Thinkable Threads

A quick hot mat project for myself this weekend to celebrate the poppies in the garden.

This project has been put on pause so many times but I finally am putting the last pieces together. Next is thread painting, them some free motion quilting.

I haven’t posted many of the gift projects I have been creating, so here are my Christmas hot mats. These were really an excuse to practice free-motion doodles! I can’t seem to get the colour correct on the smokey black mat, but the stitching shows.

I can’t tell you how many years I have wanted an large ironing station! I am so thrilled and it was such an easy build. This top can be added to a wood storage base later on, or just kept on top of my old folding board as is. I have a perfectly “good” iron, but this “Chi” is the ultimate Cadillac with so many more steam holes and it has been on my wish list for several years. I am feeling extremely spoiled!

It is practice night with a little free motion sketching. This is why I keep old bed sheets and mattress pads. They make perfect practice materials!

Project completed! This 8”x10” piece was an exercise in a number of techniques. I wanted to create a background fabric using a “watercolour” style of blocks. My main intention with the crocuses was to practice, practice, and practice thread painting. I also wanted to try mounting the finished piece onto a canvas. All these goals were challenging but I learned a lot along the way.

This is one of my challenge pieces from a few months ago. I was playing with texture, value and free motion pebbles. Anyone who knows me will tell you I have an obsession for rocks! It’s not my favourite piece, but I learned a lot in the process.

Nothing gently suggests the end of winter like snow drops. I made this piece in the early spring as a challenge to create a pieced background rather than using whole cloth. I am very happy with the result. The subject has subtle thread painting. To finish the 5” x 7” piece I chose a matted glass frame instead of binding, which explains the slight glare in the photo.

My latest little work in progress, a mini beach scene. This week’s goal “Don’t over analyze, just let go and see where you go”. I am still slowly adding texture before the thread work. Anyone who knows me well knows I LOVE to rock-hound at the beach!

Weekend doodles: A practice in thread sketching and painting with a Black-Capped Chickadee, one of my favourite interior birds. My biggest challenge is accepting that learning and practicing means letting go of expectations of perfection. It’s hard to put process ahead of end results. Sometimes these projects feel more like therapy than sewing! 😂