Queen Anne's Lace - Thread Painting for Island Batik and Aurifil

Queen Anne’s Lace

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After creating three art quilts with Inktense and thread painting for this months Island Batik / Aurifil Thread ambassador challenge, it’s time to try something completely different. My life motto is to be a Life Long Learner so I’m giving a new to me technique a whirl. This includes hand stitching which in NEVER a planned part of any project. I even sew buttons on with my machine!

Materials for this project were given to me by Island Batik and their industry partners Aurifil, Hobbs Batting and Schmetz needles in my role as an Island Batik Ambassador.

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A.) This art quilt started with Island Batik Scales from the Tropical Escape Collection left from another project. It was quilted on my Prostitcher computerized Handi Quilter Amara using the Ribbon Candy from Linda V Taylor's iPattern Studio. Hobbs Thermore Batting provides the perfect weight for stitching art quilts. All of this was just to get the right surface for the thread art. B.) Several colors of Aurifil Floss are selected along with a size 21 needle for the long arm. C.) Auditioning a few stitch lengths before stitching begins. D.) Close up of background quilting with Aurifil 50 wt cotton thread.

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My patience evaporated quickly with the size 21 long arm needle threaded with Aurifil Floss. Although my audition stitches looked great, the tension was wrong when I moved to the actual art quilt. A.) I love my Handi Quilter Couching Feet so I decide to move on to this new option rather than work through the tension issue.  That didn't get the results I wanted either. B.) Third Times a Charm as I moved on to my Viking Sapphire to couch the floss to the quilted base layer with Schmetz CHROME Microtex Needles. C.) Creating stems and leaves by couching floss to quilt. D.) Queen Anne Lace base is then couched in purple floss.

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Couching the Aurifil Floss is completed so it’s on to hand stitches. A & B.) Lots and lots and lots of purple French knots simulate buds on the Queen Anne's Lace. C. Lazy Daisy stitches form leaves on lone stems. D.) More French knots are added with gold floss. I’m enjoying that lovely Island Batik background fabric more and more.

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Art quilt is squared up and ready for binging but it needs a bit of zip first. A.) Auditioning a purple island Batik before binding with background fabric, Island Batik Scales from the Tropical Escape Collection. B.) Auditioning a gold and orange IB which I select as the winner. C.) At 12” x 15”, this art quilt is too small for even a tiny borders. A 1/8” faux piping is better proportionally. This is created with a two color binding. There are excellent You Tube Videos to show this process.

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Completed Queen Anne’s Lace Art Quilt finished at 12” x 15” with a hanging sleeve ready to insert a dowel or small rod. This project includes quilting, couching, hand embroider and faux piped binding. This and other art quilts are available in my Etsy Shop.