Friday 25 May 2018

Wrapping up

It struck me recently that this blog could be a good place to share information on techniques that we come across in the course of creating our quilts.  I know that there are several techniques that my fellow Endeavourers have used that I would love to know more about!

Today on my blog I have shared my first attempt at creating a machine wrapped cord and it seemed like that might be something that could easily be incorporated into a spiral themed quilt, so I thought that I would share the technique here too.

My original introduction to the technique was at an embroidery workshop I attended in February when we were trying our hands at quilting with paper. This example of a tree bark inspired piece showcased the use of the machine wrapped cords very effectively.

To create my own machine wrapped cord I started off with this length of cord that was either a bag handle in a former life or was the leftovers from some piping!

I used a turquoise thread in the bobbin throughout this experiment but alternated between the three threads above to create a variegated effect for my cord.

With the machine set to a standard zigzag stitch I dropped the feed dogs and pulled the cord through the machine whilst stitching. At times when the cord was more difficult to pull through each thread colour would bunch up but for me that only added to the overall effect.

As you can see after a few passes through the sewing machine I ended up with a tightly wrapped and variously coloured cord. Although this actual cord is intended for another beach themed embroidery I am sure that you can see how it might work very well on a spiral-themed piece :)


10 comments:

  1. I've seen cords like this, but never new how they were created. This cord is pretty. Your color choices certainly have a beachy feel. Thanks for posting here.
    xx, Carol

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    1. I would never have known either Carol if I hadn't been at the workshop but now I want to make lots of them :)

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  2. Thanks for sharing this tip - you made me want to have a go!

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    1. That's exactly how I felt Catherine when I saw this being done at the workshop!

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  3. God sure made us all different, I would never thought of something like that. Very interesting and I too like the colors.

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    1. Tonia, I would never have attempted this either if I hadn't seen it demonstrated :)

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  4. The more I look at it I see a tree trunk.

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    1. It is a wonderful piece isn't it? Seeing examples of techniques we will be using in workshops is always part of the fun for me.

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  5. Thank you for sharing this, Fiona. I love your cord and I never would dreamt of trying to make it that way. I think we'll all be making these now :)

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  6. I always enjoy learning how something has been made. Even if I don't wind up repeating it, I can understand it. It all adds to our knowledge base. Thanks for sharing here.

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