This is a feather I stitched yesterday, I echoed inside as Patsy suggested. I wasn't too happy with it but I had little time to do any more.
I wanted to try some curvy feathers today and so I spent a little time drawing them out on paper to get the designs in my mind's eye. They were beginning to look good and so off I went to the sewing machine!
I thought I would let you see my set up. I have my little pile of quilt sandwiches. A pencil and a flexi curve ruler for drawing the "spine" of the feather. I love using these flexi curves and have a really nice long one which is great for borders. I have a couple of pairs of quilty gloves. One pair, which I cannot find, are made from a knitted fabric and I find them a little too stretchy. I bought these ones a little while ago, a couple of years in fact, when I attended a quilt teaching seminar in Bristol and found them on the Cotton Patch stand. They are cotton with little white dots on the palms/fingers and they fit nice and snuggly. I do like wearing these gloves. I will look out for the gloves DebH recommended.
I have a perspex extension table for the Bernina which helps a lot.
So of I went to the sewing machine having drawn my question mark curve. Oh! my oh! my I completely missed the curve! Not a good start to the day. (I show you each and every one of my samples I don't only show the best!!!) I was hoping to have another try at embellishing a feather but sadly this one wouldn't look good even if I had embellished it.
Undeterred I marked and stitched another one. Thank goodness, this one was better. I have embellished this one as per Patsy's idea. I rather like this one. I watched the DVD which included a feather heart and so I thought since this feather looked quite good I would have a go.
Oh! dear. Feel feel to laugh out loud - I did! I should have watched the DVD before I started, and perhaps I should have tried some pencil drawing but no I dived right in. I didn't even know where to go at the beginning but what the heck I thought I might as well finish it not expecting too much but the experience would be good. It's not so bad really is it? I will get better. I am off to have some lunch and then I shall watch the DVD again and see how these feathered hearts are done. I will post my efforts tomorrow.
Thanks for dropping by.
6 comments:
I"m thinking I might look for the DVD you keep mentioning, as it does seem solid... When I look at your feathers you seem to be making them quite differetnly from the attmepts I've tried (and failed at)... what are the basic order/moves? -- I've always tried made the lopp on the right by moving clockwise, then the loop on the left moving counterclockwise, then moving along the stem to try again....
Your feathers look good to me. It does seem to take practice and continual use to keep the skill.
I am fascinated by your feathers -What size are they? Do you free machine them? No drawing ? THey are brilliant!!
Carol!
Your samples look fabulous! I don't know if you are doing these free hand or what, but they look good!! Besides which, the whole beauty of free machine embroidery is that it is free. YOu want a bit of variation, it adds life.
I admire your perseverance!! FMQ takes lots of practice. Keep up the good work
Looking good, Carol! I have a lot of trouble with these kind of shapes, but I can see that persistent practice is the key to improving. (What a surprise!)
I've found the pencil "patterning" beforehand really does seem to help - it gets the brain going in the right direction.
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