Using a variety of threads in a needlework design is like using spices in cooking: all one flavor and texture can be rather bland, whereas a blend of different ingredients can make the final result fabulous.
I’ve often thought of quilting as a recipe, with multiple ingredients cut, mixed, combined, and blended together to make a whole. Like cooking or baking, the process and end use can be utilitarian, celebratory, decorative, or therapeutic, while the creative process is nourishing for the mind, hands, and soul.
Take a look at Eleanor Levie’s beautiful quilt, Pomegranates, to see how her recipe came together. On the whole, it is a lovely blend of colors and patterns. Take a look at the individual ingredients, and you will see threads, stitches, fabrics, and other embellishments that add “flavor” and visual interest. For the thread embellishments, she used Kreinik metallics: Very Fine #4 Braid, Medium #16 Braid, Heavy #32 Braid, 1/8″ Ribbon, Facets, and Fine Twist.
Designed and stitched by Eleanor Levie using a variety of fabrics and Kreinik metallic threads.A close-up look at Eleanor Levie’s quilt shows how she machine stitched with metallic threads and couched Kreinik Braids (with a zig-zag stitch) to add a touch of light to the outlines.Eleanor used Kreinik Fine Twist, a metallic thread designed for high-speed machine embroidery (it works on sergers, long-arms, embroidery machines, and basic home sewing machines). The black and gold blend of the thread adds light, color, texture (= visual interest).Kreinik Facets are a bead-like yarn used for surface embroidery embellishment. Here, Eleanor couched red Kreinik Facets with a zig-zag stitch. The thread has a candy-like gloss, so it adds color depth as well as texture.Beautiful blend of scraps (just like life…) in this Eleanor Levie quilt.Your project doesn’t have to be an official crazy quilt to have a mix of stitches. Find a stitch dictionary or library online and see how you can alter or play with threads by using them in different stitches. You are telling a story through your selection of fabrics, threads, and stitches – so feel free to express your creative thoughts through these choices.Can we say this is a “delicious” blend of colors in Eleanor Levie’s Pomegranates quilt? Fabrics in citrus-fruity-vegetable colors add to the overall “flavor” of the piece.These photos show some creative ways to edge your quilt applique, using various stitches and threads. (Kreinik Cord, Kreinik 1/8″ Ribbon in Easter Grass, and Kreinik 1/8″ Ribbon in red)Close up look at the beautiful blend of fabrics, patterns, stitches, and threads in Eleanor Levie’s Pomegranates quilt.
The famous chef Julia Child once said, “The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” I think it is the same with needlework, quilting, crafts…anything creative. Take a cue from Eleanor and Julia: use good quality ingredients and time-tested techniques, add your own spin, a dash of what-the-hell, and your creation will be a masterpiece.
Dena Lenham, aka KreinikGirl, is Creative Director at Kreinik Manufacturing Company, a family-owned, USA-based business that manufactures high-quality yarns and threads made of metallics, silks and real metals from their West Virginia factory. Dena’s monthly column, Kreinik Calling, sheds light on the fascinating fibres that we all use and love.
