Thread Sketching Pumpkin Patch

Thread Sketching Pumpkin Patch

Supply List 1. Background fabric (1) 9 x9 piece of tone-on-tone fabric 2. Stabilizer (1) 9 x9 piece of clear water soluble stabilizer film such as 4X by Superior 3. (2) 9 x9 piece sof water soluble stabilizer backing such as OESD s Aqua Mesh 4. 6 wooden or plastic embroidery hoop 5. Thread 40 weight polyester or rayon A. Pumpkins Dark & medium orange; medium gold; bright yellow B. Dirt Dark brown & light rust C. Leaf veins Dark rust, medium red D. Leaf outline Medium olive, medium gold, olive/yellow 6. (1) bobbin filled with 60 weight gray bobbin thread 7. Basic sewing supplies 80 Microtex Sharp machine needles, pins, tweezers, etc. 8. Sewing machine with open toe free motion foot Tracing the design onto the stabilizer 1. Center the clear water soluble stabilizer and center on the master pattern. Tape in place. Trace the Pumpkin and leaves. Hooping the design 1. On a flat surface lay the 2 pieces of white stabilizer backing, then the background fabric and the drawing of the pumpkin on top. Pin in place. 2. Unscrew the screw on the hoop and slide the outer ring of the hoop under the 4 layers with the screw assembly at 6 o clock. This will assist in locating the screw. 3. Push the inner ring on top of the drawn on stabilizer until it is secure inside the outer ring. Push down on the inner ring keeping your fingertips on the inner ring. Gently pull the top stabilizer to remove any ripples inside the hoop. Grip the top stabilizer close to the edge of the hoop to keep from stretching it. 4. Work your way around the hoop pulling the top stabilizer until the wrinkles are gone keeping pressure with your fingertips on the inside hoop. 5. Keeping your finger tips on the inner hoop slide the hoop to the edge of the table and tighten the screw about 90 percent. 6. Evaluate and if necessary adjust the top stabilizer until no more ripples are apparent. Tighten the screw all the way down. 7. Pick up the hoop and with your thumbs press down on the inner hoop until about 1/8 of the inner hoop shows on the back side of the hoop. This adds extra tension on the stabilizer. The bottom of the stabilizer sits slightly below the outer hoop. 8. Pull the bobbin thread to the surface, secure a few stitches and cut the thread tails. General Notes 1. For better control reduce the machine speed if possible. 2. Thread paint the design the way it grows. 3. Keep the line you are thread painting parallel to the table edge. 4. Cut the connecting threads when you are done or when they are in the way. Please view Thread Painting Stitches with Attitude for explanation of the differences between the straight and zigzag stitch. 2

Video Workshop Sketching Pumpkin Patch Thread # Design Thread color Stitch Width Figure # #1 1st pumpkin color Dark orange (shadow) Straight Figure 1 #2 2nd pumpkin Medium orange Straight Figure 2 #3 3rd pumpkin color Medium gold Straight Figure 2 #4 4th pumpkin color Bright yellow (highlight) Straight Figure 3 #5 1st dirt color Medium brown Zigzag 2.0 mm Figure 3 Figure 6 Figure 1 Figure 3 Figure 2 1. Before beginning, hand draw a pumpkin on a piece of muslin with a piece of stabilizer backing underneath and hoop up. 2. Practice rotating the hoop to make the curved lines. Practice with the pumpkin facing you and with it lying on its side until you get comfortable rotating the hoop to make the curved lines. 3. 1st pumpkin color See Thread #1 and Figure 1. Start on the left side of the pumpkin and outline the body of the pumpkin jumping over the stem to get to the right side. Outline the right side. 4. Using Figure 1 as a reference rotate the hoop in an arc to form the shading. 5. 2nd pumpkin color See Thread #2. Using Figure 2 as a reference sketch the medium orange arcs on the pumpkin. 6. It is not necessary to follow the lines as I did. Feel free to go on your own to design your own pumpkin. 7. 3rd color pumpkins See Thread #3 and Figure 2. Repeat Step 5 this time sketching the medium gold lines between the lines already in place. Keep this color mostly at the top of the pumpkin. 8. 4th pumpkin color See Thread #4. Using Figure 3 as a reference, sketch the highlight as shown. 9. 1st dirt color See Thread #5 and Figure 3. With the pumpkin facing you move the hoop right to left to sketch the 1st dirt color working around the leaves. 3 20011Nancy Prince

Thread # Design Thread color Stitch Width Figure # #6 2nd dirt color Light rust Zigzag 2.0 mm Figure 4 #7 Leaf veins 1-3-5 Medium rust Straight Figure 4 #8 Outline leaves 1 & 3 Medium olive Straight Figure 4 #9 Leaf veins 2 & 4 Medium orange Straight Figure 5 #10 Outline leaves 2 & 4 Dark orange Straight Figure 5 #11 Outline leaf 5 Dark gold Straight Figure 5 Figure 4 Leaf 1 Leaf 3 Leaf 5 1. 2nd dirt color See Thread #6 and Figure 4. With the dirt area facing you move the hoop right to left this time sketching between the stitches already in place. 2. Leaf veins 1-3-5 - See Thread #7 and Figure 4. Follow the line of the leaf vein and move the hoop very slowly to outline the vein. Leaf 1. Raise the needle and repeat for Leaves #3 and #5. 3. Outline leaves 1& 3 See Thread #8. Follow the outline of the leaf moving the hoop slowly to allow the thread to build up on the line. 4. Leaf veins 2 & 4 See Thread #9 and Figure 5. Repeat Step 2 outlining the veins. 5. Outline leaves 2 & 4 See Thread #10 Repeat Step 3 to outline the leaves. 6. Outline leaf 5 See Thread #11. Repeat Step 3 to outline Leaf 5. Figure 5 Leaf 4 Leaf 2 4 2011 Nancy Prince

Removing the Stabilizer from the Fabric 1. Remove the project form the hoop. 2. Cut away the top and bottom stabilizers to within 1/2 of the design. Be cautions don t cut into the fabric. 3. Run water over the design. As the water breaks the stabilizer down, it turns the stabilizer into goo. 4. Continue rinsing the design under running water until all the goo is gone from the front and back. 5. Rub some soap (bar or hand) into the design on the back. The soap will help to break down the stabilizer trapped inside the stitches. 6. Place the project into a sink of cold water and fabric softener (1 part fabric softener to 3 parts water) and let soak for about an hour. 7. Rub the back of the design between with your fingers. If your fingers are tacky, the project needs to soak longer. Change the water and continue soaking until there is no more tackiness and the stabilizer is out. 8. Leaving any residue in the design will leave it stiff so try and get all the stabilizer out. 9. Blot and allow to air dry. Press from the back to remove any wrinkles. 10. Use a pressing cloth over the thread if you want to press from the top. Don t press right on the thread. For more of Nancy s thread painting projects and free thread painting videos click on this link - www.nancyprince.com Nancy s email address is nancy@nancyprince.com Copyright 2011 Nancy Prince. All Rights Reserved. Written permission is required to copy and/or distribute copies of these instructions or patterns, whether or not you profit from it. Photocopying, digitizing and all other copying to share these instructions or patterns is strictly prohibited by law. Thank you for respecting the designer s copyright. Website: www.nancyprince.com * email: Nancy@nancyprince.com. 5