Sunday, November 27, 2011

Let It Begin!!!

Getting started for me means securing the main elements with a thin monofilament. I may not secure the entire piece at this time, but certainly the central elements.... In this case.... Wrigley Field, the Chicago Art Institute lion, and the Sears Tower.
This process is more than functional for me. It starts to give me ideas about what elements will benefit from more OR less quilting.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm new to your blog so i apologize if you've post this before, but what brand of monofilament do you use? I've had terrible luck using it in the past. Do you use something different in the bobbin?
Thanks!
Tonya

Patt Blair said...

Hi Tonya.... I'm happy to answer. There ARE some tricks to monofilament. To your first question... what brand do I use? I like several.... Monopoly by Superior is great... so is Sulky. I'm big on polyester mono... The real secret is in how to wind the bobbin and tension setting
.. Bobbin tips... wind slower than normal....no peddle to the metal speed as it stretches mono and can trigger breakage.... next don't wind your bobbin full... maybe 2/3 to 3/4. It will be easier to get in the bobbin case. Since monofilament is MUCH thinner than 'regular thread' a 2/3 full bobbin will last a long time in sewing/quilting. Next... tension on the top is pretty low... almost 0 when monofilament is on top and bottom. When using 'normal' thread on top, you'll still likely have a lower tension setting on the top thread. I use the same mono top and bottom. When on the top, I also use no larger than a 70 sharp needle. Hope that helps.

Unknown said...

Thank you Pat! these are some great tips. I'll try again. :)