What stitcher or quilter doesn't love all the wonderful colors and weights of threads available for both machine and hand sewing? I certainly do! Recently, I decided to take these threads and incorporate slow stitching into a beautiful bird fabric panel from Songbird Serenade by Robin Mead Designs for P&B Textiles.
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| Songbird Serenade by Robin Mead Designs for P&B Textiles. |
Pull out an embroidery stitch dictionary
It's time to pull out an embroidery stitch dictionary—in paper or digital format—and learn a new stitch or two. This 1963 edition of Needlework Stitches by Barbara Snook was a recent find at the Book Exchange of Foley.
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| Needlework Stitches by Barbara Snook, published in 1963. |
Songbird Serenade has a 3-block panel, with each bird image approximately 13.5" x 17.5" (including the border). This bird's wing is a prime canvas for a sampler of hand embroidery stitches—seed stitch, blanket stitch, back stitches and others. Have a stitching embellishment party with your bird!
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| Various embroidery stitches embellish the wing of the bird. |
Needles, threads and tools for hand stitching
As long as you have a hand sewing, crewel, sashiko or embroidery needle that accommodates the thread weight (thickness) and has a sharp point that will go easily through the cotton fabric panel, your thread choice is wide open. I'm also using an embroidery hoop for this project.
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| A sampling of threads and tools for slow stitching and hand embroidery. |
As I have been an avid "collector" of machine and hand sewing and quilting threads for a number of years, I have a healthy thread supply from which to choose. A few favorites that I've used on my bird:
- 5 wt. and 8 wt. perle cotton [Eleganza from WonderFil Specialty Threads]
- 12 wt. cotton [Spagetti and Fruitti by WonderFil Specialty Threads]
- 6-ply embroidery floss—using 3, 4 or 6 strands
Songbird Serenade projects
The Songbird Serenade collection will be available at your local quilt shop [YLQS] in April 2022. The 3-bird panel is accompanied by 11 colorful coordinating prints and an exclusive 108" wide backing designed specifically for this collection.
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| Songbird Serenade panel from P&B Textiles. |
What can you make with this fabric collection? Quilts, wall hangings, pillows, a tote bag, zipper pouch, a cover for your sketchbook, appliqué it to a jeans jacket, mount your embellished bird on foam core or wooden frame for wall art... are all creative possibilities. A quilt pattern will be available in April under the Songbird Serenade collection name at P&B Textiles.
Contact YLQS for needles, threads and Songbird Serenade fabrics from P&B Textiles.
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| Songbird Serenade by Robin Mead for P&B Textiles. Embellished with hand embroidery. |
Keep stitching and serenade a fabric panel with colorful embroidery stitches!
