Practice, Practice, Practice....with Patsy Thompson

If I've been told once, I've been told a thousand times...practice, practice, practice....and then practice some more and you'll improve you Free Motion Quilting skills.   That's just what I did yesterday...I spent 4 hours with some friends and we all had a chance to practice and learn from Patsy Thompson. 

Having Patsy work with each one of us at our own pace and level was wonderful.  I'm more of a beginner and my only goal is to be more comfortable and do what ever it is that I can do, without wanting my work to look a certain way.  I don't aspire to become an incredible quilter....I aspire to love the process of making my quilts and have some tools under my belt to be able to do some of my own quilting.  I wanted to practice some Free Motion Embroidery, Trapunto and play with a variety of weight threads....and I certainly had my chance. 

Before I show you my "progress," I thought you'd like to see some of Patsy's work.

 I like the contrast between these two pieces. Patsy used her Appli-K-Kutz die to cut the same feather for each quilt.  It is the weight and choice of threads that Patsy used in the second quilt that makes it look so very different from the first.  

I so admire her choice of colors and how she has chosen to put these pieces together.  Patsy has added Machine Embroidery to her quilting and I absolutely love this corner piece shown above.

You may have already seen this table runner on Patsy's blog.  In real life...it is so much more than what it looks like in photos. 

 Here is the center block....in the photo it looks like the fabric in the center is what gives it the change of color....nope....

Look at the Machine Embroidery....I just love it added to her designs....it really grabs me.

 Here are a few more samples her free motion quilting.

 Ok, remember when I said that I just want to improve what I do?  Take a little break....blink a few times...other wise you just might miss just how nice my piece really is....LOL.

 It may not look like much to many of you, but to me this is a sign of real progress and I had a ball stitching on the applique shapes.  The other thing I loved is playing with the different variety of threads.  I had first stitched the little veins on the leaves in the lime green color.  Patsy suggested I use some Floriani (PF 516-the gold tone thread above) thread just inside the lime green and it would make the leaves really pop.  She was absolutely right!!! (No surprise there...but it is incredible to see before your very eyes).

I'm not finished with my flower yet.  Patsy suggested I use Invisifil Thread to go around my flower after I had done the thread embroidery and then do some quilting.  When Patsy says that many quilters under utilize their thread...that is so true of me.  I'm going to continue my Free Motion Quilting practice and use lots of the variety's of threads I own.

The stitching in red in the upper right corner....that's my very first time ever doing any Free Motion Quilting....so as you can see....I've come a long way!!!

Patsy suggested using fabric grade Silicone Spray on the bed of my machine and it really did help quite a bit. I think I was getting tense because my fabric was not sliding as well as it could have in the beginning....just more Practice, Practice, Practice :)

SewCalGal's Free Motion Quilting Challenge is going on so I'm going to have to take more pictures of my practice and submit them.  

Smiles,

Kelly   

Playing with my Appli-K-Kutz

I wanted to play with some of Patsy Thompson's Feather Dies so I searched some dyed fabrics in my stash.  Once I found a fun color combination I got out my Mistyfuse and fused it to the back of my fabric.  I prefer Mistyfuse because it is so lightweight that I don't feel it behind the fabric.  I've used even the lightest of the other brand fusibiles....still stiffer than Mistyfuse....that is why I like it (in case you were wondering :).

This is a pix of Mistyfused laid over the fabric before I pressed it.  Since Mistyfuse doesn't use paper people often ask how I get it fused to my fabric. 

I lay the Mistyfuse over my fabric and cover it with my Goddess Sheet and press.  Once I pull the Goddess Sheet off....this is what it looks like.

Then I take it over to where I'm cutting out my appliques.

So many people say using Dies wastes fabric.  Not for me.  As you can see her I cut out a paper Small Feathers  and  I laid  it over the fabric to pre-view where I thought I might like it on the dyed fabric.  I also could have used the negative space of my paper feather but I chose the positive

Then I cut out the fabric and lay it over the die and put my recycled paper over it and put it through my Sizzix Big Shot.

It was that easy....I just took the applique over to my design area and started to play.  This is when the real trouble started....Way too much fun and too many choices.  I could have played with this for days.

I wanted a very large flower so I used the Sizzix Flower Album Die.  This die was clearly made for small albums....but I wanted it for an applique die.  So, I hammered down the area of metal where the small circle was so I would not cut a little hole in my fabric.  Important Note: This die was made for making photo albums. I bought it and hammered down the metal in the small circle so I could use it for applique in quilting. Once this is done, the warranty is VOID. Just thought you should know :)

That is how I got the larger flower below.  I started playing with all the options to find a color combination I liked....this is what the process was like....first I changed the orange background fabric to black.

ONE

Then I started playing with options for the flower colors and shapes.

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIV E

SIX

SEVEN

After awhile they all started to look the same so I separated out all of the flowers I made and went to bed.

Today I walked over and started playing again....I think I like this combination the best....what do you think?  The first one or the second one with the yellow circle center?  Do you like these combinations better than the ones above?  I've not exactly decided on the placement of the feathers....weather to have them connect to the flower or not....that will probably be tomorrow.

EIGHT

 NINE

I wanted a flower larger than the Flower Album Die so I took the dark purple flower I had cut from the Flower Album Die and took it to my printer.  Thankfully I now have a printer that will reduce and enlarge (thanks to MJ:).  I enlarged the flower by 110% then loaded a piece of PrintNFuse into my printer.

 I copied that flower onto the PrintNFuse and fused it to the orange fabric and cut it out.  Now I have an exact copy of that flower but larger.  I'm one of those folks who can't stand being frustrated and I want it to come out nice so I have learned a variety of ways to change the size of various shapes.  

I store my un-used appliques in an acid free envelope that I borrowed from my Scrapbooking Supplies.

 Another question I get asked often is how do I store my dies.  You already know I'm a visual person so it does not exist if I don't see it.  I tape the paper inserts from the packaging to my dies and then I put them into my Sizzix Storage Boxes.  I like these boxes because they stack nicely and it helps my work space tidy.

 There are trays in the bottom of the heavy boxes ....hopefully you can see in this photo....

and I just store them like that....no rocket science here.  If you are still reading, I'm curious to hear if you like the flower with the feathers and if so, which one is your favorite.

Smiles,

Kelly

Appli-K-Kutz by Patsy Thompson Designs

All I can say is....OHHHH LA LA and Way to go Patsy & Ernie!!!

Check out the 7....yes I did say SEVEN (but now I'm awake....I'm counting 8) Brand New

 Appli-K-Kutz from Patsy Thompson Designs:

Bird, Simple or Fancy Now Available for Pre-Order

Feathered Wreath Now Available for Pre-Order

Feather Small Now Available for Pre-Order

Plume Family Now Available for Pre-Order

Feather Large Now Available for Pre-Order

Straight Feather Small Now Available for Pre-Order

Straight Feather Large Now Available for Pre-Order

Poppies Now Available for Pre-Order

All of the Appli-K-Kutz Dies are compatible with the Sizzix Westminster Fabric Cutting Machines: The Big Shot & the Big Shot Pro AND they'll also work in the Big Shot Express & Vagabond. 

Here at the IHAN blog...you don't just get Market news....you get Pre-Market news too.  Check out Patsy's blog and see the beautiful new quilt she has basted....just click here :)

While I have your attention....did any of you notice that there is now an IHAN Bargain Basement?  Well there is....check it out for yourself :)

Smiles,

Kelly