Stitching on microfiber

Experimenting is a huge part of my quilterly vocabulary.

Microfiber is soft, durable, washable & quiltable.  I prefer wool as I quilt with microfiber as it is low loft & pliable.

When I lift the presser foot on my machine there is only so much room so a regular size embroidery hoop doesn’t quite fit and trying to fiddle with it & adjust fabric is challenging at best.  Bernina makes a hoop that fits under the presser foot easily and fits easily in the size of the harp.

I started playing with microfiber, a variety of thread and the hoop.

I treated each hooping to different quilting stitches just to see how the thread play works without batting. 

I’d wanted to try making the peacock feather as a different style.  I like the color play with the variegated thread.  I’ve been trying to master stitching out feathers from the top down…not quite successful just yet, but I’ll get there.  I’ve been practicing on paper too, there’s just something visually I’m not quite getting yet.  

As I stitch I keep mental notes of how the thread is playing.  I also found my self starting to count the stitches and thinking how I can control where the color ends up.  Sounds odd I know but, it was fun to see how well I might be able to control the color placement.

I started with that light orange center in the midst of the blue, it’s silk and it sinks into the microfiber so well that seeing the stitching design wasn’t happening.  Changing the weight & fiber made such a huge difference.

I thought too of the curved cross hatching that Karen McTavish & Ronda Beyer love so much.  The rulers for marking the quilt top would make this so much easier.  I used the side of my foot and just winged it.   Their book & video are fantastic!

Once I was done playing I decided to make a zippered tote.  I’ll update the blog in the morning with a photo.

Happy quilting!

Teri