Good frosty morning to you, my friends. It's 26°F here this morning...our coldest morning yet, I think. Looking at our forecast, we barely get above freezing even at our high temperatures during the coming week. We've seen snow in the forecast, but now, only rain. I don't see how we can have those temperatures and not get snow. Time will tell I guess.
Since I finished up the Domestic Affairs block yesterday, I needed something new to stitch. As I mentioned in a previous post, my embroidery dance card has reached the "short" project, and Bernie and his mittens are up next. He'd fit right in here in Oregon today.
The thread-painting was mostly finished when I went to work. When I was finished with the sections that used regular thread, I wanted to add some sparkle to a certain element by using some metallic thread.
Quite some time ago, I picked up some metallic threads with I visited the Superior Threads booth at a quilt show. I had in mind a particular project at the time: I wanted to quilt snowflakes on the Quilting Snowladies quilt. Here's the finished quilt.
It was rehomed at some point in time, but I forget where it went. Here's a close-up of one of the blocks where I used metallic thread.
So, I haven't tried these again since my previous failed attempt. I decided I'd give them another try. Notice in the image above how the thread is flat, rather than round. They are a mylar thread, and so they bring a whole new level of frustration to the metallic thread game. In the intervening years, I've worked more with metallic threads and I've figured out some tricks to improve the chances of success.
Okay, so I took a deep breath and tried it on a small area of my quilt. Of course, it broke approximately every five stitches. I despaired that I would be able to use it, but then decided to give the Sewer's Aid trick a try. I put a bead of Sewer's Aid from top to bottom on the spool, and then massaged it in with my fingers. Then I rubbed the residue from my fingers onto the sewing machine needle. After that, my problems disappeared, and the thread behaved beautifully. Here's a little peek. What could it possibly be???
It's a walking day for me. I might wait for the temperature to warm up some before getting outside, or I might decide to enter the Chamber of Horrors and walk on the treadmill. It all depends on how much of a glutton for punishment I am today. After doing that thread-painting, my tolerance for punishment is waning.
11 comments:
Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas. ~ Henry Ford
The threads look really nice, very nice shimmer. Worth the effort to make them work. Enjoy your NBSS day. I'm wrapping what's left of the Christmas gifts with hopes that there is time left over for stitching later.
Hope you had a good walk today, with no surprise slippery spots. Can't wait to see your challenge project all done.
We are at 11 degrees currently and that is expected to be the high for today with the next few days even colder. But the sun is shining on our fresh snow, and the wind is not howling so it's all good.
I have some metallic threads I would love to use but like yours they broke or shredded. You mentioned Sewer Aid product, so inquiring minds want to know what it is. I’ve never heard of it before but willing to try anything to able to use metallics.
I’m a big fan of the glitter thread, but also had issues of breaking, until I saw a video on YouTube. Needle size and way how to let the thread unwind from the spool was my problem. So just google Demonstrating Glitter Hologram Thread on YouTube to see what I mean, and I hope it works for you too.
I would love to learn to use metallic thread. I am going to check out your link to working with those threads. My go-to computer guy was trying to help me with my email this morning and I send you another email, Barbara, about the Heartland Barns pattern. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you got it!
Just set up a large screen tv in front of your exercise machine and play some nature programs. That should make it less torturous for you.
I've been trying to use those glitter threads for YEARS and have never been able to get them to work. Thanks for the silicone tip. I will give it a try because I really want to be able to use these on my fabric postcards.
I'm so glad you got the metallic thread figured out. i've never tried it in my sewing machine, I'm a little intimidated by it. Plus, I don't have much! Hope you enjoyed a nice walk!
The Superior Threads worked for me. Part of the reason is the thread spool is wider so the metallic thread isn’t so tightly wound. Sewers Aid came into my life years ago. One bottle lasts a long while. I think I’m on my third bottle after 15 years. The trick for me, is to reduce any twists in the thread and a lubricant. The needle eye also needs to be a little bigger. And yes, the spool needs to unwind from the side. If top pulled you put a curl in the thread which might be cause trouble later down the line. There are thread lubricant holders that you can put on your machine is another option to add lubricant before going into your tension discs. There are also add on thread guides to keep the thread from twisting.
It seems you have found your set of tricks to make your machine use metallics. BTW I gave all my Sulky metallics away as they came off the spool like tightly wound pigs tails. The lubricant only helped a little.
Metallic and invisible threads are a bear to work with. I find they leap out of the guide on my machine no matter what I do and then they snarl and break. And then I'm the one snarling. I got some Sewer's Aid on your recommendation and of course managed to forget I had it. Doesn't do much good in the bottle does it.
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