Category Archives: Digitizing

November 20, 2023 · 11:38 am

Christmas Decorations

Free Standing Lace Star from Urban Threads (Design UT21424)

I thought I would make some Christmas decorations using free standing lace – I have made a couple of these before. This time I have bought some Christmas decoration hangers from Amazon and I will turn them into decorations and give as gifts (small tokens).

I am using two sheets of water soluble stabiliser (the one above is like paper, but I am also using the film version). Embroidery thread (Robinson Anton Candy Apple Red) on top and in the bobbin. I have slowed my machine down to 500 s/min so these take a long time, but they look good.

A short clip of the stitch out because I find it mesmerising.

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July 15, 2023 · 11:10 am

Machine Embroidery – Blackwork

My plan is to cover a wooden box with embroidery – something like this one. Because I don’t know how well this is going to go, I am doing my first attempt with machine embroidery (the above took 35 minutes).

I am using a design from Embroidery Library. I am stitching on linen using sewing machine thread and a cutaway medium weight stabiliser.

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July 1, 2023 · 2:46 pm

Zipper Bag

New Zipper Bag from Pixie Willow Patterns

It’s school holidays here, which means no students for a couple of weeks, so I have set my embroidery machine up on my desk.

The design is from Pixie Willow Patterns. The instructions were good and it was easy to put together (it did take me a couple of hours).

My corners aren’t very crisp and I wish I had done the stitching down of the background in black, but I am sure I will make another one and I will do that then.

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Filed under Applique, Digitizing, Embroidery, Fabric Stash, Machine Embroidery

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May 16, 2023 · 6:57 am

The Quilt is Finished!

Sampler Quilt is finally finished

I have decided that this is my year to get things finished. I have finished my Gingerbread House and now (finally) I have finished Miss A’s Sampler quilt. I started working on this in 2013, so only ten years in the making.

I used my embroidery machine to do the foundation piecing, which mean digitising and testing each block, and I had a smaller hoop then, so each block was four smaller blocks that then had to be joined. Anyway this quilt stopped me quilting altogether.

I made each block completely, front, batting, backing and quilting and then joined the blocks using a zig-zag-stitch (and covered the stitching with bias binding).

The next project on my to be finished list, is Miss P’s blanket.

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Filed under Digitizing, Foundation Blocks, Free Motion Quilting, Patchwork, Quilting

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September 30, 2019 · 1:40 pm

Making embroidered Fabric

Embroidering on Silk Dupion

I oiled my machine (a Janome 500e). I had been putting it off because it seemed a complicated business, but in the end it was fine. Just read the instructions and do one step at a time. And I am sure next time it will be even easier.

I was keen to use it after that. I have been wanting to make embroidered fabric – that I could then use on another project, so I decided now was the time. I used one motif from Graceful Embroidery (Dainty Vines collection) and I copied it and rotated it until I was happy with the layout (I used Embird).

Finished version

I am going to make a zipper pouch out of it – need to make fabric for the second side.

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February 20, 2017 · 3:13 pm

Blackwork

Blackwork Sampler

I have always been fascinated by the idea of blackwork – particularly the more pictorial versions …

Dodo is from the Royal School of Needlework and Fish from needlenthread.com

but even the samplers appeal to me…

I have done a bit with my machine…

Finished Sampler

But never anything by hand. So when it was suggested at my embroidery class I was eager to give it a go.

The tricky bit for me is thinking about the path the stitches should follow before starting (I believe the aim is to have the back similar to the front because you don’t want shadows appearing on the front).

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Filed under Canvas Work, Digitizing, Machine Embroidery

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November 24, 2016 · 3:54 pm

A Return to Digitising

My new design

My new design

I know the above image doesn’t look like much, but this is going to be my new zip pouch. I measured my phone – because it is important my phone fits in – and then designed it around that measurement.

It will be lined and the front below the zip will have embroidery (although that might have to be done before rather than during the process of making this bag.

It takes a long time to digitise anything – even something as simple as this (it is essentially rectangles and straight lines).

I have this silk I want to use …

Silk!

But perhaps I need an allover design?

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September 12, 2016 · 12:44 pm

Silk!

Silk!

Silk!

Every friday afternoon Miss P goes to a different primary school than her usual one. This different school is in a suburb a long way from ours – well outside my comfort zone. I don’t know where anything is or even what there is to do. There is no point in coming home after dropping her off, so I have been exploring.

Last week I put ‘fabric stores’ into Google Maps and surprisingly there was one 7 minutes away! Fabulous Fabrics! It was fabulous – so many beautiful fabrics – the beaded ones were amazing.

I bought 2 metres of silk – the pinkish one (called peony) and an ivory one.

I plan to make an embroidered evening bag/clutch thing. I want to use some of the designs from here – I just need to decide if I want an allover design or individual designs.

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June 21, 2016 · 3:26 pm

Slow Quilt Progress

Two more blocks of the sampler quilt quilted

Two more blocks of the sampler quilt quilted

I have found a bit of renewed enthusiasm for this quilt. So 11 down and 37 more to go…

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Filed under Digitizing, Patchwork, Sewing

June 9, 2016 · 2:34 pm

Journal Cover – Machine Embroidery

Journal Cover - Front

Journal Cover – Front

Journal Cover - Open

Journal Cover – Open

Journal Cover - Inside

Journal Cover – Inside

This is my first attempt at constructing a book cover in the hoop. There were three hoopings; front, back and then joining them together. It works quite well – I am happy with the size – it could do with a bit of top stitching around the edges (but that would have to happen afterwards and not in the hoop). I have joined the two halves using a wide zig-zag and then hidden that under a grosgrain ribbon. This bit doesn’t work so well, so I am thinking of other options – bias binding or an embroidered strip – plus I think the cover of the zig-zag needs to be a bit wider.

I put a silk dupion to use with my canvas work. I am still thinking about the best way of inserting the canvas work – I don’t want any raw edges showing.

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