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Showing posts with label Floriani Embroidery Thread. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Floriani Embroidery Thread. Show all posts

Monday, January 23, 2012

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   

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Nancy Lee's Machine Embroidery

I am fortunate enough to know a a few women who really know what they are doing with Machine Embroidery and they have been educating me since I  became interested in ME.  Both of them told me their first preference for stabilizers and thread is Floriani.  After hearing about how wonderful Floriani products are, I did some investigating and became a Floriani Dealer last November.

Today, I'm going to introduce you to one of those really smart ladies...this is Nancy Lee....Nancy Lee, I'd like you to meet the IHAN Blogifers. 

Nancy Lee has been sewing all of her life.  Over the last 20 plus years, she has been doing machine embroidery and the last 5-6 years she has been quilting.  With all that experience you know when Nancy Lee tells me  to put my metallic thread spool upside down on my thread holder...I do it... without even a slight hesitation! 

Nancy Lee allowed me to visit her home and photograph some of her projects in December.  All of her projects shown here were made with Floriani Embroidery Thread and I've noted the designers beneath the photos.
(Embroidery Design by Smart Needle)
 These sandals cracked me up.... it makes me want a swimming pool and a margarita for sure.
(Embroidery Design by Momo-Dini)
Nancy Lee took a third place ribbon in the Tote Bag Category at the Kaleidoscope of Quilts this past year.
I really like the close up of this design...didn't it come out nice?
 (Napkin ring Embroidery Designs by Advanced Embroidery)
These napkin rings are snowflakes and Nancy Lee had made several that were just beautiful. 
Thanksgiving napkin rings...aren't they just perfect for Thanksgiving?  Nancy Lee even embroidered her napkins...
Neat ay?  Now we just need an invitation for Thanksgiving Dinner!!

(Embroidery Design by Zundt)
This bag is a ribbon winner for Nancy Lee.  She received a 2nd place ribbon at the American Embroidery Conference in 2011.
The butterflies are three dimensional and really make this bag take off...pun intended :)
 (Embroidery Design by Julie Hall)
I thought this wine bag was really cute.  When I give people a bottle of wine...it never has a bag...I think this just may need to change.
 (Anita Good Designs)
A book mark is a nice personal little gift or treasure to have.  My boys are always looking for their book marks...I think I should make some with their names on it so they'll know who it belongs to.

Time for a confession....yes...another confession!!  I have this thing for dish towels and bath towels.  I love dish cloths with embroidery.  I've received a few as gifts and I'm telling you they are so much fun.  Perhaps because can make me smile when I have to do a dreaded chore.
If this doesn't make you giggle....well...just giggle will ya?  It won't hurt a bit!
Loralie has some very fun designs too.  Nancy Lee took the time to show me how nicely the Floriani Stabilizer tears away from the design.
Look how nice and clean the back is.
This pix is enlarged a bit to show you the centers of these lace snowflakes.  Nancy Lee used Floriani Wet N Gone Stabilizer and Angelina Fibers (center)....they really are so beautiful and the addition of the Angelina really pop these snowflakes, don't ya think?
(Jenny Haskins Designs)
Nancy Lee has made so many beautiful things that it was difficult to pick and choose the photographs for this post.  I thought I'd end with this one because I'm so impressed with how fine these flowers came out. 

Beautiful aren't they?

I'm going to leave you with some of the things Nancy shared with me about her experience with Floriani products:
"Floriani thread is my preferred thread because it shines beautifully like rayon and it glides through the needle.  Rarely does it ever fray or break and if it does, that usually means I need to change my needle.

Floriani Stabelizers are the best and I've never been disappointed.  The outcome of my projects really shows how nice the stabilizers are.  Everything comes out beautifully."  
Nancy Lee White, OH Dec, 2011

I have been using the Floriani Thread and Stabilizers since November and I've been more than happy with the results.  My needle never once got sticky when I used the Perfect Stick Stabilizer and when I used another brand my needle was covered in a gummy substance...not good.  The Floriani Thread is absolutely beautiful no doubt about it....so I've been very pleased.  Time has been limited with year end inventory and book keeping with IHAN so that stuff gets in the way of having fun with Floriani of recent.

Floriani has a Year End Sell Out Promotion going on until the end of January so if you want to take advantage of Floriani Thread at 50% OFF and other excellent deals...click here for all the information to order from I Have A Notion :)

Thank you Nancy Lee for sharing your time, projects and insights with me!

Smiles,
Kelly

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