Sinuous Sunday

Before I show you this week’s “technique du jour”, here is the finished thread-painting from last Sunday.

I had some orphan pieces from several quilts that I used for the background and I stitched several leaf shapes to go with the flowers.  Some of the green is really darker than the photo shows – sunshine isn’t always kind to the colors!

And now . . . . . Machine Couching.

Oh my, that was a lot of fun!  I experimented with several kinds of yarn and trim, and I tried several of my sewing machine attachments as well. 

I have a couple that are designed specifically for attaching novelty threads, but oddly enough I found the most useful foot was my rolled hem foot!  I was surprised!

For those who are interested in the what and wherefore:

Starting in lower right hand corner --

1. straight stitch using a heavy rayon thread (no label!)
2. decorative stitch (tulips) using the same rayon thread
3. straight stitch anchoring two knitting yarns which crossed every 4 or 5 stitches.  Yarns are “Sitar” from Nashua, and “High Sierra Stripe” from I Love This Yarn!
4. Repeat of row 1
5. “Sitar” zigzagged with the rayon thread from 1
6. a novelty yarn couched with zigzag stitch.  It’s left over from an old knitting project and there’s no label.  Sorry.
7. Number 6 yarn doubled and twisted in the hemstitch foot
8. Wire, 26 gauge
9. Same
10. “Razzle Dazzle” thread stitched using a blind stitch, then a silver elastic cord laid along using same stitch mirrored
11. “Julia” from Universal Yarn
12. Same.  It’s variegated so you see different colors
13. upholstery gimp trim
14. “Monaco” from Sensations
15. “Sitar” stitched using the free motion couching foot
16. flower trim, stitched with 5 or 6 zigzags on the narrow parts
17. ribbon braid using the free motion couching foot
18. the heart - “Papier” from Universal Yarn

Also, rows 1 through 14 were stitched using my circular attachment.  You didn’t think I could make nice arcs on my own, did you?!

Well, that was certainly interesting!  I tried several other yarns that did NOT work very well, but I certainly have a feel for what can be done with couched fibers.  There’s certainly lots of potential there.

Next weekend I am going to be at a quilt retreat, so there will not be a Sunday technique, but come back the following Sunday to see what is next.  I’ve peeked ahead and it will really be a fun one!

But now, I have to go clean up the mess I made with all those yarns and threads!  Aaargh!