Stitch

Re: Stitching into cloth paper

defling — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 23:29:25 GMT

I have had no problem with sewing on fabric paper. I made some with several layers of tissue paper, glue and paint, quilted it with Superior HiLights thread ( it's a polyester) and probably a needle no larger than a 90 either a microtex or embroidery. I used Superior bottom line thread in the bobbin. I did another piece that had torn bits of paper applied with glue, painted tyvek and painted fabric fused with wonder under. my sample piece used a heavy weight thread and a 90 needle, and I was not happy with the size of the holes, so on the for real piece I used Superior bottom line thread on the top and bottom. I don't remember any significant tension adjustments. I live on the east coast of Florida, so it's plenty humid here, but we do run our air conditioner which surely helps with the humidity. Here's a photo of the daylily quilt. When I discovered Beryl's process, I dug in my ufo's and found a daylily I had made in a Phil Beaver workshop, and fused it to the paper background. I wish I could help you more.

Susan

Re: Stitching into cloth paper

Jody Johnson — Sat, 16 May 2009 03:45:24 GMT

Hi Judi,

I rarely have either my top or my bottom threads snap on me. As well, I find I don't have as much lint build-up in the bobbin area with the bobbin threads. I do find I need to loosen my top tension as Dale does to keep my bobbin thread from popping through. The only time tend to use cotton in the bobbin is when I piece and then I use 60 weight 100% cotton in my top and bottom.

Re: Stitching into cloth paper

Kelli Nina Perkins — Fri, 15 May 2009 11:33:14 GMT

do you use a variety of mediums to do different sheets of cloth paper or do you have one mix you prefer? I tend to use what's on hand- some days it's Elmer's, some days it's matte liquid medium.

I use Aleene's Tacky Glue, diluted well with water and I make a bunch of sheets all at once, then color them later. I do use gel medium as a surface treatment for a collaging additional elements on the top!

Re: Stitching into cloth paper

Approachable Art — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:48:03 GMT

Kelli Nina Perkins:

When I make cloth/paper, it has a wide variety of densities and textures...

I'm curious, do you use a variety of mediums to do different sheets of cloth paper or do you have one mix you prefer? I tend to use what's on hand- some days it's Elmer's, some days it's matte liquid medium.

Can't wait for your new book, congrats!! And thanks for the reply. Every post I read on these forums furthers my education. :D

Re: Stitching into cloth paper

Approachable Art — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:44:47 GMT

Jody Johnson:

I didn't even think of talking about what I use in the bobbin before. I love love love using invisafil by Wonderfil too or The Bottom Line by Libby Lehman - Superior Threads. Both of these are very fine and reduce bulky build-up underneath with heavy quilting/embroidery/thread painting.

These sound interesting to use as bobbin threads... do you find they have a good tensile strength? I'm a big one for snapping threads. LOL

Jody Johnson:
As well, I now keep a stock of wound bobbins with several basic colours (white, cream, sage, tan, blue, brown, black) so I don't need to worry about winding a bobbin mid-way through a project or even at the beginning.

I do this, too... makes for an easier afternoon at the machine. ;)

Thanks so much, Jody!

Re: Stitching into cloth paper

Dale Kathryn — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:30:19 GMT

Thanks Jody - you took the thread right off of my bobbin! My reasons exactly!

Since I loosen the top tension slightly, I don't usually have a problem with the bobbin thread showing. The embroidery bobbin came with my machine embroidery unit, but I use it for free motion too.

Re: Stitching into cloth paper

Kelli Nina Perkins — Thu, 14 May 2009 19:31:29 GMT

I've been doing sooooo much stitching on cloth/paper this last year, as it's the subject of my book which comes out in October (Stitch Alchemy) ! However, I don't talk much about the vagaries of stitching in the book--it's more surface treatments and projects.

I use a denim needle and replace it often. I've just started using bobbin thread and LOVE it. It seems less likely to snarl or break for me. Tension is a biggie. When I make cloth/paper, it has a wide variety of densities and textures, so I have to readjust my tension a lot, depending on the pieces I'm using. It helps to have some scraps of the very stuff you'll be stitching so you can run a practice line and check the underside. I do almost exclusively free motion stitching and lots of it.

Kelli

Re: Stitching into cloth paper

Jody Johnson — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:07:33 GMT

I didn't even think of talking about what I use in the bobbin before. I love love love using invisafil by Wonderfil too or The Bottom Line by Libby Lehman - Superior Threads. Both of these are very fine and reduce bulky build-up underneath with heavy quilting/embroidery/thread painting. I rarely, if ever now, match my top thread to my bobbin thread when doing these techniques and use these threads in the bobbin no matter what I am using in the top (poly, rayon, cotton). I tend to pick a colour that closely matches the thread I am using for the top to minimize its visibility.

When mixing thread weights in the bobbin and top I will test, test, test using the fabric and batting in my project until I get the top tension right. I re-test when I change thread colours (top) even if I am using the same brand just to make sure.

Another benefit is that you can wind a pile of thread on a bobbin and it seems like you can quilt forever without having to change your bobbin out. I HATE changing my bobbin!!!!!! As well, I now keep a stock of wound bobbins with several basic colours (white, cream, sage, tan, blue, brown, black) so I don't need to worry about winding a bobbin mid-way through a project or even at the beginning.

Hope this helps. I am curious to hear if Dale's reason for using the invisifil in the same as mine.

Re: Stitching into cloth paper

Approachable Art — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:24:40 GMT

Dale, thank you for the advice! I've been using a topstitch lately and am liking the results. I've been either using 60wt bobbin thread or the same thread as in the needle... is there a reason you like the 100wt best? I've not heard of an embroidery bobbin case for my machine, not sure there is one, but I'll ask at the quilt store the next time I'm in there, thank you! :D

Re: Stitching into cloth paper

Dale Kathryn — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:19:50 GMT

When I am artsy-quilty sewing I start out with an embroidery needle and change to metallic or topstitch if I'm not getting the results I expect. I also usually use Invisafil 100wt bobbin thread and the embroidery bobbin case for my machine and loosen the top tension a bit.

Approachable - for every problem, there's a solution. For every solution, there's a problem! :D

Re: Stitching into cloth paper

Approachable Art — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:29:30 GMT

FibreReaction:

I do use the recommended bobbins for the machine.

I learned the hard way with my old machine that not using the proper bobbin is deadly to the thread/needs/fabric/paper you're using. I went through horrible angst and frustration using an old Singer bobbin that LOOKED just like every other bobbin in my kit. I can't tell you how many materials I demolished in the process. Finally, the repair man at the shop told me what the problem was. I changed bobbins and poof, no more problems!

Re: Stitching into cloth paper

FibreReaction — Wed, 13 May 2009 10:50:32 GMT

Approachable Art:

Which brings me to another question (there are always 1000 for every 10 I get answers to LOL)... when you wind your bobbins, do you like to run the machine faster? Slower?

Actually, I don't pay that much attention to speed of winding. ggg All I do look at is to see that its winds evenly. I'd only wind slowly if using a mnofilament thread, as that can stretch. I do use the recommended bobbins for the machine. I have a Bernina which uses metal bobbins, and whilst you can buuy plastic ones which appear to fit, I think the actual weight of them is important for the machine to operate properly. I have actually wound a plastic bobbin and had it explode, it was like a streamer this cascade of thread spewed out!!!

Not sure how you lift the bobbin thread with your machine.. but mine its a quick tap on the foot pedal whilst holding the top thread... however, 9/10 I do it manually, and turn the flywheel, by hand.

Cleaning the machine, I was meaning about the fascia where the thread runs - but a quilting friend told me you should clean the machine for every 2 hours of stitching!!! I'm not that good, but paper dust will build up quickly - and let me tell you, a black blob of lint will always firmly weld itself to your work, especially when the background is white!!!

Oh and I was told not to move the machine around the house, apparently they like to settle in to a room and its temperature, and don't take kindly to moving - which is why if you take them out on a workshop they can suddenly misbehave. I also switch my machine on a soon as I know I'm going to sew that day - even its not til an hour later, and I leave it on until I'm finished for the day. I don't know if it actually needs this, but its harmless, and seems to be happy to go when I am

Re: Stitching into cloth paper

Approachable Art — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:35:34 GMT

FibreReaction:
Have you cleaned the face of your machine where the thread runs? Don't squirt anythig direct onto it - you can buy sewing machine cleaners, but a furniture polish with silicone in it will do. Squirt it onto a cloth and then rub all around, also on the bed of the machine. I also use baby wipes or a really wrung out soapy cloth.

It's only a few months old but I've had it apart a few times to clean the dust and debris out of it.

FibreReaction:
When you're free-machining, do you bring up the bobbin thread to the top before you start, so that both threads are on the top?

I always used to do that with my old machine but I'm finding it difficult to nearly impossible to do it with this top load bobbin. I'm not sure what the difficulty is with that, still exploring it.

FibreReaction:
Sometimes threads can seem too tightly wound on the spools, I've had them where they seem not to flow so well, or suddenly a mass drops off the spool and tangles on the spindle. So I wind them off onto a bobbin and use that on the top.

Which brings me to another question (there are always 1000 for every 10 I get answers to LOL)... when you wind your bobbins, do you like to run the machine faster? Slower?

Thanks so much for taking the time to write your post. :D

Re: Stitching into cloth paper

FibreReaction — Tue, 12 May 2009 08:16:09 GMT

Hi - I stitch a lot onto paper - you need a backing for it of some kind of 'fabric' as the thread needs somethign to grip to. Its not so much the size of the needle which matters as changing them frequently, as paper blunts needles, much like scissors blunt with frequent paper use.

Have you cleaned the face of your machine where the thread runs? Don't squirt anythig direct onto it - you can buy sewing machine cleaners, but a furniture polish with silicone in it will do. Squirt it onto a cloth and then rub all around, also on the bed of the machine. I also use baby wipes or a really wrung out soapy cloth.

When you're free-machining, do you bring up the bobbin thread to the top before you start, so that both threads are on the top? Do that and hold them in your fingers for the first few stitches, to stop them getting dragged back underneath. Its often if the bobbin thread is left n the underside that it can jam up.

Sometimes threads can seem too tightly wound on the spools, I've had them where they seem not to flow so well, or suddenly a mass drops off the spool and tangles on the spindle. So I wind them off onto a bobbin and use that on the top.

Hope that helps

Re: Stitching into cloth paper

Approachable Art — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:54:14 GMT

Jody, thank you so much for the advice and for a heads-up on that amazing site. I can see I'll be spending a lot of time there, learning. :D I will try an embroidery needle and the next time I head into my local quilt shop (my second favorite place in the world), I will check for the stretch needle you speak of. Thanks again! :D