Machine Embroidery Valance

Posted on October 23, 2016 by edges

I love one-of-a-kind.

If it hasn’t been done before, I’m in. Even if it has been done before, but it can be done slightly differently, I’m in.

What I’m not really interested in doing is creating exactly what someone else has already created. Let’s be honest, here. Nothing under the sun is really new any more. We all receive our inspiration from someone, or something, or some technique. Original ideas come from many places, but they almost always require inspiration from somewhere, and we all learn from one another.

That’s OK. As long as it’s new to you. I don’t judge people who take a pattern and re-create it exactly as the book dictates. That’s how we learn. We aren’t all designers. I’m not…at least I don’t get paid to be one.

But my favorite projects come to me like a whirlwind, and I have all to do to scribble them down before they disappear. The end product is not always exactly what I had planned, but I know when I have a starting point.

My challenge: To create a project based on some digitized rulers created in Artwork Canvas within Bernina Embroidery Software 8.

I started with the 3 black ruler shapes, wondering how to place them in an interesting project.

I knew I wanted to use a sewing theme, and I also wanted to incorporate Amanda Murphy’s Sewing Room embroidery designs. I thought they were cute and fresh. (See the link below).

Sitting at the computer one day, I had an idea. I don’t ever design on a computer. It’s just not fast enough to capture the idea before I talk myself out of it.

So I grabbed the back of the closest sheet of paper and scribbled out this initial design.

I thought I’d make a table runner, with all the embroidery designs lined up in a row. I thought about adding buttons scattered around the design, since the theme has thread spools, scissors , rulers, etc.

I didn’t have any fabric at home that was close to my reach that was in the right shape to hold all the designs.

So I stitched a number of half fatquarters together (fat-eighths). I think they were leftover from this project.

And I printed out some templates to see if I was getting close to my original thought.

It was going to work.

I began embroidery, and once the embroidery was complete, a friend at work (hey Bobbie!) asked if I was making another valance…this time for my sewing room. (You can check out the last time I made a valance here.)

I had actually been thinking of it as a table runner, but when she said valance, I suddenly saw that too!

I continued with the quilting which for some reason was a part of the original scribble and I couldn’t depart from it. Here are a few of the detail shots.

I’m sure you can see why I wanted to use Amanda Murphy’s embroideries…but it actually works pretty well with the digitized rulers.

Here’s what it looks like complete. It’s quilted all over using a walking foot, and the back is turned down to form a rod pocket.

It will be at the shop for a while, but I can’t wait to hang it on the window in my sewing room. I moved the random-sized buttons to the middle to give it a look of continuity. I love the Barbie-style dresses.

You can make the rulers if you attend Bernina’s November Software Inspiration class at your local dealer. And if you don’t have software, I’m sure you can find a measuring tape embroidery or replace it with another design. The point is not to make the same valance I made, (although you certainly are welcome to do that) but to make it your own! Have fun with the idea, and create something new and original for your own home.

Crazy is Good

Posted on September 12, 2016 by edges

I was sitting at the kitchen counter one day, staring at the valance over my window. I’m ready for something new. I get this from my mother who changed curtains in the kitchen to match every holiday and season. In the fall, we had leaves, after Thanksgiving, holly and berries, in the spring, the lovely florals went up…you get the picture.

I don’t have cafe curtains, though I have thought about them. But sitting there, staring away, I had an idea. What about a quilted valance? Better yet, what if I made matching seat covers for the chairs?

Suddenly I was excited about a project. All I wanted was colorful and different. So that’s what I made.

The valance is made of crazy quilt blocks, 8 1/2 inches unfinished. I grabbed all sorts of scraps I had lying around…some were from fatquarter bundles, some random, some leftovers from other projects and just began sewing.

The beauty of this project is that it doesn’t take any real focus or concentration. The 1/4 inch seam doesn’t have to be perfect.The colors can be anything you want…no matchy-matchy stuff. Just square it up to 8 1/2 inches, then sew them together.

If you have never sewn this way (improvisational is what some call it) you will love it. Well, some people like me love it, and others find that they need more guidelines. But, the freer you are with the blocks, the more fun it gets (if you can let go of the need for perfection.)

And the result is happy crazy.

For this valance, I assembled 3 rows of blocks, measured the window and the rod, and created a quilt sandwich and quilted the whole thing. Then I came back and added the scallops and bias binding. From the top, I just folded it down enough to form a rod pocket and sewed it in place with a couple of straight seams. The binding goes all the way around, it’s just turned down at the top so you don”t see it.

And because the quilt is heavier than plain fabric, even with a lining, it hangs nice and flat.

I love it. It’s exactly what I wanted.

Then I turned to the chairs.

Each chair requires an additional 9 blocks. I only finished one chair so far, but it goes fast. The blocks on the chairs are not quilted…just nine blocks sewn together. I studied the chair to see how the cover was attached, and I could see that they started in the back. ( I am NOT an upholsterer, but would love to be…I don’t think it’s as easy as it looks when you get to armchairs and things like that!)

Anyway, I started in the back and pulled the fabric to the front, using a staple gun. I did allow myself enough fabric to double the seam where it’s stapled…I didn’t want the fabric to fray and unravel.

Just pull taut from the back to the front and staple it down. It doesn’t look very taut in this picture, because my hands were on the camera, but when you are working, you really need to pull tight, with one hand and staple with the other.

You can do this.

I am loving how this turned out. I know it won’t last forever, but now that I’ve changed the covers once, I can do it any time.

Finally, I made another little valance to go over the sink, which is a smaller window. Same process, fewer blocks.

This was fun stuff. If you can make a quilt, you can make these valances and chair covers. It’s just taking the same principles and adjusting to different shapes.

Needle Punch Felting with Machine Embroidery

Posted on April 12, 2016 by edges

I’ve been playing with wool lately, and was reminded by the upcoming Bernina Inspirations class, that I can do needle punch using my machine embroidery.

For anyone who is a Bernina software user, Designer Plus allows you to do needle punch. All you need is the needle punch accessory (which you can use with or without embroidery).

When you set up your machine for needle punch, you need to do a few things:

Inset the needle punch needles in your needle holder in place of your regular needle.
Change your stitch plate (there’s a special one for needle punch) and be sure to tell your machine that you made the change.
Put on the correct needle punch foot. This not only helps to glide over roving and other wool or fabrics, but it also keep your fingers away from those needles. You’ll often want to hold the roving in place to keep your design intact.
Completely remove your hook system, not just the bobbin. Take everything out, and close the bobbin door.
Turn off your top and bottom thread sensors.

In the software, you literally just go to the Digitize toolbox, click on the PunchWork icon and digitize a shape. Any shape. And the software will generate one thread color to outline the shape, and then fill it with needle punch. It’s amazingly easy.

I digitized the shape of this tree, measured it out and laid out the roving within the parameters of the shape.

And then I watched the machine do all the needle punch work. Pretty impressive.

However, I did follow along with my fingers positioning and re-positioning the roving to be sure it stayed where I wanted it to be while the needle was punching.

Next, I layered an embroidery design on top. Since I had gone with a tree shape, I was reminded of the tree of life embroidery design in the Sepia Petals collection from OESD. I ended up using the tree background file.

The result was interesting both visually and texturally.

Still exploring my love of wool. It’s freeing and almost unpredictable as an art form or craft. I think that’s why I enjoy it so much.

If you are interested in learning more about Bernina Embroidery Software or needle punch, think about attending your May Software Inspirations at your local Bernina dealer.

You just never know what you’ll be inspired to create!

My Love Affair (with wool!)

Posted on April 1, 2016 by edges

I’m not really used to working with wool. It really doesn’t behave like cotton. Yet, its rich textures have just been a delight. I love the way thread sinks into it. I love the way thread can sit on top of wool, as well.

It inspires me.

I’m also a fool for anything hand-dyed and much wool is currently hand-dyed. (And not cheap, I might add.)

This project really has been one of texture. I experimented with a number of different Aurifil threads, but kept falling back on a nice 30 weight in different shades of neutrals. It has just enough substance to show up, but is not so thick that it starts to cause problems in the machine.

I wanted this to feel a lot like a walk in the woods near the house. Twisty, gnarly branches — barren, waiting for spring.

Here’s a peak at the back side of this project, for those of you who appreciate a look behind the scenes. I think it’s every bit as interesting as the front, maybe even more so.

I have done some projects with wool and roving before. This floral below was one of my favorites. Something about wool is much more free-form for me than rigid piecing in cotton.

If you find you are interested in experimenting in wool, there are plenty of places to start.

Wooly Lady has joyful patterns and plenty of hand-dyed wool.

Sue Spargo also has a lot of hand-dyed fabric and beautiful threads for hand embroidery.

Need to get the creative fires burning again? I recommend a quiet little rendezvous with a few different shades of wool…ooh la la.

My Obsession with Trees

Posted on February 3, 2016 by edges

I didn’t realize it until I tried to describe some of my projects to someone, and all the ones that reflected my own art and not just a pattern designed by someone else, usually included trees.

And if not trees, then at least something that grows in the ground. I can’t tell you what it means, except that I have a deep longing to connect to the earth.

I recently pre-ordered a book that has apparently been wildly popular in Europe: “The Hidden Life of Trees — What They Feel, How They Communicate — Discoveries from a Secret World, ” by Peter Wohlleben.

An article from the NYTimes profiles the German forest ranger’s book.

I’ve always known that the natural world — birds, animals, trees, gardens — have more to teach us than we ever give them credit for. In the woods, I learned to listen, and look…much more than I ever do in my daily busy-ness.

Art is a struggle. We are reaching, reaching, always striving to capture the thing beyond ourselves. I do believe that trees (as well as the rest of nature) try to teach us something. When I break through the barrrier and discover the lesson, I will let you know.

Until then, like most of us, I continue to be a student.

Multi-hoop project is quilted, bound and finished.

photosnap-carol

Have Your Sewing Machine Cleaned!

Posted on January 5, 2016 by edges

It’s a little frightening, I know.

As I sit here, there’s a giant hole on my sewing table where my machine should be. However, I finally got it together and decided to do the right thing. Every sewing machine needs to be professionally cleaned and maintained on a regular basis…which means at least once a year.

No matter how good you are at caring for your machine (and I am VERY good at caring for my machine), you still need to get it in front of a professional. You will never be able to get the dust, fiber and general build-up out of the inside of that machine by yourself. Don’t try.

Don’t use canned air. It will only force dust into places it doesn’t belong. When you bring the machine in to your dealer, be sure to include your standard foot and stitch plate, so the tech can check both a straight stitch and a zigzag and usually some decorative stitches.

Bring your foot pedal and cord.

And bring anything else you are having a problem with (buttonhole foot, stitch regulator, walking foot.) No problem with those? Don’t bring them. Your dealer does not want to be responsible for any more loose parts than necessary.

Have you purchased a machine in the last 5 years? They get updated. If you aren’t doing it yourself, make sure the tech updates your machine to the current firmware.

I made the decision to bring it in this week, when my family is back at school and work. I also took the week off…which is a little weird because now I cannot sew. I did it deliberately as a way to force myself to clean out the basement. Like many of you, if the sewing machine is in the house, I will come up with a reason to sew.

(Yes, I know I have another smaller machine and a serger just waiting to be used, but with the main machine at the shop, I am more likely to find something else to do.)

That said, while cleaning out the basement, I came across something I picked up at Quilt Market in October.

threads

It’s an inkjet printable cotton poplin fabric. It also comes in cotton twill. For grins, I tested it out with a couple of my photos.

flowersonfabric1 flowersonfabric2 I’ll admit the quality is better than I expected, and captured quite a bit of detail. The fabric then lifts away from the paper backing and can then be used as any other fabric. The poplin is very thin and I would certainly use a woven fusible interfacing on the back.

But if you are in the market for a memory quilt or just want to document your garden, as I do, this is an excellent alternative to products I’ve seen out there.

Happy 2016, Happy Stitching, Happy Clean Machine, and Happy Emptying-Out-Your Basement!

Going to Market (Part 2)

Posted on October 29, 2015 by edges

As you know, I had the chance to go to Quilt Market in Houston this year, and so I’m sharing some of the things I saw.

Fig Tree and Co at her booth.

Rennaissance ribbon ideas.

Another cute idea from Rennaissance ribbons. That’s Kaffe Fassett ribbon. Rennaissance has a new idea book featuring his ribbon.

Angela Walters with her new line. A real departure for her. This quilt was made with 3 half-yard panels–2 seams. The binding is made with leftovers from the panel.

Another color way from Angela Walter’s line. Really loving this pattern.

Bonnie and Camille’s booth, featuring their new line Vintage Picnic.

Sweet Amy Ellis with her new line. Loving the corals and greys.

Isn't this a great idea for a kid's room? Same idea as the corded bowls we've made but just lays flat with fabric wrapped around the cording. At the Ella Blue booth.

Isn’t this a great idea for a kid’s room? Same process as the corded bowls we’ve made but just lays flat. Wrap fabric around the cording. At the Ella Blue booth.

Kate Spain at her booth. Another sweet, sweet lady!

Jen Kingwell’s new line.

Jen Kingwell’s fabulous booth.

Isn’t that gorgeous? Another angle of Jen Kingwell’s booth.

Your local store needs these, don’t you agree? In the hoop pin cushions from Smith Street Designs. Yum.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little tour through market. You’ll find MUCH more if you go to instagram or twitter #quiltmarket and #houstonquiltmarket. Right now, Quilt Festival is going on in Houston, and of course, that’s open to the public. #quiltfestival #houstonquiltfestival #showmethemoda #fatquartershop

This Little Gal Went to Market (Part 1)

Posted on October 27, 2015 by edges

Finally. I went to Quilt Market 2015 in Houston. It was quite an experience as we all spent some time worrying about the remnants of the strongest hurricane in the western hemisphere, which blew through Houston over quilt market weekend. 12 inches of rain or more. Thankfully, the day I left the sun had returned.

Weather notwithstanding, I had a great time. I met so many designers, my head is spinning. Plenty of pictures to share with you, and you’ll get some idea of what the trends are for next spring.

Zen Chic Bridgette Heitland with her new line “Flow.”

Zen Chic fabric “Flow”. don’t you LOVE it?

Sue Sprgo has a coffee table book coming out in time for Christmas. Glorious photos of her work.

Sue Spargo has a coffee table book coming out in time for Christmas. Glorious photos of her work.

The delightful Sue Spargo at her booth. I want every bit of her thread.

New line from French General. Those thread holders were cut with Sizzix, and French General will now be selling hand floss.

French General's new hand embroidery. You can purchase the design and the thread from them. This sample was the one that was hand drawn by her husband 2 days before market and used as the prototype for the new pattern.

French General’s new hand embroidery. Stores will be able to sell the design along with the matching thread. Perfect! This sample was the one that was hand drawn by her husband 2 days before market and used as the prototype for the new pattern.

New collection by Luke Haynes a new Moda designer.

Here's Luke's self-portrait in the gallery. Yes, the entire background and his name are made from flying geese. So interesting!

Here’s Luke’s self-portrait in the gallery. Yes, the entire background and his name are made from flying geese. Love it.

Designer Pat Sloan alongside and Aurifil rep who made a log cabin quilt and cut it up into her skirt!

Designer Pat Sloan alongside an Aurifil rep who made a log cabin quilt and cut it up into her skirt! She had to twirl all day to show everyone!

Vanessa fro V and Co. with her FABULOUS ombre fabric all around, including her skirt.

Vanessa from V and Co. with her FABULOUS ombre fabric all around, including her skirt.

Stay tuned for more. As I process the photos, I’ll share what I can.

How Would You Fix This?

Posted on October 2, 2015 by edges

Rummaging through my closets this week I came across an embroidery project I worked on back in high school…yes high school. I think it was for an art class. It’s actually pretty big, 18 x 24 I would guess, with a large wood frame.

Have to love the signature.

At any rate, back in the day that I stretched and framed this thing, I obviously had no stabilizer behind it.

You can see that after moving, I don’t know, 5 or 6 times since high school, somewhere along the line I managed to poke a small hole through the muslin.

The weave on this fabric is amazingly loose. I thought about just adding another tree. However, now that it’s stretched on a frame, it’s very difficult to embroider–but probably not impossible.