Threadpainting Workshop
The thread painting workshop will begin with a series of skill-building exercises. Participants will be able to choose from one of three kits: the Autumn Leaf, Hibiscus, or Blue Bird. See pictures above.
Student Supply List:
Sewing machine in good working order. I recommend you bring the sewing machine you are most familiar with and that you have had recently serviced. In this workshop, we will be running our sewing machines at a rapid speed for extended periods. This is tough for many machines to sustain, and if a machine is not feeling well, it may hiccup, make thread nests, and otherwise mis-behave. This happens more often when students bring their “workhshop” or “travel” machine. I know it’s more cumbersome to bring your ‘good’ machine, but I want each student to have a good workshop experience. If you have both straight-stitch and zig-zag throat plates, bring the zig-zag plate.
1 package size 14 Topstitch needles
Free-motion embroidery foot, similar Bernina’s #34 foot. A clear plastic quilting foot is OK. I want you to be able to see exactly where the needle is landing so you can achieve crisp edges. (see photo below)
50 weight, 2 play (e.g., 50/2) thead in all the colors you can see in an Autumn Leaf, including 2-3 reds, 2-3 yellows, 2-3 oranges, mossy and bright greens, a medium/dark brown, plus colors for the background (sample has a blue and white stripe, but I’ve seen a picket fence, and it could be anything from a single solid color to polka-dots, to “echo-quilting” like lines (Roy Lichtenstein, anyone?) etc – if you want to try something unexpected, I’m happy to help you!
nb: I like and use Aurifil thread. It is low lint, and the finished work has a really nice, soft sheen. Mettler, Metrosene, and Gutermann are also fine. If you have a large stash of shiny embroidery thread and you like the look of it, have experience working with it, and want to use it, that’s fine, but personally I do not care for the way it looks, and so have no experience working with it.
5-7 bobbins, loaded with about a third of the colors you are bringing