Paintstik Tutorials

PaintstiksI posted a video the other day demonstrating how to embellish using paintstiks. I’ve also just found some terrific tutorials and projects you can do using paintstiks.

First stop should be Cedar Canyon Textiles – The Paintstik Place where you’ll find all sorts of information about paintstiks. Stop by their Learning Center for lessons, tutorials and videos.

Fembellish also has a few nice tutorials and projects demonstrating how to use paintstiks – Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

And if that isn’t enough, you can find instructions and a project on the Stitch website.

I think by the time you’re done with all this information, you should have a really good idea about all the different ways you can use paintstiks – get creative and have some fun with it!

This post is part of the 30 Days of Titivations; a 30 day blogathon all about embellishing and embellishments.

You can find lots of free embellishment tutorials in the tutorials section of my blog which can be found here, and even more techniques can be found on my Titivations DVD. Please visit the Instructional DVD section of the store for full details.

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Machine Needlelace

If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, then you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of machine needlelace. I love using it for all sorts of things …

Decorative elements such as the center of this sunflower;

Machine Needlelace

Abstract floral embellishments …

Machine Needlelace

Filling for cutwork designs on appliques …

Machine Needlelace

And cutwork designs on quilts …

Machine Needlelace

Embellishments such asleaves, flowers, beads …

Machine Needlelace

Soft edges on art quilts …

Machine Needlelace

And lots of other interesting applications.

Embellishing Fabric

I learned the technique from the book Machine Needlelace and Other Embellishment Techniques by Judy Simmons.

This book was published some year ago, and as with most of the books published around the same era, is a favorite in my library.

The book covers mainly techniques for using machine needlelace as an embellishment for clothing, but as you can see I use it for lots more than just clothing which is why I’ve included this technique in my Titivations DVD.

The technique is not difficult to learn and can produce stunning results as you can see. If you love the effect of soft, non-conventional type lacework, I’m sure you’ll love working with machine needlelace.

This post is part of the 30 Days of Titivations; a 30 day blogathon all about embellishing and embellishments.

You can find lots of free embellishment tutorials in the tutorials section of my blog which can be found here, and even more techniques can be found on my Titivations DVD. Please visit the Instructional DVD section of the store for full details.

… Continue reading

Embossing Velvet

Velvet is a beautiful and luxurious fabric, but did you know that it can easily be embellished with a very simple technique using rubber stamps and an iron? This technique produces stunning results in no time at all.

You’ll find a great photo tutorial over at Threads magazine. Or the following video shows you in detail how it’s done.

Note: If you’re reading this post in an rss reader or by email, you’ll have to click through to the website to view the video.

This post is part of the 30 Days of Titivations; a 30 day blogathon all about embellishing and embellishments.

You can find lots of free embellishment tutorials in the tutorials section of my blog which can be found here, and even more techniques can be found on my Titivations DVD. Please visit the Instructional DVD section of the store for full details.

… Continue reading

Fabric Manipulations

Manipulating FabricManipulating fabric is a very creative way to embellish fabric. Fabric with three dimensional texture always looks interesting and can often look amazing.

The Art of Manipulating Fabric by Collette Wolff is one of my favorite books. This is not a “how-to” book, but instead an encyclopedia, or reference book, of modern and traditional techniques and ideas for manipulating and adding three dimensional texture to fabric.

This book was published quite some years ago, and like many books published around that era has stood the test of time and is on its way to being a classic of its kind.

Some of information assumes a certain level of knowledge and skill on the part of the reader, but step-by-step instructions are given for each of the techniques including diagrams and photos, and allows for you to picture “possibilities” of how these techniques can be incorporated into your own projects or style of work.

This book is a great resource and inspiration for lovers of textured fabric.

This post is part of the 30 Days of Titivations; a 30 day blogathon all about embellishing and embellishments.

You can find lots of free embellishment tutorials in the tutorials section of my blog which can be found here, and even more techniques can be found on my Titivations DVD. Please visit the Instructional DVD section of the store for full details.

… Continue reading

Crazy Quilting

Who does embellishing better than crazy quilters? Crazy quilting is a lovely way to relax and enjoy some creative handwork. If you’ve never tried it before, check out the sites below; you just might get hooked.

Just starting with crazy quilting? The Caron Collection has lovely detailed instructions for assembling a crazy quilt block, as well as a some ideas for hand embroidery stitches to decorate it. You can also find very detailed instructions for making a block Allies in Stitches Blog.

For everything about crazy quilting, you can’t go past CQMagOnline. Their quarterly magazine is free and full of articles, tutorials, tips, tricks and other information about crazy quilting.

LoopyLace has a list of lovely photos showing different types of embroidery stitches you can use for your crazy quilting blocks, and Anne’s Glory Box has a tutorial for a beautiful vintage sewing machine cover.

This post is part of the 30 Days of Titivations; a 30 day blogathon all about embellishing and embellishments.

You can find lots of free embellishment tutorials in the tutorials section of my blog which can be found here, and even more techniques can be found on my Titivations DVD. Please visit the Instructional DVD section of the store for full details.

… Continue reading