Bluebird of Happiness - Coat - Part XV

Borders, Phase 3, Part 2 - Decorative Stitching

Once the two rows of corded satin stitching are completed, the next step in this phase is to add the decorative stitching between the satin stitching. The stitch I've chosen for this project is stitch #62 on my machine (a Janome 4800 QC).


I'm using Superior Glitter #201 Gold for the top thread. I'm not sure that this was the best thread choice, although at this point, I am *not* going back and replacing it! This is stitch is very difficult to rip out and redo, and having had to do so several times, I don't want to do it anymore. It looks better from far away rather than close up and I've done the best I can do with the tension. I just think a different type of thread would have been better, but I wanted glittery, sparkly gold and this is the only thread type that will give me that effect. This will choice will probably come back to haunt me in the future, but I'm not changing it now. Maybe I've just been staring at it too long, and can't see the forest for the trees anymore. You know how that it is - your perceived faults are glaring at you, yet you can't see what you've accomplished as a whole, only those 2mm of imperfect stitching. In the photo below, you can see that the satin stitch is completed with both threads as described in yesterday's post, and the decorative stitching in between.

This stitching, while it gives a feeling of immediate accomplishment, is not easy to do, and very tiring - hence the tunnel vision on the imperfect parts. It takes constant concentration to keep everything lined up right, a eye on the thread, and knowing just when to slightly move the fabric to accomodate the curved edges. As I said before with the satin stitching, a straight edge is much, much easier to do!

At this point, I am not quite done with this part of the border. In one of the final phases, I will be adding one cream colored bead in each of the loops of the decorative stitching. While it will be easy to do, it will quite the job and there are so many of them!

Phase 4 is next, and that is the free motion quilting that fills all the empty space around and between the feathers and the vines. I am hoping that if I have enough free time, I can get that done in two days next week.

Parting Shot: Done. This leaf rake is done and so is the leaf raking. We *should* have raked two weeks ago, but due to weather and other things we didn't. Today was less than 20 degrees F and the wind was blowing. We were almost in full winter gear, minus the ski pants and boots and there were snow flurries in the air. The rake broke because it was too cold and the plastic got brittle. Fortunately we have two rakes and we were working on the last third of the yard!