Embroidery Tools – DMC Medicis Wool

Just look at what the cat dragged in!

Seriously…I really do have a stash to show. 😉

*This is a little stray kitty that has claimed an empty basket as his own. It’s a teeny tiny basket and he barely fits in it. His ‘momma’ is one wild feral thing, but the babies are all adoptable. He’s on a card table outside in our car port.*

Hubby and I went on a little run to the local art stores. We visited a paint and graphics place, (for Oil Paint) and I of course HAD to squeeze in the Local Needle supply Shop Fiddlesticks . We are pretty loyal customers there. We’d hate to see Hawaii without a great supply store like them.

Guess what I found!

Medicis Wool

Fiddlesticks has DMC Medicis wool on clearance for 50% off! It’s 63 cents a skein! (I guess it’s been discontinued by DMC.)

So, I now have a haul of wool to work with as part of my needle thread palette. I’m so excited! I can’t wait to create some designs with them. I’ve had some for some rose buds that I’m creating, but this will open my palette to more textures. I got a few fistfuls…

Aren’t they great!

It was a fun day. It’s always great to find some stash on sale!

*I just HAD to post the kitten…they are all just so cute stumbling around here at the house.* 😉

Your life needs fun. Go ahead, have some fun!

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Embroidery Tools – QSnaps Tutorial

After posting about the hoop stand and the QSnaps, some conversation was generated about the ease and nonease of using QSnaps. Some embroiderers say that they have difficulty removing the QSnaps when they have to reposition the hoop. I’ve never thought of that, and I think I know why.

Here is how I use QSnaps.

I place the hoop frame under the fabric to be embroidered.

Place a strip of fabric strip, maybe a light muslin, over top of the first side of the QSnap that is under the fabric to be embroidered.

Lay the QSnap down on top of that fabric strip.

Center the QSnap over the fabric strip.

Snap the QSnap into place.

Here is the first side snapped into place over the protective fabric strip.

Then, moving to adjacent edge, lay another protective fabric strip over the second edge of the QSnap frame.

Lay the QSnap down on top of that fabric strip. Center the QSnap over the fabric strip.

Snap the QSnap into place.

Here is the second side done. The protective fabric strips do not get caught by the next QSnap. Each hangs freely in the corners.

Then, moving to adjacent edge, lay another protective fabric strip over the third edge of the QSnap frame.

Lay the QSnap down on top of that fabric strip. Center the QSnap over the fabric strip. Snap the QSnap into place.

Then, moving to the last edge, lay another protective fabric strip over the fourth edge of the QSnap frame.

Lay the QSnap down on top of that fabric strip. Center the QSnap over the fabric strip. Snap the QSnap into place.

Here it is with all sides of the QSnap snapped into place. You can see all the edges of the protective fabric strips as they sit under the QSnap edges.

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To tighten the fabric and pull it taut, grab the edge of the QSnap…

and gently “twist” outward, away from the center. The material tightens right up.

Here is the fabric waiting for embroidery all taut in the QSnap hoop.

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To remove the QSnap edges, grab the strip of protective fabric…

and pull away from the QSnap frame in an outward direction. The QSnap edges come right off with no problems.

I hope this helps to explain some of the mysteries of the QSnap quilt/embroidery hoop and its tight, snap down edges.

Your life needs fun. Go ahead and have fun!

———–Helpful Information——–

* I bought my QSnaps from Fiddlesticks – Hawaii

Find QSnap information (click here)

Find post Embroidery Tools- QSnaps and Embroidery Stand/Hoop Stand (click here)

Embroidery Tools- QSnaps and Embroidery Stand/Hoop Stand

I’ve never really been fond of the embroidery hoop.

Even when doing cross stitch, I have held the fabric and sewn the stitches without a hoop. The wood hoops just don’t ‘feel’ right to me, which is somewhat surprising considering that I am a woodworker and love wood. For me, they feel tiny and rather flimsy. The fabric eases out of them, no matter what prep I’ve done for the hoop. The plastic hoops just don’t give off the right feel either. They feel more “fun” than the wood hoops, but they just lack serious stitching substance. To me, they are slippery, and for some reason, attract dirt. Yes, when I try to use them, there is a collection of dirty brown stuff that just always appears on the edge of the fabric. It’s an odd phenomenon. lol

So, when discovering hand embroidery this past March, I was dreading the ‘hoop’. Until I found the QSnap.

I shop at my local needle-fun store, Fiddlesticks. They have an inconspicuous little shelf in the back of the store with these little packages of plastic sticks. Hubby saw them and said, “Hey, look at these!”. He was convinced of their potential and insisted that I try several sizes of them. So, I have the 8″x8″ and the 11″x11″.

They are the best by any standard. At least for me they are!

They assemble by easily snapping together.

I can place “guards” (material strips) on the edges of the working fabric to keep any stray “magnetic dirt” from finding their its way to my working fabric.

I just place the fabric over the frame and ‘snap’ the edge holders on. Easy peasy.

If my fabric starts to loosen while I stitch, then I just gentle “turn” the snap cover until the fabric in taut again.

The frame is hefty. It has substance. It won’t fall out of my hand. It just feels good.

I was stitching several clusters of French Knots when hubby saw that I was balancing the QSnap between my knees to do ‘hands-free’ stitching. So, he did some research, went out to his wood shop, and built me this great stand.

I sit cross legged everywhere. So, he made this stand so that I can tuck it right under my legs, in any direction, and stitch hands-free.

The QSnaps make all the difference. I can change the tension across the fabric with any little ‘twist’ from the QSnap cover.

The stand is fantastic! I can clamp in my QSnap hoop and sit and stitch. Here are the jaws that open and clamp to the QSnap. He formed the channels inside the jaws to match the QSnaps perfectly. It looks just like little face…with a little mouth.

Just slip in the QSnap with the fabric…and tighten the jaws.

It’s all ready to go!

The stand adjusts to angles, heights, and positions that I need and I can leave the QSnaps in the jaws and just put the whole stand and all away overnight and just pick it all back up again the next time with no extra prep.

And best of all, it is complete with hubby’s signature. (See the little heart…on the foot of the stand…his enclosure for me when completing the project!)

Off to stitch the monkeys! I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours! What do you use to stitch with? Hoop? Frame? Stand? Tell us about it in the comments.

Your life needs fun. Go ahead, have some fun!