Flower Stitch Foot

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, trust me, I have about 5 different pieces going right now. Unfortunately, this is the only one finished and now looking at it, I question if it really is yet? I think I want to finish off the edges differently. I'm thinking of binding it to give it a crisper but softer edge (did that make any sense?).

The round stitching is created by what is called a Flower Stitch Foot that you attach to your sewing machine. When I first took it out of the box, I really wondered how this huge foot attachment was going to successfully fit my machine. It took some trial and error, but I finally got it to fit properly. Next was determining what stitch and thread tension to use. The directions that came with the foot states to turn your tension as far down to zero as you can and to put the stitch on a zig zag stitch, (I found out with doing the solid dots, it works better to turn the stitch length down as far as you can as well).

Again, with some trial, error & patience, I finally got the stitch to work. When they say to back the material with some type of stabilizer, make sure you do this................... (this was part of my trial & error). I thought if I just doubled the fabric that this would be enough, but the zig zag stitches either bunched the fabric up under the foot or it skipped stitches. Once I figured out that yes, you need the stabilizer, the stitch worked!!!

This foot can create 3 different sized circles that you can adjust with just the turn of a screw on the foot. I know there are a lot of other different stitches out there to try, (check out this site) but I just haven't tried them out yet.

And I know, I know, another blue piece? It's much easier for me to try new techniques in a color that I'm comfortable with first, so I'm not figthing, trying the new technique AND working with a color I'm not used to. Right now, I'm working on these beaded prayer pillows for a swap in FAT & I tried making one all in reds & oranges & I have to tell you, for a finished piece that only turned out about 2.5" by 2.5", I really struggled through it. It was a color I wasn't used to working in & I have to tell you, I doubted myself throughout the entire piece, that visually, it was going to turn out ok. Not until I finished stitching up the little pillow did I realize, "you know, this actually turned out really nice". (As soon as I get these 3 little pillows finished - hopefully sometime this week- I'll post them here for you.)