Thread Painting Pumpkin Patch

Thread Painting 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 pieces of 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 fill Medium olive, medium gold, olive/yellow 6. (1) bobbin filled with 60 weight gray bobbin thread 7. Basic sewing supplies 80 Mictotex 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 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 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. Pin any excess fabric and stabilizer toward the hoop. This prevents any excess fabric from getting caught underneath the hoop. 9. 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 Thread Painting Pumpkin Patch Thread # Design Thread color Stitch Width Figure # #1 Underlay Invisible Straight Figure 1 #2 1st pumpkin color Dark orange (shadow) Zigzag 2.0 mm Figure 2 #3 2nd pumpkin color Medium orange Zigzag 2.0 mm Figure 3 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. Underlay See Thread #1 and Figure 1. With the pumpkin facing you move the hoop right to left to underlay the pumpkin. Keep the horizontal lines about 1/8 apart. 4. 1st pumpkin color See Thread #2 and Figure 2. Rotate the hoop so the right side of the pumpkin is on its side. Rotate the hoop slowly right to left following the curve of the pumpkin. 5. 2nd pumpkin color See Thread #3. Using Figure 3 as a reference, stitch a straight line down the center of the pumpkin. This line indicates where the stitching should be straight up and down. With the pumpkin on its right side rotate the hoop in an arc following the shape of the pumpkin to partially fill the right side. 6. Once about half of the right side is complete move to the left side and fill as shown. 7. Continue filling the pumpkin gradually blending the curve of the pumpkin to the straight line down the middle,figures 3 and 4. 3 20011Nancy Prince

Thread # Design Thread color Stitch Figure # #4 2nd shading color Medium gold Straight Figure 4 #5 Highlight Bright yellow Straight Figure 5 #6 Leaf veins 2 & 4 Medium red Straight Figure 5 #7 Leaf veins 1-3-5 Dark rust Straight Figure 5 2nd shading color Leaf 2 Figure 4 Leaf 4 1. 2nd shading color See Thread #4 and Figure 4. Rotate the hoop so the pumpkin is facing you. Using the curved lines of the thread already in place, irregularly thread paint some secondary shading to the top of the pumpkin. The threads at the base of the stem should be concentrated. 2. Highlight on pumpkin See Thread #5. Repeat Step 1 and Figure 5 to highlight the pumpkin. Have some fun and play around a little here. 3. Using Thread #2 and a straight stitch and with the pumpkin facing you, blend more shading into the right side of the pumpkin and where the leaves meet the pumpkin, Figure 5. 4. Using Thread #2 thread paint some curved vertical lines down the center of the pumpkin, See Figure 7. 5. Leaf veins 2 & 4 See Thread #6 and Figure 5. Follow the drawn line to thread paint the vein. Move the hoop slowly. 6. Leaf veins 1-3-5 See Thread #7 and Figure 5. Repeat Step 5 to thread paint the remaining veins. Thread # 2 Leaf 1 Leaf 5 Thread Figure 5 4 2011 Nancy Prince

Thread # Design Thread color Stitch Width Figure # #8 Stem 1st dirt color Medium brown Zigzag 1.5 mm 2.0 mm Figure 7 #9 2nd color dirt Medium rust Zigzag 2.0 mm Figure 7 #10 Leaf colors 1-3-5 Medium olive green Zigzag 1.5 mm Figure 6 #11 Leaf color 2 Medium gold Zigzag 1.5 mm Figure 7 #12 Leaf color #4 Medium olive/yellow Zigzag 1..5 mm Figure 7 #13 Accent Leaf 1-3-5 Dark green Straight Figure 7 Leaf 1 Leaf 1 Figure 6 Leaf 4 Leaf 2 Thread 3 Figure 7 Leaf 5 1. Pumpkin stem & 1st dirt color See Thread #8 and Figure 7. At the stem rotate the hoop so the stem is on its side and move the hoop right to left to fill in the stem. 2. The photos don t show this, but the dirt needs to be thread painted before the leaves are filled. 3. Increase the width to 2.0 mm and with the design facing you move the hoop right to left to thread paint the 1st color dirt working around the leaves. Leave some space for the 2nd dirt color. 4. 2nd dirt color See Thread #9 and Figure 7. Repeat Step 3 this time thread painting in between the stitches already in place. 5. Leaf colors 1-3-5 See Thread #10 and Figure 6. Rotate the hoop so one vein line is parallel to you. Move the hoop slowly right to left to fill in the right side of Leaf 1. Just bump into the center vein line. If you stitch over any of the veins, touch up when the design is complete. 6. Where the leaf meets the body of the pumpkin follow the edge with a small satin stitch. 7. At the 2nd vein again rotate the hoop so the 2nd line is parallel to you and Repeat Steps 5-6. 8. Continue filling the right side of Leaf 1 until you reach the top. Reduce the width at the top if necessary. At the top rotate the hoop until the top vein line of Leaf 1 is parallel to you. 9. Repeat Steps 5-8 until Leaves 1, 3 & 5 are complete. 10. Leaf color 2 - See Thread #11 and Figure 7. Repeat Steps 5-8 to complete the gold color. 11. Leaf color #4 See Thread #12. Repeat Steps 5-8 to complete Leaf 4. 12. Leaves 2 & 4 See Thread #6. Using a straight stitch and a very small hoop movement lightly zigzag around the outside of the leaf, Figure 7. 13. Leaves 1,3, & 5 See Thread #13. Repeat Step 12 to add accent to the outside of Leaves 1, 3 and 5. 14. Evaluate the design and touch up where necessary. 5 20011Nancy 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. Take some soap (bar or hand) and rub it into the design on the front and 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 top and back of the design between your thumb and forefinger. 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. 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. 6