By: Pat Sloan
I am a crafter… there … the truth is out! I have done some sort of ‘making of things’ all my life. Most of it I taught myself, as my family does not have any crafty types in it.
But my mom is so amazing that she bought me whatever I wanted in the way of craft supplies. So I was able to try a lot of things. This is my embroidery book. I used it to teach myself all kinds of amazing stitches and I’m so happy to still have it.
This is my childhood embroidery basket. Being a child of the late 60s and early 70s a bold PLASTIC basket was the in thing to have… it’s sure durable!
In the world of quilting we don’t work just with fabrics cut and pieced together… oh no… we love to ADD to that fabric with amazing embroidery! There are many types of embroidery. Today I’m touching on three areas and have two guests sharing about their particular embroidery passion.
First up is a Q & A with Bari J. of Bari J. Designs. I thought she was perfect to give us some insider tips! She has videos on her “WLFK” blog as well.. so you’ll want to cruise over there.
Embroidery with Bari J.
What are the common thread weights you like to do embroidery with?
It really depends on the project and what effect I might be going for or if I need to fill in a large space. However, I do use a lot of Cosmo multi-work which is a two strand floss. Honestly, I can’t figure out what the weight is according to the packaging. I also like the Aurifil Sashiko which is a 30 weight. (Stay tuned to the end folks.. you could WIN some of this amazing thread!)
What size needles do you use?
I use a size ten for most of my work. However, if you are going to use perl cotton you’ll need a needle with a bigger eye.
What fabrics do you like for the base of your design? Do you back the fabric with a interfacing or a batting?
I use a lot of plain old quilt weight cotton. I do put interfacing on the back of the fabric. I use form flex which is a light weight woven cotton fusible.
What is your favorite way to transfer designs?
I love the product, transfer-eze. You print your design out, it sticks to the top of your work, you stitch right through and then dissolves in water when you are finished. I also like to use a light box and frixion pens.
When is it important to hoop your work?
For many stitches, using a hoop is nearly imperative in my opinion. This is so that your stitches are nice and tight (not too tight) and not loopy and bumpy. However, there are stitches that are best done without the use of a hoop like the bullion stitch.
When you’re done, what are the ways you like to use the embroidery?
I like embroidery on pillows and in quilts and I especially like to use it on a smaller item such as a bag. The work is so small and intricate I think it makes a great impact on small projects.
Visit Bari J. at Bari J. Designs.
Here at the Quilting Gallery we have a great series of posts by Lenna Green. She wrote and video taped an entire series on embroidery … check out her posts.
This year I’m the host for Aurifil’s Designer of the Month mystery blocks. And the featured style is embroidery!! Bari J. is one of our upcoming designers. And we already have four fabulous FREE blocks for you to download and print!
Find all the interviews and download the patterns here. Plus read how you can get in on a chance to win Aurifil thread!
Crazy Quilting
When we first announced our Learning Center topics we received a lovely note from Connie Eyberg about crazy quilting. Since Crazy Quilting is Connie’s passion I asked her to guest post about it today!
Crazy Quilting is one of America’s earliest quilt styles. It gained popularity in the 1800s through the early 1900s (roughly 1876-1910) and is a style of quilting associated with the Victorian quilts. It is easy to identify a crazy quilt by the use of irregular shaped patches in various sizes joined together in a random manner with no pattern in particular; it is then embellished with decorative stitching.
The seams were embroidered with intricate stitches and some areas on the quilts were then adorned with fine stitchery and sometimes painted designs. Originally stitched by wealthy women using fancy fabrics such as silks, velvets or brocades, women of lower income were soon creating their own crazy quilts through the use of castoff clothing of wealthier relatives, scraps sold by factories at reasonable prices, etc. Denim, flannels, cottons and other more common fabrics were also eventually used to create crazy quilts.
Crazy quilting has been experiencing a new appreciation and resurgence in recent years and although still having the same characteristics as the historical quilts have evolved due to newly developed and more readily available materials, products and techniques. Anything goes, from solid fabrics to patterned fabrics, basic stitching to more elaborate creations with lots of embellishing. Options for embellishing are almost unlimited. It is perfectly acceptable to embellish such things as jewelry pieces, ribbon embroidery, buttons, sequins, beads, keys, ciggies or other images on cloth, doilies, laces, fancy fibers and charms for instance.
Two techniques used to construct crazy quilts are (1) paper piecing or (2) flip and sew (at times may be referred to as stitch and turn, stitch and flip, flip and stitch, or fold and sew among others). The pieces are constructed onto a base fabric such as muslin.
Crazy quilting has no hard and fast rules. It is a wonderful means of expression as an art form in itself. Animals, flowers, insects and/or birds seem to be the favorite subjects used to decorate crazy quilts. You will very often see spiders in their webs on crazy quilts which is a symbol of good luck. Crazy quilting is not just used for quilts, but many items are now made using a crazy quilt patterning and embellishing techniques.
Some great links to learn more about crazy quilting and see more examples:
- A wonderful sample of an antique CQ from 1885 was shared by Deb of Mosaic Magpie on a co-authored crazy quilt blog. You will also find many CQ related links to other sites on the sidebar of this blog: http://simplyCQ.blogspot.com
- A variety of entries for a year-long crazy quilt project are shared on this site. Lots of eye candy here: http://www.cqjp2012.blogspot.com/
- Pat Winter is a mentor to many of us and shares so much of her knowledge with others on her blog. She also produces a magazine devoted to CQ and the link to find it is on her blog: http://gatherings100.blogspot.com/
- This is a site for CQ lovers from around the world. They host many round robins, challenges, etc. http://crazyquiltinginternational.blogspot.com/
Visit Connie Eyberg at http://ceoriginals.blogspot.com/ and http://ceostudiosolutions.blogspot.com/.
Interested in more? Mosaic Magpie has a lovely write up with more photos of the full quilt at the beginning of this article!
Sashiko
Do you personally challenge yourself to learn something new in quilting every so often? I do! This year I’ve become interested in not only learning more about embroidery but also taking a dip into the world of Sashiko quilting. I don’t know much about this.. but I have friends that do!
Today I’m going to give you a little overview, some links to videos and articles.. then later this year we’ll dive a little deeper with an expert.
What IS Sashiko?
Wikipedia says “Sashiko (literally “little stabs”) is a form of decorative reinforcement stitching (or functional embroidery) from Japan. Traditionally used to reinforce points of wear, or to repair worn places or tears with patches, this running stitch technique is often used for purely decorative purposes in quilting and embroidery. The white cotton thread on the traditional indigo blue cloth gives Sashiko its distinctive appearance, though decorative items sometimes use red thread.
Many Sashiko patterns were derived from Chinese designs, but just as many were developed by the Japanese themselves. The artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) published the book New Forms for Design in 1824, and these designs have inspired many Sashiko patterns.” Source
Sashiko is an embroidery pattern you put on the top of the fabric, just like the crazy quilting and regular embroidery. I’m drawn to the traditional navy with cream thread, it’s so beautiful! I can’t wait to try this!
If you can’t wait and want to try Sashiko now.. there is a nice tutorial at Purlbee. Here is more info at About.com with some freebies to download.
Did you know there is now a Sashiko machine by Baby Lock? I found this fascinating and will be taking a look at one next time I can!
Thread Give-Away
Our friends at Aurifil are sponsoring a thread giveaway to celebrate MY interest in Sashiko! This beautiful box of colors was selected by quilter Sharon Pederson. You can learn about the threads from Sharon at these videos: Video 1 and Video 2.
To be in the running to win… Answer one of these reader questions in the comment section below:
- What kind of thread to use for embroidery? There are so many choices!
- What type of embroidery is your favorite?
- What is your preferred size and brand of needles to use for embroidery?
One winner will be randomly selected next Wednesday, April 25, 2012. One entry per person please.
Pat Sloan is owner and founder of the quilting design and publishing company Pat Sloan & Co. She has published over 25 books, more than 100 patterns, nearly 10 fabric lines, and has had her work featured in all the major Quilt magazines. In January 2010, Pat started hosting her weekly Internet Radio show called Creative Talk Radio.
Find Pat here:
Web Site | Blog | Radio Show | Facebook | Twitter
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Congratulations to the winner #100 Winona.. check your email for a message from me.
How wonderful is this giveaway!! I love to do embroidery and I would so love to be able to start using Aurifil thread to do it!!
I’m from New Zealand and haven’t seen Aurifil thread here. Am a dedicated quilter and also love redwork. Would love to see what Aurifil is like.
My favorite embroidery is the Sashiko quilting. I REALLY want to learn how to do it. I really like what you have shown, because you make it look easy, and not scary to try. Thanks for that! That prize box makes me drool. I can’t wait to be able to add stuff like that to my collection.
I do mainly machine embroidery with many different threads. I use aurifil for quilting and piecing my quilts. I’m finding it difficult to type as my kitty is trying to help me.
I used to use DMC then while on vacation I ran out of thread and went to a quilt store to get some more and they only had Aurfil so I got some. Boy was I in for a surprise and since then only use it when I can get it!
I really like doing redwork and find clover embroidery needles work well. I am starting to use Aurifil threads in my applique work and would love the opportunity to try out some new ones :-)
I HAVE USED FLOSS IN THE PAST BUT LOOK FORWARD TO TRYING THE AURIFIL 30 WT. THE COLORS ARE BEAUTIFUL. THANK YOU FOR OFFERING A CHANCE TO WIN THIS BEAUTIFUL COLLECTION….
I all kind: cross stitch and embroidery, I am addicted of threads. hugs
I really love using threads on top of quilting. After all I am a hand stitcher first and love to combine both of my love for machining and hand work. I would so love to try this new weight of thread as the 40wt isn’t quite thick enough.
Lots of Love
Patti xxx
I am not sure it is a “type” of embroidery, but I love the delicate hand embroidery done on tiny heirloom baby dresses.
I love to cross-stitch, embroider on crazy quilts, and embroider a label on every quilt I finish! This thread looks gorgeous!
I have only tried counted cross stitch, but would love to try more embroidery!
I am so excited about 12wt thread in great colors. I have just started working on a Japanese quilt for my niece’s wedding and am excited to try this new quilting style on it. Thanks Joan for the showing this.
■What kind of thread to use for embroidery? There are so many choices! I don’t really know since I’m just trying to learn. I just bought a used embroidery machine to learn with it and would love to learn enough about hand embroidery to do a crazy quilt.
■What type of embroidery is your favorite?Probably the types of stitches that you would use on a crazy quilt.
■What is your preferred size and brand of needles to use for embroidery? I have no idea; you tell me what I need to buy!!! LOL
I am not ver adept at embroidery but would love to begin. That’s why I follow you now!
Aurifil is my favorite thread. Sashiko is one of my favorite techniques! Please enter my name in the contest. Pat, you have made a difference in my “quilting life”. Your workshop here in Wilmington, NC will always be a memorable event for me.
Donna
I’ve been using machine embroidery thread when doing projects on my Bernina. DMC floss has been my brand to use when doing embroidery by hand. I would love to use the new Aurifil to try Sashiko or some redwork that I’ve been contemplating for awhile – hand embroidery is my favorite!
I love hand embroidery, I use DMC mostly, but really prefer Cosmo threads.. Would love to try the Sashiko technique sometime.
Dawn
Wow !! What a fantastic giveaway. I have used my machine to embriodery as I am a newbie but don’t remember what kind of thread I used-definitely not Aurifil. I go to a quilting class at a local university and some of the ladies use the Aurifil thread and they just love it. Pat I just love your site and your beautiful work. I would be so excited to get the Aurifil thread. Thanks so much , Linda in NC
I have really only done embroidery on my machine but I really would like to to try Sashiko after having seen some stunning work by Pepper Cory.
I’d love to win the thread!
I am new to embroidery, but have used Aurifil and love it! All Colors!
I’ve used all kinds of thread for embroidery: silk, perle, tatting, floss, but i haven’t yet tried Aurifil. I’d love to have the opportunity. Thanks.
I use Valdani for blanket stitching on wool. I have also used Aurifil #12 but not available locally.
I am learning to embroidery and I have been lucky to find a variety of types that were the stash of a neighbor that moved. I am finding that I like the Cosmo so far.
I like Aurifil and I want to get back embroidery again.Hope to learn Sashiko.Love your new fabric. Piece and happiness .Jane
I do all kinds of embroidery and needlework. I have just begun learning Sashiko. I would love to try the Auriful Sashiko.
At the moment, I am using Perle cotton with a size 5 needle.
I enjoy crazy quilting using lots of different stitches for “interest”. Thanks for a chance to win :) Laurie
I have loved traditional embroidery since my grandma taught me my first stitches as a little girl. I have mostly used embroidery floss (like 6 strand DMC), but I’d like to try 12wt Aurifil or other specialty threads. I wish there was a “sample” pack of Aurifil I could buy to try it before plunging in an getting a spool with 325 yards. I am going to a Sashiko workshop that my guild is sponsoring next week Friday and I’m very excited about that!
I love both machine and hand embroidery. I have used ALL types and brands of threads. I am especially liking the Aurifil block of the month and the threads. For hand embroidery I use Scarlet Today English needles size 8.
I love Aurifil thread. I recently moved to Rapid City, SD and can’t buy Aurifil thread at any of the quilt stores here. I get mine from the shop in the town that I moved from. It is the best thread.
I love doing all kinds of embroidery and have been wanting to try Sashiko. My favorite embroidery needle is a Bohn size 10 millener. Great chance at another great giveaway! Thanks for the opportunity.
My favorite type of embroidery is my mom’s hand embroidery that she has made for everyone that she knows who is blessed with a new baby. I’d love to win this set and gift it to her. I use Aurifil for making handbags and I know she would love it as much as I do :-)
Self taught in many needlework styles, I have done Sashiko years ago with traditional white thread.
I enjoy all kinds of embroidery. I love using Bohn needles, 10 ml.
Being ADD, I like all kinds of embroidery. The floss I use is dictated by the project. I love the feather stitch for my guilds heart quilts and for crazy quilting. :)
From traditional embroidery on dresser scarves as a child, to cross stitching, & machine embroidery as an adult. Now I’m returning to my first love, and incorporating hand embroidery with crazy quilted designs. I’ve primary used DMC, most recently purchased some DMC 5 cotton pearle. I think the needle sizes I’ve used for hand work range from 20 to 24. I would LOVE to work with those beautiful Auriful threads!
I love to do hand embroidery and I use DMC floss. Thanks for the giveaway.
I love embroidery of all kinds…….especially crazy quilts!
My favorite type of embroidery is silk ribbon AND dimensional.
What type of embroidery is your favorite? I like about anything, my favorite thread to use is hand dyed thread.
I love doing hand stitchery, have been for years. This thread looks amazing. I want it, I need it, gotta have it. LOL
I have always used DMC embroidery floss in the past or occ. perle cotton. I have been hearing so many wonderful things about the Aurifil thread I would love to try it for embroidery. Aurifil is my favorite thread for piecing so I’m sure it will be become my favorite for embroidery as well. Thanks for the chance to win!
I just got a new embroidery machine and I am so excited about learning how to embroidery and learn what I need to know…..I’m eager to learn….lead me to it……….
I love Aurafil thread. Have recently started using the #12 for embroidery. Would love to try the Sashiko. Keep up the good work.
Also, I love your new line of fabrics. Can’t wait to see the rest. Also waiting to see your new patterns that were talked about on Bigfoot Bay.
I learned to knit about age 8; cross-stitch and embroidery came along a bit later. I still use the felt needlebook I made in Grade 6 (age 11 or 12), with samples of various stitches on the cover. I took up quilting in my 40s, and have turned to crazy quilting this year with the Crazy Quilt Journal Project (http://cqjp2012.blogspot.com/) and Sharon B’s “Take A Stitch on (a) Tuesday” (TAST – . I use all kinds of thread — whatever suits the purpose. Needle size? Whatever feels comfortable in my hand at the time. :-) As for that box of threads — in a word: “Yummy”!
I usually use DMC. I would like to try Aurafil embroidery thread.
My favorite would have to be cross stitch. I have tried patterns using the different stitches but they really look strange when I do. I’m getting nervous because I’m working on a Baltimore quilt and there is embroidery on it.
I would love to find Cosmos thread but have looked locally without any luck. I have been using Valdani which has been good. I use Aurifil thread in my machine to piece with and LOVE it!
Aurafil thread is wonderful.