Hello again!  Sarah, I contacted you 2 weeks ago because I did not receive all of the materials in the full kit I ordered. You responded that you would get these in the mail to me.  I was wondering if you have had time to do this and if so, when I might expect them.  Thank you so much!

The blade probably does snap off (most do, but Xacto in particular does not). I snap it off, carefully, using a needle nose pliers. Some of the knives come with an attachment you can use to snap the blade, but I’ve never used one of those. Then put the used blade into something safe, like the container that butter spread comes in. Something…[Read more]

The 4 sided stitch diagram starts in the lower left but there is not a diagram to indicate where on the fabric that is. Could you instead do a diagram starting in the lower right by the date since that is an easy place to identify.

Perfect! I wasn’t sure if the lines were an indicator of the thickest point. Thank you.

I gave it a try, and after some experimenting I did get very good results. With my machine I found I had to add .1mm to get the pieces sized correctly. It was still faster than me doing it by hand. Thanks for being the first!

I also am getting along fairly merrily. My only question thus far is about the Battlement Couching. The visual shows a few examples of securing with a diagonal stitch. I am guessing that there is no particular pattern we need to follow as we secure all the horizontal threads – just get them secured! But perhaps the lecture notes will help with that.

I just finished my inner box (YAY).   After sewing a couple of sides with the curved needle, I found that by using a straight needle to start and end the thread was easier to get to the very edge of the card and then, to end, travel just a little from the edge where I could finish off the thread.

Hi Julia,

Well, I actually just removed that line from the graph in the corrected lesson. I think it could be put in or left out, but I think I prefer it taken out to clean up the design and make is a bit simpler. Thanks for catching that!

Hi Julia,

Your waves are absolutely gorgeous! You left a lovely highlight around eye which really sets it off. Thanks for suggesting the smaller brush. Catherine

<span style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);”>In the graph for the compass there is an extended line in the middle section for the lower left but not the other quadrants.  The completed stitched photo shows lines in all quadrants. This appears on all the graphs in lesson 3. </span>

Here is my progress picture. I used a fine detail paint brush because I found the one provided to be too big for the small areas. I think students might feel better if they were provided a smaller brush. 

Hi Marie, the M is the trickiest one to work out!

Here’s a blown up version of the stitch plan for the letter – the numbers refer to the order to work them in and the line indicates where the thickest point is.

For where to take out threads, here is the original font M which I used. You can’t follow it exactly (its really hard to get the dot…[Read more]

Becky,

Yes curved needles are fabulous – they are tricky to get the hang of, but once you’ve got the knack you find so many uses for them! They are also helpful for Appliqué to slips stitch turned fabrics, or fo attaching lining onto curtains!

I have discovered that the curved needles are absolutely awesome. I can’t tell you how many times I have stitched boxes or biscornu together with a straight needle, and fussed and fussed with them. The curved needle makes all the difference in the world!

Hi Ann,

Yes, you can pad any surface of a box. In fact we will be padding both sides of the lid. It’s not needed for size – when I’ve made boxes with really large panels I’ve used a thicker/denser card.

Below is a picture of a Stumpwork casket I made a few years ago, it’s about 20cm long, 15cm deep and 15cm tall – and all the outer panels…[Read more]