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Thursday, July 29, 2010

Wooden Spools


This is one of the two pieces I made for the current (August/September issue) of Quilting Arts magazine.  My article is on adding dimension using thread. I started out with a background of pale pink, then fused the spools down, and thread sketched the spools and the shadows, using a crosshatching technique (stitching in several directions to build up the darkness/value of the shadows):

The thread on the spools was constructed with fused pieces of fabric in the same color, but different values before I stitched real thread on top:

Once I was done, I realized that I needed to establish a horizon line, because it looked like the spools were floating in space, so I painted the upper part of the background a darker pink, using acrylic paint.
If you like this piece and would like to stitch one of your own, you can get my line drawing pattern on the Quilting Arts website. Just join the Quilting Arts community (for free) and go to “Free Stuff” and then the “Online Extras” section. There you will find several of my free patterns for pieces I’ve done for my thread sketching articles. 

And of course, pick up a copy of the August/September issue of Quilting Arts magazine for lots more information on adding dimension to your work with thread sketching. It should be on newsstands soon, and on its way to subscribers’ mailboxes now. Or you can purchase it on the Quilting Arts/Interweave website.

5 comments:

  1. I was just reading the article as I had my coffee. Very nice.

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  2. Thanks so much, Ruth Anne! I'm glad you enjoyed my article.

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  3. These pictures you do are truly awesome!

    Darlis

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  4. Fun looking project. I'll have to try it :)

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  5. i read this article just this morning too while sipping coffee and listening to my chickens scrabble about the yard.love Wooden Spools and the hips on the roses...your art work is super. (Pat gave me her supreme slider that she barely used in her class taught last month .it is a great help to machine guided free motion quilting i agree, even on my mature and revamped Bernina 850 Record.) you rock!

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