designing stencils in my Silhoutte Cameo Machine. I made five different ones. This is the first one in the series.

Colored plain white muslin with paintsticks. Sew strips of fabric around.

With polyester batting underneath, since I'm planning to do trapunto sew around the shapes with Aurifil 12 weight.

It looked like this when I finished.

Then, I used the same thread to add hand embroidery and seed beads for details. Next time I will show you the next block.

Easy Way to Print Cloth

"Florida Sunrise"

This is another quilt that I've made with the method I explained on page 75 in the latest magazine Crafts'n Things Summer 2013

 ttps://www.craftsnthings.com/CustomerService/SubscriptionNew.

Instead of a house, I made two flowers for the plate design and used the same bird from the original pattern. I used it as a guide to cut from scrap pieces of fabric fused with wonder under. 

 Next, I sewed them together with a curve seam.

Then I sewed four pieces of fabric around, also with a curve seam.

I ironed on the birds in place. Sandwiched the quilt with batting and a back fabric. Drew "extra" flowers in between the blocks and outside the blocks on each side. Chose a thin 50 weight thread to sew inside the blocks and a thick 12 weight to sew around the outside. I chose a quilting design from Leah www.thefreemotionquiltproject.

Afterwards I sewed beads for the center of the flowers....

..and french knots for the birds eyes.