Tangled Thread

March 17th, 2007

making your own monogrammed stationary

I’ve had a set of silk swatches sitting (boy, say that fast 3 times!) on my studio desk for awhile now:
I decided that they would be perfect to use as my background for the embroidered cards. I ironed on a heavy-weight fusible interfacing (not necessary, but it’s sooo much easier this way!) and trimmed […]

By Chloe -- 2 comments

March 15th, 2007

machine fusion fabric part 7

I’m going to quilt this piece of fabric onto a fabric backing, using quilting stitches to echo the look of the leaves.

I also like to mount these on stretched canvas:

You can also turn the raw edges under if you prefer a cleaner look.  I like the soft, frayed edges that the raw silk & wool […]

By Chloe -- 5 comments

March 15th, 2007

machine fusion fabric part 6

I decided to finish off this piece by hand-stitching around some of the painted areas.  I used a flat satin ribbon and a thicker metallic thread around the leaves, and a satin ribbon to highlight the yellow roses.

I’ve also used metallic sewing machine thread and beads to embellish the surface.

Here’s a shot of the finished […]

By Chloe -- 0 comments

March 14th, 2007

machine fusion fabric part 5

This is a completely optional step… I don’t always use paint on the fusion fabric - but in this case, I like the effect.
I’m using one of my favorite fabric paints (Lumiere by Jacquard) in halo pink-gold, metallic gold & metallic olive green.  I added small lines around some of the stitching & added lines […]

By Chloe -- 1 comment

March 13th, 2007

machine fusion fabric part 4

It’s time to fill in the little gaps on the fabric and add another layer of color:

I’ve used a cherry red & a darker green to fill in the background.  Using different colored sewing machine thread will add depth & richness to the finished piece.
Here’s a close-up of the surface:

You can now dissolve the top […]

By Chloe -- 0 comments

March 12th, 2007

machine fusion fabric part 2

In my last post, we had started to build the background layers of the fabric.  Now it’s time to build some decorative foreground layers:

I’ve cut out several printed flowers (yes, my stash does tend to look like an enthusiastic moth was in it :-) )  And placed them on the wool/silk layers from before.

I’ve gently […]

By Chloe -- 3 comments

March 10th, 2007

machine fusion fabric - step 1

I’m using a lot of different materials for this project:

I’ve got 100% cotton fabric, heavy-duty interfacing, water soluable fabric, hand-dyed raw silk & wool, silk floss & yarn trimmings.
For your first step, cut a rough square out of your fabric and fuse the heavy-duty interfacing to the back:

Now for the fun part!  Tease the raw […]

By Chloe -- 1 comment

March 7th, 2007

playing with felt

I’ve recently started working with felt squares & fabric.  I love the no-fray & easy-to-handle nature of it - of course, the fact that it also comes in pink polka-dots & sparkles is a bonus too!
This is a series of cards I’ve been working on, using felt, embroidery floss & buttons:

I wanted to play with […]

By Chloe -- 0 comments

February 4th, 2007

Less Complicated Floss Organization

This is the least expensive and perhaps the easiest way to store floss, again from Herrschners.

Here’s the winder from DMC®.

Here are plastic bobbins.

The bobbins can be stored in plastic sleeves, or a plastic case, or…

this lovely 3-Drawer Floss Cabinet!
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By Cathy -- 0 comments

February 1st, 2007

How Do You Store Your Floss?

The search is on! I need a new way to store my floss. It’s on bobbins right now but they are cardboard, they bend, and I don’t have a winder. Here is a system I’m looking at:
This is the StitchBow complete system from Herrschners.
The complete system includes 480 floss holders, 36 […]

By Cathy -- 1 comment