Hi! Summer is flying by. I know most of you who live in the north like me are probably spending a lot of time outside and not thinking of working on any quilting or stitchery projects. But, I’ve been working on several wool applique projects and I thought I would share some tips and hacks I use while I am stitching in case you are working on some.
Tip #1: I like to use an array of neutral size 8 perle cotton threads for my stitching. The lighter the applique, the lighter neutral thread I use. You can also use 1 color through out the project for uniformity. You can use a dark thread for the classic “folk art” look.
Tip #2: I store the threads in a small box as you see above. The fun thing about this is I can pull a thread I need, close the box and keep feeding the thread. This is a good thing for those of us who have cats that like to play with our threads!
Tip #3: Related to above, when you pull the thread from these perle cotton balls (I use Valdani brand) you pull the thread from the middle of the ball. Be sure not to cut your thread off too close to the ball as the end could fall back down in the center and you will have to spend extra time trying to find it! Believe me, it happens. I speak from experience.
Tip #4: You can “eyeball” the space between your stitches to make sure they are the distance apart you want, or you can mark lines on your thumb and use them as a guide for spacing!
Simply place your thumb so the first line lines up with the last stitch you made and use the second line as the marking point to start your next stitch!
Tip #5: Keep handy some Roxanne’s Glue Baste-it to secure any appliques that may come loose while you are handling the project. I love this mini Roxanne’s because it fits neatly in the box I use for stitching.
You only need a small dab to secure the piece!
Tip #6: If you do not want to end the stitching by tying a knot, you can turn your project over and feed your needle through a few of the stitches on the back and then clip the end as shown in the photos below:
So those are my tips and hacks for this week! I hope this was helpful to you for your next stitchery project. Until next week …..
Happy Stitching!
Deanne
Love this…