Sewing With Nancy

Painting with thread is not a new concept in fiber art. Thread, fabric, and stitches combine to give projects dimension and style. Our guest during this mini-series has taken this common sewing art form and altered it giving you, the artist, great freedom and expression. Welcome back to Karen Linduska, a full-time fiber artist who has found expression with decorative stitches. Karen, we are going to start off with a tree. A tree is a great place to work with those decorative stitches. Right, I'm inspired by nature, lines, fabrics decorative stitches, and thread. Today, I'll combine these items to show how to make fiber art with dimensional trees as a focal point. All you need is thread, fabric, and decorative stitches along with the willingness to experiment on the settings on your sewing machine. "Decorative Stitch Thread Painting" that's what's coming up next on Sewing with Nancy. Sewing with Nancy TV's longest-airing sewing and quilting program with Nancy Zieman is made possible by Baby Lock a complete line of sewing, quilting and embroidery machines and sergers. Baby Lock, for the love of sewing. Madeira, specializing in embroidery, quilting and special effect threads because creativity is never black and white. Koala Sewing Cabinets hand built in the USA by American craftsmen customized for you. Clover makers of sewing, knitting, quilting and embroidery products for over 25 years. Experience the Clover difference. Amazing Designs and Klass needles. The first step of "Decorative Stitch Thread Painting" is to create the background with decorative stitches and layers of fabric, plus rayon thread. Then make sure you use an embroidery needle along with the rayon thread. This stitch you see in the background looks rather sporadic. It is a cross-stitch a very neat looking cross-stitch, but altered. You could use zigzag stitch or another utilitarian stitch. Karen's going to show you how to alter this. So Karen, you have it set up for the cross-stitch but it is going to have a totally different look. Right, and I start out with the layer of the fabric, the medium weight stabilizer quilt batting, and quilt top fabric. I'm going to alter this by lowering the feed dogs. That's it. Then it just creates a very funky line. The foot you are using is a traditional quilting foot. Yes, it is the Echo quilting foot. It's used for free motion. I use it with the feed dogs up. It gives me plenty of view to look and to move the threads around. It covers all different layers. Because you're force feeding it through the machine faster it gets that very altered stitch. So, you could stitch the background fabrics which are 11" x 15" and that little insert that is going to be 5" x 8". You'll find that in the book that accompanies the program. The next stitch that we're going to share with you which we also showed in the first program is the stitch along the lower area of that insert. You'll be working with the 5" x 8" piece separately and adding the two together later. But, adding a 5" x 3 it's kind of an angled piece to the lower edge. Then working with an asterisk decorative stitch. Altering it, not the traditional way but altering it larger. I've got it set at the default setting. I'm going to max out the width and length so it will make it wider and longer. Then I'll just stitch it out. As a rule of thumb whatever I add to the top of the quilt I try to add a color to the bottom. So, thread color. Create a color balance. Just work with it. This time, you have the feed dogs up. Right, I do. You're just going to be adding several colors. As Karen keeps stitching, you'll see as we progress that we will be adding more colors along the lower edge area and incorporating those colors in the tree trunk. When I took a class from Karen the only guideline she gave the students was to always use a stabilizer. The rest is freeform stitching. The freeform stitching comes next in the shape of this tree. There are multiple layers of thread, fabrics, yarns all built up to make an interesting, texturized freeform artistic tree. The first step we're going to work with is to add some couching to the outer edges of a tree shape. On this sample, you can see the tree shape drawn. There will be a template included in the book. You can draw your own shape of a tree. Then, if you have a light background fill it in with a fabric marking pen. The fabric is going to be stitched in slivers around just to build up and give dimension with a stippling stitch. Karen is going to alter the stitch by forcing the fabric through the machine. Karen, I'll let you set up your machine and tell everyone how that works. I'm using the default setting. I alter this by pushing it through faster. You have just a small, little piece of fabric. Right, and I just cut strips. And basically, I have them held down. I won't even lift it up, because I don't care if the stitches go all over the tree. I just keep stitching. It's until you get a base. You don't cover the entire section just portions of it. Right. I'll feed it into the branches and add different areas. Very interesting. The next step is to do some outlining and the outlining shape will be done with a basic satin stitch. Now, those of you may know that a satin stitch is just a variation of a normal zigzag. If you shorten the stitch length you're going to end up with a satin stitch. That's just a simple outline stitch that I think many of you have done in the past, in one way or another. I added, for my branches-- I added across the base of the trunk kind of in a free-form zigzag across it. How I do my branches is I'll just draw it out. Then, when I get to where I want the branch to end I turn the machine sideways and pull it to a point. That straightens out that wide zigzag to an attractive finishing area. Right. And see, it doesn't come out exactly perfect but that's how I do my branches. I'll just keep building this up and up until I get the amount that I want. The thread pulled. While Karen changes threads I'm going to show you another option that you can add to this design. And that is texture with yarn. There is some eyelash yarn tucked under here. We'll be using this for many forms throughout the program. It gives dimension, interest. It's kind of subtle. To put the eyelash yarn into place you can use a ric-rac stitch. It's a zigzag stitch that goes over the zigzag three times so that it gives a heavy build up. If you didn't have this ric-rac stitch or something comparable consider using a zigzag stitch to stitch it down. You could use contrasting or matching thread. Remember, this is an art form, so you can make the changes. The setting that Karen is putting into her machine right now is this ric-rac stitch. And the default setting is what it comes up as. Right, and I'm going to make it narrower in width and longer in length so it will be a long, skinny zigzag. What I'll do is use it to couch down my yarn. I apply this yarn the same way I apply the fabric and the satin stitches. I just add it randomly to wherever. It's all going to be layered on top of it. What I like about this form of stitching is that it's very freeing. You have given us permission to not be accurate. I like that idea of not always being so accurate. As she's stitching her sample you can see that the foreground has some additional thread colors. That orange section, you see gold, brown and green. So, whenever you change thread colors just do a little bit more stitching of that asterisk stitch. Now we're getting near to adding the fourth layer and a little bit of orange was needed. Karen, you like to pull in colors from the border. Obviously, this is the finished one but there are slivers of orange fabric or thread you can add in this area. That's what is coming next. To do this, you're just going to use a zigzag stitch. You could use a stippling stitch. There are no rules, except to use a stabilizer. Correct. I'm just adding the zigzag to the top of the fabric. I don't worry that it's not down perfectly because eventually I'll catch everything with all the other layers. You're just building and building layers. Right. I'll even stitch with the threads where I don't stitch anything down because I want to add all that texture. Notice Karen's hand position. She's force feeding the fabric through so that the stitches aren't even. And that foot, because it rides above the fabric makes it easy to twist and turn. Now we'll look at one final stitch. There are no rules, as we mentioned. You could certainly make changes accordingly Karen recommended using a ladder stitch. If you look closely, there is a red stitch that meanders through this design kind of adding some interest. That stitch looks just like this. But she's never stitching it in the straight position. She's winding it around so that it builds up the bark of the tree trunk and also the texture. A quick thread change and you are ready to go. Right. This is my final layer. I'll add it because I want a little red thread to add a little bit of drama. Each layer of thread that I have added to the tree I've added a layer to the ground also with the asterisk stitch. I can see that, right. I'm just doing this meandering down to the end of the branches just to add that dramatic red color. So pulling and pushing changes those stitches. If you add enough layers, it gives great interest. So as Karen continues to do the stitching you would simply add and add to your layers of your sample. The next step that we're going to look at is to add the foliage to the tree. You get to work with a lot of beautiful threads in this project. So now for the foliage of the tree choose three different greens, browns, or fall colors. We're obviously doing a spring or summer color. You could use some variegated solids. Just choose your favorites. Karen is going to be working with the ric-rac stitch. We worked with this a little bit earlier for some couching. This is in its traditional size that comes up when you choose it in your machine, or the default setting. We are going to make it much smaller. We're going to narrow the width and shorten the length because this stitch is going to do the meandering stitch to create this beautiful lacey foliage of the tree. The leaves of the tree. Karen, you kind of start with a sample. Right, I do. Then I practice and test it. I changed my width to "2.5 on the machine and my length to 1.5". I actually lower my tension a lot on this. I don't want it to pull too much. I'll practice and test it on my test sheet. Then I start stitching on my tree. You've already stitched one color. I have. I'm adding the second color now. And part of it is pull. Pull and push. Exactly. Yes, a lot of pulling and pushing, spinning. The amazing thing about this is that many of you, I know are hesitant to lower the feed dogs of your sewing machine. Karen did not lower the feed dogs. She just loosened the tension. That foot that doesn't have a firm contact with the fabric. She's able to do this manipulation. It's fun to watch you work. It's a lot of spinning. That decorative stitch looks nothing like its picture on the machine screen. Exactly. After you have added the second color then throughout the entire area you would add a third color whatever color you'd like to work with and then keep building, one on top of the other. We're soon going to get to that point. It goes pretty quickly to change the thread in the machine. If you don't have a quilting foot you might want to consider that as an addition because you're going to be going over a lot of layers. The branches that have been built up or the extra fabric from the tree so you need a space from the foot. That's what Karen has been able to do with the combination that she's working with. It's a bright green, so you've added a nice color. Right. I like the contrast of all the different greens. Basically, how I'm creating this little long thing is I'm pulling and I'm pushing up and down. I don't use the reverse stitch at all. When I get up to the top of the tree I'm just really drawing with this. I'm filling-in areas and layering. While Karen works on this I'm going to show you the next step and that is to add a fern stitch. Another very, very common stitch. This fern stitch looks much like what you just saw on my sample on the actual art print. That had the fern stitched mirror imaged as well as the correct image, so we're going to flip it as we're working with this. So are you ready to do that stitching? I am going to single stitch this so it only stitches out one stitch pattern. Right now, I've got it so I will turn my fabric upside down and it will mirror to the left. I'll stitch that out. Again, you are just giving it a little nudge so if you want to change it. I'm guiding it in the direction I want it to go. It's got a curve, but I can curve it a little bit more. Karen would be adding a few more of these. You can see that on the finished project. So with a little creativity, some thread and some decorative stitches you can have the foliage and the foreground. Now to add additional dimension Karen is going to show us how to accent the horizon line on this unique scene by using three strands of yarn and just a basic zigzag or multiple zigzag technique. Really, the detail comes in the yarn and the twisting and turning of the fabric. Correct. I use three yarns. I'll stitch it on the edge of the piece to hold it down. Then I twist it in one direction. I have a little pushing tool and I just gather and sew. I'm using a zigzag stitch to hold it down. Within minutes, seconds even, you can have lots of dimension by just using that yarn. It gives me more encouragement to collect yarns. Just what I need, more stuff! Right. Very, very nice. As Karen works on this, you will see that we're soon getting to the end of adding enough embellishment to our scene the focal point of the scene. We have one of our samples at the next stage to show you what comes at this point. You would trim your design to 5" x 7". This one doesn't have any leaves on it. This is a fall scene, no leaves on it. Then, after you have trimmed it to 5" x 7" overlay it on the large background piece that you did the stitching earlier. We've started to appliqu it into place but not just with a zigzag stitch but with a grass stitch. We used this in our first program straight along one edge and grass-like stitching on the other. Just apply it into place. I like your idea, Karen, of offsetting the motif. It's not in the center. It's to the lower right hand corner. I think it adds visual interest. As far as talking about visual interest we have two more of her designs that have stretched the designs and stitches even further. This tree design has greater emphasis. Yes. You have some additional scallop stitches along the edge of the foreground. It's just a bigger piece. Right. You've also used some decorative stitches in that pond-like section down below. It's pretty abstract and fun. It's also a way to use those scraps. You can add them any way you want. It's fun. It's very fun. You don't have to work just with trees or flowers as we've done so far in this series. This little design features linear markings or stitchings. It almost looks underwater to me. Right, it does. So, with fabrics and netting-- she stitched over netting-- just straight stitching, using altered stitches, pushing them through or letting the fabric feed normally. It gives great style. Karen, you have great ideas. Thanks for sharing them. Thank you for having me. I hope you will enjoy working with this. Those of us who sew and quilt know the therapeutic benefit that comes from working with needle and thread. We may joke that our creative outlet keeps us sane. My guest during Nancy's Corner learned the art of Hmong quilting and creating story quilts while in a refugee camp. She's confident that the ability to sew and quilt maintained the sanity of many of the women in her camp. I'd like you to meet Mai Zong Vue an advocate for refugee families She helps families assimilate to their new culture. Mai Zong is also a proponent of keeping the art of Hmong quilting alive. Mai Zong, you have brought us samples that cause shivers to go up my spine because of the stories they tell and the intricate work. Right, thank you. Now this is a beginner sampler. Right. Those are what we call crustage, the very simple way of learning how to do needlework. And, very intricate. Right. Young girls start to learn that with their mom or their aunt as early as 6 or 7 years old. Then it's put on traditional costumes? Right. The signal to a good family is that by New Year time if they can display themselves with lots of artwork that means that they are a family of hard work. Certainly, your family is of hard work because this apron that goes over the costume-- The skirt, right. That is what we call the sash. That goes in front of it. Lots of therapy that goes into that when you do that. That's great therapy! Right. You have something to show for it when you're done, not just writing a check. Exactly. Now another option of the Hmong culture and their beautiful handiwork will be the story quilts. This is where I get the goose bumps. Yes. The story quilt, what we call "embroidery," tells stories. Traditionally, we only do it for display of the artwork. But in the refugee camps it was soon discovered that it could become a great income source for many of us in the refugee camps because the quilt tells a story. This particular one tells the short journey of Hmong refugees from Laos chased to the Mekong River and crossed the Mekong River into Thailand and become refugees in the refugee camps. This is a short story, but we would like to now show you the unabridged story of this. Right. This is a quilt that is 90" x 45". The story starts at the upper left-hand corner. Right. In this particular one it tells a story of the Hmong who lived in what we call China right now. A thousand years ago, we lived there. Then in the Han dynasty, many Hmong decided to move away when there was a lot of restrictions about-- you can't practice your language and culture. A lot of Hmong moved into Indochina so you the Hmong were in Laos living up in the mountain peacefully for many, many years. Moving to the right there, you see the soldiers the airplane, and all that. That's about the Vietnam War when the Hmong were recruited to fight with the U.S. against the Pathet Lao. So that whole fighting scene talks about the Vietnam War. Then, when the U.S. have to withdraw in '75 it shows the Hmong have been marked for extinction from the Ban Paka, Laos. So the Hmong started to escape from Laos into Thailand. So you see the people coming down the stream and crossing the Mekong River into Thailand and greeted by Thai soldiers into the refugee camps. After we live in the camps for years waiting for opportunities we have opportunity to re-settle in the United States. The table there shows Hmong taking interviews from the American people. And then, the bus shows them leaving behind what we know in the refugee camps and going into Ban Koa and taking the plane and flew to the United States. Wow, what a story! Quickly, the third form of art quilt is reverse appliqu in traditional colors. We'll show you three traditional colors and then what I think is so charming is what's coming next. It's just intricate beyond belief. Tiny, tiny. Very tiny. Some of us may own Hmong quilt works in non-traditional colors. Right. They've done this for economic purposes. Right. In the refugee camps, it was quickly discovered that it would be better. For Caucasians to buy! Right, we changed the color to meet their needs. How amazing. Well, thank you, Mai Zong. You're delightful. And your work is spectacular also the work of your friends. Thank you for sharing that with us. I appreciate it more than ever. Thank you for joining us on Sewing with Nancy during this two-part series on "Decorative Stitch Thread Painting." Thanks for joining us. Bye for now. Nancy and Karen Linduska have written a fully-illustrated book entitled Decorative Stitch Thread Painting which includes all the information from this two-part series. It's $9.99, plus shipping and handling. To order the book, call 1-800-336-8373

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sewingwithnancy.com/2321 Order Item No. BK2321, "Decorative Stitch Thread Painting." Credit Card orders only. To pay by check or money order call the number on the screen for details. Visit Nancy's Web site for more information on this program. Sewing with Nancy TV's longest airing sewing and quilting program with Nancy Zieman is made possible by Baby Lock Madeira Threads Koala Cabinets Clover Amazing Designs and Klass Needles. Closed captioning funding provided by Rowenta.