Playing with Thread

Today I decided to try something new: making fabric out of thread. Using a water soluble stabilizer. I had already done something similar before, but in the form of thread painting to make some pieces to appliqué onto a background. This time I wanted to see how it would work to make a larger piece I could actually use as fabric.

So I started with a piece of water soluble stabilizer and one thread color. I just stitched horizontal and vertical lines to form the basis of my piece.

Then squiggly lines with a second color…

And finally some decorative stitching with a third and fourth color. Cool.

It did take a while. And I only made a piece 6×10″. So I don’t know if I would really try to make a really big piece with this technique. As far as this little sample goes after soaking (to get the stabilizer out) and drying it, I trimmed the piece, added some Fray Check to the edges, zig-zag stitching just in case, and made a little notebook cover. Hmm. This would make a good stocking stuffer!

Turns out you can do lots of different things with this technique. I’m not sure I want any more (fabric) bowls lying around collecting dust, but purses sound interesting. And earrings, I think, are a MUST.

Sculpted Threads: Artful Brooches, Earrings and More (That Patchwork Place)