Artsy Fartsy Bluebirds

As an Island Batik Ambassador we get a new challenge for each month. 

Products are provided by Island Batik and industry partner Aurifil for these projects.
Thanks Aurifil and Island Batik.

The July challenge is called the "Artsy Fartsy" challenge.  We were challenged to create an some type of artistic piece that uses three weights of Aurifil thread.  I had a great time gathering my threads and fabrics and deciding on my project.
I confess that there was not a lot of planning in this quilt. Rather, I put fusible onto some chosen fabrics and cut shapes.  Then I had some play time arranging and re-arranging the pieces. (then I fused and cut some more because I wanted more of some of them.)

Once I had an arrangement that I liked I fused it all into place. Then I started stitching.
I realized that I didn't have enough petals on the red flower, but I had some lovely red Aurifil thread #1103 in a 40 weight.  It went on the machine and I did some thread painting with it to create more petals. The 40 weight does nicely for free motion thread painting. I also used it to stitch down the other petals.

You can see that this was taken mid-process.
 The flower changed a bit more before it was finished. 

Meanwhile, this bluebird wing was cut from the exact same fabric as the background.  OOPS!  So let me fix that, but how?  Again, Aurifil thread to the rescue.  The wing is a rather delicate structure so a lighter weight thread seemed in order.  I had some 50 wt.  Aurifil #2730 that looked perfect for this.

The thread painting changed the look of the wing so that it doesn't blend into the background.

I did thread painting on several of the elements including this little broderie perse appliqué flower.

In a few places I got out of the lines, but I don't worry about that too much.
This is 28 wt Aurifil thread.

All of the broderie perse appliqué pieces were cut from a strip of Island Batik

 fabric that came in a Stash Builder package.  

This strip was all flowers and birds just perfect for this project

This odd little fantasy flower was embellished with some 40 wt thread.

The flower petals and blue birds were cut with a couple of Accuquilt dies that I have had for a long time.   After the green leaves were cut, I used the "waste" fabric, trimmed slightly to create the grass.

The grass was fused in place and later thread painted with both 50 wt and 28 wt Aurifil thread.  The 28 worked great in my machine with a size 90 needle and a 50 wt Aurifil thread in the bobbin.  I adjusted the tension to be sure that the bobbin thread did not come to the top.

The same red used for the flower petal was perfect to sign my quilt with free motion stitching

Finally, I fused the backing fabric over all the stitching and added a binding.   The binding was hand sewn to the back using 28 wt thread.  Surprisingly, it doesn't show at all.

 Two more broderie perse close-ups 

And that red flower....

It has more petals and embellishment on it. 

And now the final reveal

Isn't it delightful?  

Aurifil thread and Island Batik fabrics are a match made in heaven. 

(p.s.  I can hardly wait to show you my August project!  

      It is a new fabric line that I love and I think you will too.) 

Until Next Time,  

Stay Creative 

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in comments will result in the entire comment being deleted.

Shirt Re-do and Star Digitizing

Several weeks months ago I attempted to embroider a polo shirt that I had bought just for that purpose. I had not yet learned to place the embroidery exactly where I want it (okay so I still haven't- sigh!)


I pretty much wrecked the shirt.   I kept trying to find  think of a way to salvage it. Sunday morning really early, before getting out of bed, I just got it in my head.  So it was on my agenda for play time.  I made a pattern out of rice paper (it was handy, the tracing paper wasn't.)  I cut out a piece of fabric (batik - are  you surprised?) and went to work on it. 

Now I know that bottom edge looks wonky in the photo, but it isn't. It is just that it didn't hang straight. 

I also had another pre-dawn idea to work on a digitizing project that I have been playing with. That didn't work out -yet.  But I discovered another thing in my free digitizing program.  So I designed this star. First I sewed it out on just plain stabilizer.

Then I made some edits and sewed it out on some fabric, using a better grade of embroidery thread. 

My stitches are a bit too dense so I got some wrinkling on the right and lower parts. However, I think will still be able to use it. 

And for those that are in the USA and Canada - Happy Labor/Labour Day!

Just a little sewing play time

Since I finished the commission quilt (and sent it on its way) I have not started any new projects.  Life has been busy.  But I have had a couple of times to play with the sewing machines.   


I told you that my friend. Sherry. sent me a new die.  So I took some fabric and cut pieces to play with. I also added some triangles to finish the block. I made this block:

I didn't get all the points in the center exactly perfect, hmmm could have been that I was watching a movie and didn't get up to iron at every step along the way. 


I also did this cute embroidery applique on a burp cloth for my great niece. 

Isn't that little duck just adorable?  I can see doing a baby quilt with this set of "baby animals" that I got from emblibrary.com (that link will take you to the baby animals.)

Don't forget about the Quilting Stimulus where you can register for half price quilting. I meant to mention that I had a quilt quilted by Joanne and she did a lovely job.  Remember if you go, tell her I sent you!

Quick Post

This is a quick post.  I have embroidered two more bibs. I used applique embroidery designs that I bought at Embroidery Library. 

These are from the Baby Animals package. 

I realized too late that the giraffe was too close in color to the bib. 

C'est la vie!  (that's life!)

Sewing and Digitizing.

I am sure some of you are wondering what I have been up to lately.  I haven't posted in a couple of days.  So here is what is going on.  I had this idea that I wanted to make happen. So I ordered something necessary.  If you read the entire post you will find out ....be patient. I had to wait for it to arrive. I was almost patient. 


Meanwhile, I sewed all of these:

They need ironing and a few threads still need clipped. But they are for the AccuQuilt GO! Quilt Along that I am doing. These will turn into block two. Actually they will make two of block two. 


Then yesterday the big brown truck delivered THIS:

I was very excited because I have never done machine embroidery. I was worried that the 4" by 4" embroidery field wouldn't be big enough to make me happy. I didn't know how much I would really use it,  so I didn't want to break the bank buying a top of the line one just yet.  Now I am thinking the size of the field is big enough for me  until I decide and can afford to move up. 


Last night I stitched out this:

Kokopelli the flute player - although to me he is playing a penny whistle. Ha ha. Among other things, he represents the spirit of music.


Then this morning I sat at the computer and digitized this design, then I sewed it out.

In case you don't recognize it, that is the outline of my home state, Alabama. 
Don't be too critical of my samples of embroidery.  I sewed them on un-ironed scrap cloth.  I wasn't very patient and just had to try it, right at the moment. (Okay, so if you skipped the text and scrolled down to see the pictures first I forgive you.  I am not really very patient either.)


I am hoping to use the State outline and do some logos for work.  Perhaps I can even earn enough money to buy one of those top of the line embroidery machines!