Monday 18 March 2013

Oodles of doodles

March just isn't my month! It's been another slightly frustrating week, this time care of mechanical meltdowns! My year old Bush machine seems to need some professional TLC / a straight replacement - it's suddenly only catching the left hand side of zigzag stitches!? It was a pretty cheap machine so not really worth a hefty repair fee, but if you've any idea why this is, please do let me know so I can try to fix it myself!

Luckily, a friend kindly gave her old Brother machine to my mum a few months ago, which I have now commandeered - initially until the other is fixed but it's so smooth to use that I think I'm going to adopt it :) After some small tantrums (from both me and the machine!) I've oiled it, defluffed it and read the manual from cover to cover, and now we're getting on famously.

Introducing Shrek: so christened after I removed 'enough lint to fill an ogre's belly button' ;)

"He ain't heavy..."
Here's what we've been working on...!

Last week I was introduced to the wonders of aqua film. It's a water soluble stabiliser for machine embroidery, and my favourite of its myriad uses is to layer it up as a base to create standalone free motion embroidery motifs - amazing! And potentially perfect for a piano hat doodled out of thread... I recognise that this description requires an imaginative leap, so hopefully the pictures will show you what I mean!

Design: Paper mock up



Pattern cutting

Prep
Transferring the pattern

Practice: Small scale in black thread
 

Lid: Black and gunmetal grey thread
 



It's pretty time consuming (and the thread breaks quite regularly, and I've broken 4 needles - Shrek and I are still experiencing some teething problems!) and I do find myself dritfing off into a zigzag daze, but I really love the effect! Keep up with my progress on Twitter and Facebook during the week, and I'll hopefully have a finished hat to show you next time! In the meantime, why not pop over and see what they've all been up to at Handmade Monday, see you next week kids!

5 comments:

  1. I've seen some of that film and have quite fancied playing with it myself, so am keen to see what you and Shrek manage to come up with! xxx

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    1. I'm hoping it's going to be like magic! :) One of the ladies who introduced me to it told me that the most important thing to remember is to put a warp and a weft in, otherwise the whole thing unravels in the water (something no one told her! Ha!) Noted! ;) x

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  2. Isn't it frustrating when technology gives up on you! I'm glad you've found a satisfactory replacement in Shrek :)

    You're new project is very intriguing... i can't wait to see it all finished! x

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    1. Yes, it really is! My patience has been tested that's for sure! I think, like all ogres, Shrek just needs a firm hand ;)

      Me too - I think (like so many of my recent projects!) it's going to be a surprise for me too! ;) x

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  3. Ohhh I can picture it in my head - it'll look brilliant! Can't wait to see the finished result.... *beetles off to ensure I'm following you on Facebook* :-) Simmi x

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