Project Advice Needed

Just using two layers of fabric will mean you need to make sure you

*always* have a very sharp embroidery needle. Adding a layer of some sort of fusible bond means everything will be ***MUCH*** more difficult to stitch through. Also, that stuff is sneaky. You will *think* you have everything bonded together properly but if it's not done precisely, you can get little tiny puckers in the fabrics. It can also start to look sort of wrinkly after a few washings, too. Why do you want the bond to be permanent? Once the fabric have been stitched, it won't matter a whole lot. I'm a professional seamstress -- do a lot of Home Dec. stuff -- and have had to stitch through layers of fabric that have been bonded together. Even with the lightest weight fusible web, it's no easy task. I would recommend that you use the basting spray that is available and join your two strips of fabric that way. If you are still leery that the fabrics will be a problem, baste them together down the sides and between the stitched motifs. Be sure to USE AN EMBROIDERY HOOP or Q-SNAPS, etc!!! Once your needlework is finished, give it a wash and then use it in your quilt assembly. I would probably leave the edge basting in as this would help reduce the possibility that the fabric would begin to fray. Good luck and make sure to post photos. Let us know what you finally decide to use, OK?

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

I vote " No ". How's that for helpful and supportive? Assuming that this Over the River project is not going to be something a baby leaks spinach on and uses for a Bat Man cape. Steven, if the quilt can hope for a long and cherished life, I would not use anything that could potentially eventually do harm. Certainly not any chemicals that could do unspeakable damage in the long run. That would include fusing and stiffening stuff of any recipe. Well. Maybe heavy starch if you promised to launder quite thoroughly. I've seen magnificient christening gowns that had just a wee bit of fusible interfacing in the collars and yokes. In less than 10 years the @#$! stuff had discolored and simply ruined the treasures. What a tragedy. There's Kona and Kona Bay and just now I don't know which one - but one of them makes a terrific cotton that is grand for embroidery. And, perhaps, you might learn to do heaps of stopping and starting so there's nearly no 'traveling' of your floss from place to place. It is quite possible to embroider so that the underside is as good-looking as the front. I feel perfectly safe. It is much too far from Alaska to the Swamp for you to come shoot this messenger. Polly

Yes, I need to get much less stingy about using needles and change them way more often. I don't know why I use them until they drive me batty.

I also never thought about the possibility of tiny puckers and sneaky movement. I guess that I was thinking permanent since I don't want puckers later on, but nothing is ever permanent is it? I was also wondering about the added difficulty of stitching through all of this.

I still use a hoop for embroidery but I do use Q-Snaps for hand quilting. I love both and each for different things. In fact I just had to buy new Q-Snaps since the cover pieces split on me. Also, thanks for reminding me to baste the edges. I sometimes forget this and rue the day.

Steven Alaska

I'm with Polly :-)

I know many of the embroidery designers right now are big into a layer of fabric and a layer of fusible but that stuff ALL turns yellow over time.

I'm working on Over the River right now and let me say that there's a lot of embroidery. I'm hoping this quilt is good looking for a really long time and I'm not doing anything to speed it's demise.

Yes, two layers of cotton is common and a little basting around the edges will hold things just fine - you are using a hoop to hold everything snug as you work, right?

Me, I just use the single cotton layer and don't do much "traveling". The panel with the most drawing is finished and I'm working on the second. It looks just fine to me.

marcella

Always can count on you Polly for a direct and definite answer. No beating around the bush with you which is just fine. No, it's not too far from Alaska to the swamp, after all you know who can see Russia from her house, (bad me), but I wouldn't be coming to shoot you. Just bringing chocolate.

After reading the previous postings and warnings, and your experience, I'm leaning against using anything now, and having forgotten about the love Kona fabrics, I can probably just go with one layer by using that. That would be so much easier. Maybe just a little starch, but maybe not.

And I don't "travel" when I embroider. Grandma, when I was in grade school, and Mom later on, both taught me to stop and start and weave the ends in. A lot more work but it looks so much better. My underside will never be as good as the top, but it's better than other methods. If you want to see absolutely gorgeous embroidery, you should look at my sisters. She must have more than a dozen stitches to the inch. Incredible, even, smooth. Really something.

Steven Alaska

One of the local shops here had some beautiful samples with hand embroidery. I was told that the gal that did them worked with a layer of cotton batting on the underside so the stitches from the top looked cleaner. The shop is gone but I wish I had taken one of her classes. I wonder about preshrinking and keeping all the layers flat. That could be a big part of the total effort it seems. If you do clean embroidery you shouldn't need to do a lot of hiding though. Those panels for that quilt are an ambitious project. I admire anyone that can get through them all! Joan did the first one I remember. Where is she off hiding? Taria

Always can count on you Polly for a direct and definite answer. No beating around the bush with you which is just fine. No, it's not too far from Alaska to the swamp, after all you know who can see Russia from her house, (bad me), but I wouldn't be coming to shoot you. Just bringing chocolate.

After reading the previous postings and warnings, and your experience, I'm leaning against using anything now, and having forgotten about the love Kona fabrics, I can probably just go with one layer by using that. That would be so much easier. Maybe just a little starch, but maybe not.

And I don't "travel" when I embroider. Grandma, when I was in grade school, and Mom later on, both taught me to stop and start and weave the ends in. A lot more work but it looks so much better. My underside will never be as good as the top, but it's better than other methods. If you want to see absolutely gorgeous embroidery, you should look at my sisters. She must have more than a dozen stitches to the inch. Incredible, even, smooth. Really something.

Steven Alaska

Since I sounded so doomful, maybe I need to explain. Mr. Esther's grandmother gently saved baby garments from my goodness, so long ago. The brown spots disappeared when I carefully washed them. Disappeared into nothingness. Gone. The places were eaten away I'm thinking probably from the acid in the boxes she used. Since then I've read a bit from quilt collectors and museums about the 'unknown' potential of only God knows what damage fusibles can eventually cause. The quilts I make have no probable longevity. I hope. I want them to be chewed on and leaked on and used to dry the muddy paws of Bruno. An embroidery of Over the River is a different matter. I just wanted it to have a lifespan of more than 2 years. Might take you that long to get it created. Thank you for asking for advice and the rest of you all for being so kind when I came off as such naysayer. Polly

Yes Taria, it does seem like an ambitious project. I seem to get into to those kind of things against my better judgment. On top of it, Bert lovingly teases me about them and then what does he do? He goes and orders two more patterns for me for Christmas last year. He's enabling me but in a good way I think.

Steven Alaska

No Polly, not doomful, knowledgable by passing on facts. Yes, this is one that may take some time and will need to be protected, not used.

Steven Alaska

Roberta! You're wonderful! No, I've never been taught that method. I've often use three strands, don't ask, and often two. I will have to check again what the pattern says and maybe it says four. This is perfect. I usually leave a long tail and go back later and weave it in. This will be so much easier. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

See, we learn something from this group everyday.

Steven Alaska

That just goes to show that the things that we 'think' everyone knows may not always be the case. I first heard of doubling one strand about 20 years ago, now I do it automatically and would never think to mention it on here because everyone on here 'knows everything' lol

I know, Dee, I know. I don't know when to toss in something we all know or maybe there's just one who doesn't. I wanted to mention with Steven's project the needle size. It is important to choose a needle that is fat. (Can we say 'fat' ?) A skinny needle might make the stitching easier but a fat one will open up a hole to let the floss go through easier and stay smooth instead of getting frayed. We'll bring the issue up in group. Except, of course, we spent our $s on stash and can't afford to seek counselling. Woe is us. Polly

Thats what I mean Polly. I like working with 'skinny' needles, but never though of the wear on the thread. What you have just 'said' makes perfect sense. I may need to change my ways.

Dee in Oz

Having read all the posts in reply to Steven's requst, I have learnt quite a lot from this one message. Thanks every one for your input. Old "cats' can learn new tricks.

Yes, Polly, what to mention. So, I like skinny needles but fat holes through the cloth because of the floss so I need to find the right balance. I suppose a good blocking with minor dampness would help close up the holes after the embroidery is all done. Any thoughts on that?

Steven Alaska, who went on a fall color tour in the bright sun yesterday and saw snow on the mountains.

In embroidery circles, this is called a loop start. You fold a long length of floss in half, thread the loose ends through the needle leaving a loop at the other end. Take your first stitch, making sure you do not pull the loop end through the fabric. Bring the threaded needle through to the back of your fabric, pass it through the loop and snug down. Once I am "in the embroidery zone" and to save time, when reaching the end of the length of floss, I will bring the thread to the top of my fabric -- in an area that has already been embroidered -- and leave it on top. Then, when I have 5 or 6 loose thread ends on the top of my work, I will turn the piece over, pull all those loose thread ends to the back and finish them off by weaving them in or making a knot, etc. You'd be surprised at the time you can save! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary /\__/\

On 9/18/2011 1:19 PM, Steven Cook wrote: