NEW PIECE - CITY CAT + BOBBIN WORK TUTORIAL - 2

This is a detail of my new piece City Cat. This was created for the "Tampered With Show" at Paper Images Gallery in Picton which will run in June.
After using a facing to make a round hole in my quilt, I strung some washers in the hole using Wonderfill Dazzle, the same thread That I used in the bobbin in the whole piece.
You may wonder how I kept things in place while stitching, and yes you do have to do this by hand.
I used painer's masking tape to hold the sections of the washer in place as I worked around the circle with my stitching. because it is a low tack tape it doesn't gum up the thread and it is easy to reposition.

There he is in all his glory.The horizontal lines are done with 7 mm. silk ribbon in the bobbin. It is lovely and soft and worth the time that it takes to wind by hand.I bought this from Anita who was at our Art in the Islands retreat . As you make the stitch length longer, the finished result becomes wider.
I have also used a hand dyed cotton which worked very well.

BOBBIN WORK 2
Ii you tried it , you may come into a few problems. Here are some hints.

1.If you have trouble getting the bobbin thread up to the top of your work, make a small hole with a tailor's awl and then use that hole to bring up the thread. Works every time.

2.If the top thread breaks, go to a polyester as it is stronger. Generally cotton will work with cotton, but rayon thread is more delicate and you may have to use a polyester to bring up the bobbin thread.

3. In lesson one we put the thread through the tension. Now try the same excersize with the thread out of the bobbin tension. In top loading machine you put the bobbin in and then leave the thread hanging then bring it up through the throat plate of your machine. In bottom loading machines, you will pass the bobbin thread thruogh the larger hole and then bring it up.
This will give you a looser look.

Have fun and remember if your machine makes a funny noise, stop, your machine may not like what you are doing . If everything checks out with your machine,forge ahead. Just experiment and you will learn what works foryou and your machine.

YOU CAN BE AT ONE WITH YOUR MACHINE!!!