This is the beginning.
think, Karen, think...speed on the machine, move hands slower.
ah-tension, ah-tension, ah-tension, pay ah-tension
i'm certain that one day my signature will sell for mega-thousands of dollars on ebay...and you can say 'you knew me when' :)
i traced this from Sue Nickels' book on machine quilting onto a tissue paper made for quilting that I picked up in Paducah last year. the crunch of the paper while stitching annoyed me but it was nice to have the guide to remind me to look ahead versus looking at the needle. scrapping the paper made a mess too but it came off just fine.
i like the size stitches at the top half of the picture...this is a question for those who submit to juried shows-when quilting a large piece how important is it to have stitch length of equal size throughout the quilt?
I like the size on these stitches. And I can see where practicing daily would help me with designs. I'm so challenged to keep a pattern in mind's eye long enough to keep repeating it. I start out with small loops and then they get bigger and bigger...start out with curves that end as wonky lines...i guess its all about control and focus, eh?
Don't forget to doodle on paper every chance you get. I see you are a graduate of the chicago school of fusing. So welcome to a short course in Mary Beth's post doc in doodling. Fill sheets and every surface of paper with designs without lifting your pen or pencil. That's what you want yourself to do with a sewing machine too. Make some designs purposeful - leaf HERE start THERE - and some just let meander around and interact with themselves and each other. Have fun. You're totally on the path because you've already proven to yourself that you are getting better with practice. Ask questions if you've got them.
ReplyDeleteCheers! And thanks for the encouragement to be snarky to BK.
I can do patterns, but I've never been brave enough to try my own name!
ReplyDeleteKaroda,
ReplyDeleteThe unbalanced stitches indicate a loss of balanced tension between the top and bottom threads. In the case shown, the top thread is lying flat on the surface and the bobbin thread is pulling up.
When this begins to happen it can mean several things, though I've found usually the top thread has slipped out of the tension disc or there is a bit of dust in the bobbin area. Time to stop for a second, check the way the top thread is threaded in the machine, and maybe check your bobbin. I had one machine once that did this same thing every time a bobbin was running low...