My new toy

You know, John, I thoroughly enjoy hearing of all your new adventures. It is living vicariously I know; but I really do find it fun. I think Leslie has tried this sort of free motion embroidery. She is rushed at the moment, but when she has a minute, I bet she will compare notes. Enjoy hugely - and please do report, so we can all join in.

. In message , John writes

I can see you turning out beautifully embroidered quilts. :^)

I really am like a kid with new toys, here. I have sewn for a long time but just clothing; and quilted for a short time, but just basic stuff. I was honestly getting bored with clothing, and quilting opened up a whole new element of sewing for me. These new elements of sewing are so far reaching, that there doesn't seem to be a limit to where your choices take you. Only the limits you allow. I know that a person might never achieve the heights that they aspire to, but with practice they can elevate their skills to a level that is far better than they started with, and that is not a bad thing. I think learning something new, keeps you fresh and engaged and on your game. Nothing is as bad as being bored with what you do. That is like brain death, and to be avoided at all costs. So, there you have it. My recipe for success. No charge, and no need to thank me. Just do it.

John

'Guilty as charged, Your Honor'. I saw the Ohio Star for your SIL and was proud that you had moved from always solids to what? an honest-to-goodness small floral in the medium greens? Ah. Yes. I saw that you had reluctantly turned loose of plain old (but perfect) squares and waded into points. Gee. Two big steps in one quilt. Now we're getting somewhere. Of course, I did wonder why you hadn't quilted it, realized that you had, but only STID. Now you have a BSR and are going to dive into having some fun. Hot dog. I am so tickled and pleased and proud. In the words of my belated friend Jerry Clower, "Knock 'em out, John". Patti's right. When Leslie got an SM that enjoyed doing FM, she went from "I can't" to an absolute maniac about it. Another book you will really enjoy is Karen McTavish's Mastering the Art of McTavishing. You know you're a little bit scary but we're sure your family is already aware of that and don't think you're downright dangerous. We're eagerly awaiting progress reports and will be glad to help if you need any Big Girl guidance. Polly

You have just sampled the tip of the iceberg with your machine's capabilities!

And if you want to see just some of what a sewing machine can do in the hands of an artist -

There are so many inspired artists out there. I admire what many of them do without ever aspiring to try it myself. But seeing all these things will sometimes send me off on a small "original" tangent.

I have been following your quilting adventures with great interest. But I am still waiting for you to "discover" hand applique. Then you are into SERIOUS fabric addiction territory - lol - as you search for just the right tiny print to give a highlight to a petal or wing.

BTW - couldn't agree more about learning. One lady who came to me for lessons a few years ago was hesitant because of her age and hoped I didn't mind that she was older. I told her I didn't see the relevance. She turns 80 in a couple of weeks and is one of our most prolific quilters now. When she comes to Tuesday sit'n'sew she is now curious about every project and new technique.

Learning doesn't just keep you young, it keeps you alive!

Here's a little thread painting that I did- I LOVED the process! I used a fabric with a fish on it, thread painted on it then cut it out and appliqued it to the background. Then I made some 3D seaweed. Photos and directions are here:

Leslie & The Furbabies from HE77 in MO.

And going a step further, Cheryl, during the Daytona 500 Sunday afternoon, I was appliquéing a dachshund napping belly-up on a pillow top. There was a place where you could see the soft pink inner ear. Appliqué would have been just really hard to do considering the size and shape. I simply loaded variegated pink thread on the SM and painted the area. Yes, you are so right when you say " Learning doesn't just keep you young, it keeps you alive!". We have many friends who have retired and simply sit on the sofa and watch game shows on tv until it is time for their nap. Their favorite topic is discussing their aches and pains. Mercy. Polly

WOW! How did you do so much thread painting and not get puckers? I've read for larger projects to do them separately, cut them out and then applique in place. It doesn't look like you had to do that on yours. Good job!!!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Oh I SO agree with you....life would be too boring if there wasn't something new to try. I have such a long list of things to do and quilts planned in my head - not sure how many will actually get done but I'm sure going to try! Allison

Hi Leslie - I use a pellon-type product that is a needlepunched interfacing for winter wear - it is thin enough to hoop (only necessary when starting the process). The more embroidery stitches - the firmer the fabric becomes and any puckers that do happen aren't noticeable when the work is completed. Give it a try using a thin cotton batt for the stabilizer - its fun! jennellh

ttp://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2783383770056043956YAILGmis

I like your idea of thread painting on top of a print. I imagine that if you're not switching colours you wouldn't need to do toooooo much painting.

Allis>

Good for you! Free at last! One of the most fun things ever is machine "redwork" -you could use any color, but those rather simple outline embroideries popular in the 30's. I started with the darning foot, couldn't see well enough, and finally just took the foot off. The machine sewed just fine (fabric stretched in a hoop). Roberta in D

"John" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@p73g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...

OK, here is a dumb question.

When you do it by machine it is thread painting. Is the by hand technique called needle painting the same thing or completely different? I'm sorta thinking it is different but don't know squat about the machine technique

NightMist