October Winner and a Brand New Newsletter from American Pie!

And the winner is . . . Karrie Milheim, who hails from Florida!  Karrie has won her choice of my "Ghoultime Friends" or "Snow Days" kit, which comes complete with the full pattern and all the National Nonwovens Woolfelt she needs to complete her project!

"Ghoultime Friends"                                         "Snow Days"        

Karrie is a member of my American Pie Birthday Club, so she is automatically entered to win in my monthly giveaways, plus she gets a coupon for 25 PERCENT OFF anything on my website during her birthday month. This giveaway was also open to all "likers" of my Facebook page, "American Pie Designs", so just remember, you've got to enter to win.

Members of my Birthday Club also receive my new newsletter that contains special monthly coupons for discounts on patterns and kits, as well as links to free patterns by special "Guest Designers".  My October 1 newsletter contained a code for 15% OFF your purchase, plus a free pattern from Hayley Crouse of Welcome to the Mouse House for appliqued towels.  If you haven't joined my Birthday Club, there's no "downside", because I don't share your information with anyone else, you get discounts and free patterns, and you are always automatically entered to win my monthly giveaways. I hope you'll join!

Sample October Newsletter from American Pie!

So What's Coming Next?
My rug-hooking friends will be pleased to know I'm breaking my long rug-hooking hiatus and releasing three new designs during the first week of November. The designs (a rug, a bench runner and a table mat) will all be offered pre-drawn on linen or monks cloth and will also be offered as kits, complete with all the wonderful hand-dyed wool you need to finish the project. 

Well, I'm back to the drawing board, gal-friends, and in the meantime, Happy Stitchin'!  --xoxo--Melanie

Want Great Hand-Dyed Wool?

NEWS UPDATE (June, 2014):  I'm sorry, gals, but Christy Mason, who was previously showcased in this blog post, encountered some health problems this spring.  I wish her the best of luck and full recovery.  In the meantime, I got busy with the dye pot and introduced a line of beautiful hand-dyed wools you can find on my website at http://www.americanpiedesigns.com/wool1.html.  Visit me to see samples of "Some Like it Hot", "Red Riding Hood" or "No Moon Tonight" and many other colors, or email me for free swatches!

Two New Projects That Combine 100% Wool and National Nonwovens Woolfelt!

Do you like to work with wool or woolfelt?  I certainly do!  You might remember from some of my earlier posts that I have trouble choosing which to use for my projects, since I love the luxurious feel and colors associated with hand-dyed 100% wool, but am also crazy excited when I get to work with National Nonwovens Woolfelt® (sometimes referred to as “craft felt” in your local fabric store).  Both 100% wool and Woolfelt have their own benefits and drawbacks, and I know I'm not alone when I have trouble choosing!

What's the Difference Between Wool and Woolfelt?  When I buy hand-dyed 100% wool, it comes pre-felted. That means the wool was placed in a warm or hot bath and then dried (usually in a dryer).  This causes the wool to shrink or "felt", as the industry calls it.  The "felted" wool can now be cut for rug hooking, quilts, applique templates and just about anything, because it can no longer fray.  That's wonderful, because now you don't have to worry about turning the edges under, which opens up a whole world of creative possibilities. There are many advantages to using 100% wool, and the most important are (1) unlimited color possibilities and natural mottling variations, (2) durability, and (3) it is washable. Once wool has been properly felted, you don't have to worry about further shrinking, so you can wash it and give it a little steaming to return your project to brand new. The main disadvantage is hand-dyed 100% wool is expensive and can ultimately run $30 to $50 a yard depending on where you get it. However, if I am working on an heirloom project that I want to last for 300 years, then 100% wool is my choice.

Sorbet Bundle by Bunnyhill Designs
(www.bunnyhilldesigns.com)

Woolfelt is a Whole Different Animal!  Here in the United States, woolfelt is manufactured primarily by National Nonwovens in Massachusetts. There are many retail distributors of woolfelt, one of which is Commonwealth Felt (if you are buying in large quantities) and another is Woolfelt Central (a perfect source for smaller quantities). The woolfelt I use is a 20/80 blend or 35/65 blend of wool and rayon.  The advantages are (1) it is inexpensive, (2) it comes in lots of delicious colors, and (3) it is already felted and ready to use. Unfortunately, woolfelt should not be put in a washing machine and is not suitable for projects that will get heavy use in your home, like a bed quilt or a hooked rug.  However, woolfelt is great for table runners, candle mats, wall quilts, penny rugs, etc!

Autumn Accents by National Nonwovens

Woolfelt for Quilting!  Yes, that’s right—I love to combine fabrics and wools together in the same project!  One of my newest designs, “Bee-Haven”, is a cute little 17” x 19” table quilt/candle mat which combines my love of quilting fabrics with National Nonwovens Woolfelt®.  No matter if you’re an experienced quilter or a beginner, because you’re sure to learn something new with this easy project.  It’s embellished with lots of fun embroidery stitches, and my pattern goes into full detail on how to complete the stitches, together with easy diagrams.  I have to admit I had so much fun making this quilt that I was disappointed when it was time to call it quilts and lay it out on my entryway table!

"Bee-Haven" by American Pie Designs
(www.americanpiedesigns.com)

How About Combining 100% Wool with Woolfelt?  I couldn’t find any reason not to combine both of my favorite materials, 100% hand-dyed wools and National Nonwovens® woolfelt, in the same project.  Check out my new pattern, “Ghoultime Friends”, a cute little 16” candle mat that combines wool with woolfelt in the same great project.  Woolfelt was the perfect choice for the background and backing for the mat, because it has a wonderful texture and is inexpensive to use for large areas.  I switched to 100% hand-dyed wool for the skeleton, pumpkin, vampire and Halloween cat, and was very pleased with the result!  Again, my pattern explains the decorative stitches in full detail, and the best part is you don’t need a sewing machine to complete your project.  You can get the pattern alone or you can also get it in a kit with all the National Nonwovens Woolfelt® you’ll need to complete your own “Ghoultime Friends”!

"Ghoultime Friends" by American Pie Designs
(www.americanpiedesigns.com)

We’ll, gal-friends, I’m back to the drawin’ board working on new ideas on how to combine fabrics with wool and woolfelt, and I’ve also got a hooked rug design running around my head.  Don’t forget to drop me a line or a comment, and I hope your week is busy and bright!  In the meantime, Happy Stitchin’!  xoxo--Melanie

How to Make Decorative Embroidery Stitches for Quilts and Applique

This is Part One (additional tutorials follow next week) - for a printable version, click here

Have you ever been reluctant to try a project that features decorative stitches or hand-embellishing because you weren’t sure how to do the stitches?  If so, you’ve been missing out! Decorative stitches are fun and easy, and I’ve often said that embellishing is my favorite part of creating a new design. Decorative stitches only look complicated, but we’re going to break them down into individual steps so it’s just a matter of bringing your needle up at one point and down at another. Before long, you’ll be happily stitching away and your friends will want to know how you do it! But first, let’s quickly cover the types of threads to use:

Hand-Dyed Embroidery Threads by Barefoot Shepherdess

Threads come in all types of fibers, including cotton, wool, polyester and silk, to name a few. You can also use metallic threads, yarn and just about anything you can string through the eye of a needle. I’ve been asked many times what threads I use for my patterns, so here’s my secret: I use plain old embroidery floss I buy at my local craft or fabric store (yep, that’s as secret it gets). I use embroidery floss because it’s cheap, comes in a gazillion colors and creates a beautiful result, but mostly because I already have a huge basket of it in my workroom. Now, I’ll admit I sometimes get a little fancy and use hand-dyed embroidery floss or lovely threads by Valdini like you’ll see below, but I usually stick to whatever is in my floss basket.  If you’d like to learn how to dye your own embroidery floss (called “overdyeing”), you can find a nice tutorial on my blog at http://americanpiedesigns.blogspot.com/2013/02/new-tutorial-how-to-over-dye-embroidery.html.

Valdini Threads

So Let’s Get to It! There are hundreds of decorative stitches, but they all boil down to several basic stitches that are worked with slight variations. We’re going to start with seven of the most popular, and then I’ll show you more stitches in later tutorials coming next week:

1. Basic Running Stitch
2. Back Stitch
3. Blanket Stitch (also known as the Buttonhole Stitch)
4. French Knot
5. Cross Stitch
6. Herringbone Stitch
7. Daisy Chain (Daisy Stitch; Lazy Daisy; Chain Stitch)

Basic Running Stitch:  This is probably the easiest decorative stitch to learn. It can be worked in straight or curved lines and is used for outlining and making stems and vines.  Bring your needle up from underneath. Next, weave the needle in and out of the fabric, taking two or three evenly-spaced stitches. Pull the needle through and repeat as desired. If I am working with a quilt or other material where I am stitching through layers, I like to make one stitch at a time, rather than loading two or three stitches on my needle at once. Stitching one stitch at a time makes each stitch look fuller and more finished.

Running Stitch

Back Stitch:  This stitch is a variation of the basic running stitch. I use it for outlining, making stems and vines and anywhere that I want a bolder line. Bring your needle up at A, down at B and back up again at C. Pull the needle through and repeat as desired.

Back Stitch

Blanket Stitch (also known as the Buttonhole Stitch):  This popular stitch is often used to finish the edges of baby blankets and when appliqueing on wool. When worked with small stitches, it can also be used for outlining. The stitch is worked from left to right. For a standard-size stitch, bring your needle up from underneath at the edge of your patch or template. Move to the right approximately 1/4”. Push your needle back down through both the patch and the background at a point about 1/4” from the edge of the patch and back up again at the edge of the patch. Be sure to loop the thread under the needle as you complete this stitch. Each stitch should be about the same length and distance apart.  Remember, you can vary the size and width of your stitch depending on your project.

Blanket Stitch

French Knot:  I use french knots for flower centers, bird’s eyes, etc. It can also be used in clusters and worked close together to fill an area, which will produce a textured, nubby result. To make the french knot, bring your needle up from underneath. Hold the needle in one hand and with the other hand wrap the thread around the tip of the needle once and pull it snug around the needle. Wrap the thread around the tip of the needle a second time, again pulling it snug. I often wrap the thread around the tip of the needle a third time so I get a bigger knot, but if you are a beginner I suggest you stick with just two wraps around the needle. Now, while continuing to keep the thread snug around the needle, re-insert the tip of the needle back down into the fabric exactly next to where you came up.  Slowly pull the needle through while your other hand keeps the thread taut. Once the needle has pulled all the way through, use your fingertip to hold the knot in place while you pull the rest of the thread through the fabric. Snug it up so it forms a nice knot and you are finished!

French Knot

Cross Stitch:  There is more than one way to complete the cross stitch. It can be worked one stitch at a time, or it can be worked in rows such as when embroidering large areas on a pillowcase or similar project. To work it one stitch at a time, bring your needle up from underneath at 1 and insert it back down through your fabric at 2. Bring need up at 3 and back down at 4. Repeat the sequence as many times as desired. If you want to work rows of cross stitch to fill an area, work the first half of the stitch all the way along the row and then return and work the second half of the stitch back to the beginning of the row.

Cross Stitch (Illustrated Singly and in Rows)

Herringbone Stitch:  The herringbone stitch is a variation of the basic cross stitch. It is often used to embellish crazy quilts and also often used as a decorative stitch in borders. Bring your needle up from underneath at A and insert it back through your fabric at B. Bring your needle to the front again at C and back down at D. Bring your needle up at E, down at F and back up again at G. Repeat the sequence as many times as desired.

Herringbone Stitch

Daisy Chain (also known as the Daisy Stitch, Lazy Daisy and Chain Stitch: This is a very popular decorative stitch used for outlining and can also be used to create flower stems and other embellishments. If worked in a circular direction, it creates the look of petals on a flower as shown below. To begin, bring your needle up at A and then insert your needle back into the same hole and out at B, carrying your thread under the needle point. Pull your needle on through. Point B is now the beginning point of the next stitch.

Daisy Stitch; Daisy Chain; Chain Stitch

Lazy Daisy

It Looks Complicated, But It’s Not!  Like I said, decorative stitches look complex and hard, but it’s just a matter of bringing your needle up at one point and down at another--easy peasy! In no time at all, you’ll be embellishing your quilts, jackets, pillows and other projects with decorative stitches and your friends will be in awe and wondering how you do it. If you’d like to share your secret, there’s a full-color printable version of these instructions here, and of course you like to share, right?

Be Sure to Check Back Next Week!  I’ll be posting more tutorials on decorative stitches next week, so if you are a late-comer to this blog you’ll be able to locate them by typing “stitch tutorial” or “decorative stitches” into the search box at the top of this blog. I hope you get excited about decorative stitching and embellishing, and remember to relax and enjoy yourself, since creating is part of the fun!  In the meantime, Happy Stitchin’!  xoxo -- Melanie