Texture Magic, from Superior Threads, is a steam-activated shrinking fabric made of polyester. The fabric shrinks approximately 30% in all directions when steam is applied.

King Tut, from Superior Threads, is a 3-ply 40-weight cotton thread intended for machine quilting, decorative stitching, and top stitching. I used it to make a hedgehog pin cushion.

Rainbows, from Superior Threads, is a 40-weight trilobal variegated polyester thread with a one-inch color change interval. I used it for thread painting a handmade fabric postcard.

Razzle Dazzle is a sparkly 8-weight polyester thread made by Superior Threads. Due to its thickness, it isn’t intended to be used in the sewing machine needle but to be used for couching or bobbin work.

Here are some of the things that I learned in my workshop with Cheri Meineke-Johnson about embellishing with hot-fix crystals.

Art media such as paint, ink, foil, and dye and techniques such as distressing, aging, rusting, and bleaching have all been used successfully to embellish quilts.

I’ve been looking forward to this article because I really enjoy embellishing quilts with beads.  Even though I haven’t done a tremendous amount of beading, I have always been pleased with the results whenever beads were added.  Now, when I work on my quilt projects, I consider beading in the same way I consider other [...]

We can enhance our quilts by changing the way a fabric looks or behaves. This article looks at a variety of fabric manipulation techniques that can be used for embellishment.

This second article on embellishment will look at ways that I have used ribbon, braid and other types of trim in my quilts.

Reviewing The Quilter’s Directory of Embellishments (Sally Holman, C&T Publishing 2006) has inspired me to write a series of articles on ways that I have embellished some of my quilts. We start off this week with decorative stitching.