by Liz Kettle

Understanding your sewing machine’s tension system is the single most important thing you need to know to become an incredible stitching queen (or king). However, tension is often the most confusing aspect of your machine and we aren’t taught much beyond turn it this way to loosen the top tension and that way to tighten it. So, most of us just leave that dial alone and never move it off of the little line in the middle that is supposed to give us perfect tension.Before I hand out my great tips for understanding your machine’s tension let’s get a few technical terms down.




Balanced Tension: achieved when your upper and lower threads meet in the middle of your seam or quilt. The top thread is not visible on the underside and the bobbin thread is not visible on the top of whatever you are stitching.
Unbalanced Tension: tension is not balanced and either the top thread is visible on the underside or the bobbin thread is visible on the top. Unbalanced tension can be used for cool special effects.
Tension Dial: an adjustable dial (technically called a regulator) on your sewing machine that allows you to increase or reduce the tension on your thread. Some computerized machines have adjustments located on the programing board and you push a button to adjust the tension but we still call it the tension dial just because…well because we always have.
Tension Disks: two disks through which the thread passes when you thread your machine. These disks squeeze together to put tension on the thread. The amount of pressure put on the thread is determined by the setting on the tension dial.
Thread Guides: These are hooks or slots along the threading path for your machine. They add a little tension to the thread as they guide it in the proper direction to the needle. If you skip a thread guide you will reduce the thread tension a teensy amount.

If you always use the exact same thread in the top and bobbin, keep your machine clean, have it serviced often, change your needles regularly and always stitch with the feed teeth (dogs) up you may never have to adjust your upper thread tension. But, if you are stitching a little on the wild side and like to play with more than one type of thread, keep reading!

One of the first things I explain to my students is that there is no one right answer for which tension setting to use with a particular thread and fabric combination. The unique settings for each and every sewing machine vary. Humidity (or lack of) and temperature effect your thread, fabric and machine. Additionally, the age and health of each machine is as much a factor as the disposition of the machine operator is.

The very best exercise for understanding your machine’s upper tension settings with different thread combinations is one that I developed when I began teaching my Stitch Journeys classes. It doesn’t take much time and will give you a wealth of knowledge about your machine.

You will need the following supplies:
Fabric: choose a medium to light color solid or mottled fabric. Cut to 5″x7″ in my sample but you can make it larger if you like.
Thread: choose an assortment of specialty threads. This sample uses a Silk 100wt., a Rayon (medium wt.), Metallic, Cotton (medium wt.) and a Rayon (heavy wt.). Choose a contrasting color thread for the bobbin in a medium wt. cotton.
Tear away stabilizer
Fine tip marker

Use a Sharp or Microtex needle.
Change needles as needed for larger or metallic threads.
Assumption: Most machines have adjustments from 0-9 or 10. If yours has fewer or more simply adjust the number of grid lines you draw.

STEPS
1. Draw horizontal grid lines on your fabric 3/4″ apart or further apart if making a larger sample. I stitched my lines for extra stitch fun.
2. On the left side, write the numbers 0-8. These are the tension settings you will test. It is not necessary to go to a 9 or 10 tension setting because the fabric will usually begin drawing up and puckering because the tension is high. Set up your machine for a zigzag stitch (as wide as possible with a slightly shortened length-about a 1 to 1.5) and choose one of the specialty threads. Choose the needle down option if available
3. Begin at the top of the grid with the upper tension disks set to ’0′. Stitch to the first grid line.
4. With the needle in the down position, lift the presser foot, adjust the tension dial to next high number. Lower the presser foot and stitch to the next grid line. Repeat all the way down the length of your fabric changing tension at each line. Always lift the presser foot to change your tension setting or it will take a few stitches to register the change.
5. Repeat the process with different threads in vertical rows across the width of the fabric. Write the thread fiber and weight next to each sample.

What You Get!
You now have a visual record of the settings that work best for each thread you use. This may not be a guarantee across different brands but it gives you a starting point. Look at the metallic thread stitching in the middle column of my sample. I had a lightweight poly thread in the bobbin so my balanced tension is at 2. At 3 I was already pulling the bobbin thread up here and there. With the silk 100wt there is hardly any pull up of the bobbin thread because the bobbin thread and upper thread were more closely matched in weight.

In general, you will see that in the Zero-2 or 3 settings the top thread is pulled to the back of your work. The top tension is too loose. Most threads will show their ‘balanced’ tension between the 3 to 5 setting points. You will start to see the bobbin thread coming to the top between 6-8. The top tension is too tight.

Free Motion Tension:
When you are free motion stitching with the feed teeth disengaged you become part of the thread tension system. You may have to adjust your machine tension to compensate for the way you move the fabric. For example, I sew fast and move my fabric pretty fast too, so I usually set my upper tension to zero when I am free motion stitching with a rayon or metallic thread, and to 1 when I am using cotton or polyester threads. If I am relaxed and sewing slower, I may not change my upper tension at all.

I hope that helps solve all your tension issues! For more wild stitching adventures such as the moss stitch heart to the left, get my book; Threads: the Basics and Beyond written by Debbie Bates and myself.

Liz Kettle is a mixed media and textile artist living in Colorado. She is co-author of 2 books, Fabric Embellishing: The Basics and Beyond and Threads: The Basics and Beyond. Liz loves teaching and sharing the joy of making stuff in her articles, classes and workshops. Visit her blog and website, www.TextileEvolution.com.

I have chosen to cut my lattice strips 2″ wide. When they are sewn in, the size will finish at
1 1/2″ wide. I cut my first lattice strips the length of a block which is 9 inches long.
Cut eight of these strips.

This is the “Sewing Sequence” in photos. I find that showing the sequence in photos will teach a lot better than words alone. Sew a lattice strip to two sides of a block. Then, sew a block on each side of the block. This is the first row; it is a “three block strip”.

Press each seam with a hot iron. I don’t use steam because it can distort straight seams.

Repeat this for all your rows. Now you have four “three block strips”.

Measure the length of the “three block strip” to determine how long to cut your next lattice strips. Cut five lattice strips approximately 28″ long. However, measure to be sure.

Sew the “three block strips” together to the next “three block strip”
with a lattice strip in between.

Pin the lattice strip to the edge of the block strip before stitching.
Anytime I work with long strips like this, I think that pinning is so helpful.

Here is the continuing sequence of stitching the quilt top together.

Then, sew the lattice strips around the edge to create the effect
of the blocks floating in the green fabric.

The final; outside border is a strong floral. I figured I would use a floral
that had all the colors of the other fabrics.

I cut the border the same width as one of the nine-patch blocks 3″ wide. Sew the top and the bottom borders on. Then, sew the two side borders on to finish the quilt top.

By Terry White

The layout of a quilt is when you decide where the blocks
are going to go and how you will sew them together.
Setting the quilt is when you set them in the arrangement of your layout.

So, here are two sets of nine-patches. As I make them,
two at a time, I’m laying them out to see how they look.

I could sew them together as they are laid out just above in PHOTO 3, but I want to add lattice strips. Lattice strips are strips of fabric sewn between quilt blocks. This will separate the blocks like frames
and make the quilt bigger.

Here, I’ve separated the blocks and I like the amount of white space between them. There is about 1 1/2″ of white space between the blocks.
So, I’ll make my lattice strips the same width.
This is the layout I’ve decided upon.

The next thing I do is to try out different fabrics to see what would work as lattice strips. Green is a good choice because it is the color of grass and leaves…it is a natural neutral. I lay my different blocks against this color of green to see how they look. I like this green with the blocks. It doesn’t overpower the fabrics in the blocks and some of the blocks have this soft green in the fabric prints. I tried a few other colors before this one. I tried a blue and several brighter greens, this one was the best choice for me.

I cut strips and laid them out to see better how they would look. I like it!
I cut the strips 2″ wide, so after they are sewn
the strips will finish at 1 1/2″ wide.

Make sure that your nine-patch blocks are all the same size. You may have to measure and cut some to make them the same size. This is called, “Squaring up the blocks”. I prefer to always sew every block perfectly the same size every time. Yes, we all want that to happen. However, because we are not all perfect machines, the term “squaring up” was invented!

Here is a detail shot of the corner of the quilt top to show the fabric I chose for a border. This fabric is softer than the fabric prints in the blocks and it picks up a lot of the colors in the quilt.

How A Quilter Ended Up In The Pages Of A Particle Physics Publication

By Dan Nosowitz – Posted 03.02.2012 at 1:06 pm

We first became aware of Kate Findlay’s work thanks to Symmetry Magazine, which publishes articles relating to particle physics. Kate isn’t a particle physicist; in fact, she’s not even a scientist. She works as an art teacher at a private elementary school in the U.K., and also makes these amazing quilts. Symmetry’s interest (and ours, and yours, we think) comes from her inspiration for one particular line of quilts: the hardware of the Large Hadron Collider. We’ve put together a gallery of her work, and also did a little Q&A with her, below.

PopSci: How long have you been making quilts? Do you work with other materials?

Kate Findlay: I have not been making quilts that long, really. My first one was in 2008, about six months before I started work on the Hadron Collider series. I have always been a painter in my spare time, mostly landscapes and still-lifes, but I work exclusively in fabric now, even when doing more pictorial pieces (like my Henley river series on my website).

PS: Where did the inspiration come from to look to the LHC?

KF: I was reading The Times in September 2008 and came across an illustrated article about the LHC. I knew about it anyway, but something just struck a chord with me and I immediately started researching online to find more images. I was very excited by what I found and knew without a shadow of doubt that this was something I wanted to develop into a body of work. (CERN gave me permission to use their photos.)

KF: The LHC is a remarkably beautiful machine. Its symmetry, the repeating motifs, [and] the colors were all things that I was drawn to–for any textile artist, pattern and color are top of the list and the LHC has all these! The other aspect I particularly liked was the idea of a regular circle within a square; I wanted to explore variations on this theme. Working in fabric is extremely slow and laborious, and there have been a number of occasions over the past three years when I wished I was just painting the subject. But fabric has an added dimension, its texture and sheen, which has really worked for me in making these pieces.

PS: How did you come across the LHC’s work? Were you a fan of that branch of science beforehand?

KF: I did know about it, but in a pretty general way–just what had come up in the news and through people talking about it. I have always liked science, but certainly wasn’t paying much attention to the physics of it all. That has changed with this work, and I have been reading up on the physics discoveries of the 20th century and what the current theories are, although I confess I don’t understand much of it!

PS: What is it about the LHC that you’re trying to capture in these quilts? How do you choose the colors, patterns, and techniques that go into them?

KF: When I started, I was just enjoying creating pieces that had a flavor of parts of the machine I had seen images of. As I read more, I have been trying to get some of the physics concepts into my work. One of the things that has struck me most is the aspect of scale–the huge Hadron Collider is trying to split infinitesimally small subatomic particles–to find out how our vast, vast universe is put together. So I have found aspects of astronomy creeping in to my work as well as studies of how atoms are formed and split.

The colors in my work have been very influenced by things I have seen in the CERN photos as well as using lots of metallic fabrics. More recently I have started to dye and screen print fabrics to get more subtle effects. The early pieces were mixed media: mostly fabric, but incorporating wire, card, beads, strange objects and anything else that achieved the right effect. The large quilts are more traditional in construction, being three layers, but without anything stuck on to the surface. I realized belatedly that I need to be able to roll them up to store them, as they take up a lot of room!

Standing in front of the wall of sewing machine needle options can be daunting. Just what are all those different needles for? Thoroughly confused, you grab an assorted pack of universal needles because they should work for anything right? Back home you pick up your latest piecing project, some lovely batik fabrics in blues and greens. You start stitching away and arrrgghhhh the stitching starts puckering and the thread breaks. Tension issues? Bad thread? Maybe not, it could just be your needle choice.

There is an amazing amount of engineering that goes into those small sewing machine needles! Each type of needle is designed for a specific task, fabric or type of thread. Learning which needle to use when, will keep your stitching time joyful instead of frustrating. Just as important, is experimenting to see which needles can substitute for each other when you break your last ‘perfect’ needle at 2am. As an example you can use an embroidery or topstitch needle instead of a metallic needle with metallic threads. Choose the embroidery needle if you are free motion stitching, and the topstitch needle can fill in when you are stitching programmed stitches.

There are many brands of needles made. Two predominate manufacturers are Schmetz and Organ. Some machines work better with one or the other. My Bernina does not do well with Organ, but friends who have Janome machines prefer them.

It is very important to change your needles often. I change needles after about every 8-10 hours of stitching; more often when I am stitching on upholstery fabrics, paper or metal. When I am having a problem stitching, the first change I make is to put in a new needle. Your needle may look fine but microscopic nicks and a blunted tip will cause stitch problems.

I have compiled a list of the most common needles and a description of what they are best used for. Print it out and put it by your machine.

Universal: the point is slightly rounded for use on knits but they are still sharp enough for some woven fabrics. They work better with loosely woven fabrics such as homespun and flannel. I don’t find this needle to be useful for fine knits or tightly woven fabrics. Available in sizes 60-120.

Microtex/sharps: the point is sharp and they feature a narrow shaft that works well with tightly woven fabrics such as batiks, silk, faux suede and microfibers. They are good for quilting, heirloom stitching, topstitching, pintucks and edge stitching. If you want a very straight line this is the needle to use. Available in sizes 60-110.

Quilting: this needle features a slightly rounded, tapered point and is designed to stitch through thick layers and intersecting seams. Good for quilt piecing and general quilting. Available in sizes 75-90.

Embroidery: these needles have a light ball point, a deeper scarf on the back to help with loop formation with fine threads, and a larger eye to reduce friction and allow you to use specialty threads with ease. They are designed to stack the stitches close together without damaging the treads next to them. They are the first needle that was designed to stitch in many directions. Available in sizes 75-90.

Topstitch: designed to go through layers of fabric or heavy fabrics, this needle has a larger shaft to reduce flex. They also have a very sharp point to aid in obtaining a straight line. They have a very long eye and deeper groove for heavier threads or to accommodate two threads at one time. Available in sizes 80-100.

Metallic: designed especially for use with metallic threads this needle has an even larger elongated eye than an embroidery needle. It has a fine shaft and a sharp point to reduce friction on the thread. And finally, it has a deeper scarf as well as a deeper groove. The metal in the thread can wear a groove in the needle itself so they generally have to be changed more frequently. Available in size 80-90.

If you would like to find out more about needles you can find a great chart that shows all the needle parts on the Schmetz Needle website:  www.schmetzneedles.com

Click here for a printable PDF of this blog.

 

 

For a long time I have been in the habit of saving my quilted “trimmings” – those hunks that are cut off a quilt construction for one reason or another.

I decided to make a new construction from these leftovers in the form of a yoga mat carrier. To make the carrier, I rolled up my yoga mat and measured the width of the mat as well as the circumference of the rolled mat. I decided I wanted the carrier to be 26″ long by 18″ wide, which will allow for the rolled mat plus a bit of room for something else to be rolled in with the mat, if desired.

 

 

I dug through my scraps and began to randomly piece sections together with a zig zag stitch.

Once a large section of the pieces was joined together, I stopped to trim them, eventually achieving the size I desired for the carrier.

To improve the inside appearance of the carrier, and to increase the strength of the construction, I fused a piece of Hoffman fabric, cut to size, to the inside of the carrier
and trimmed the edges.

Cutting strips of the same cloth 1 /12″ wide, I joined them end-to-end, to create a binding for the carrier. I pressed both edges of the long strip toward the center. Beginning on the “right”, or outer side of the carrier, I stitched the binding down 1/2″ from the edge using a dark top thread and Superior Monopoly thread in the bobbin. Once the binding was stitched all the way around the edges, I flipped the carrier and, taking care to fold the binding over tightly, I stitched the inside of the binding in place very close to the edge. Since the clear monofilament thread is now what is showing on the outside of the carrier, and because the stitch line is so close to the edge of the binding, it is virtually invisible. The result is a nicely finished edge that is sturdy!

Note: trimming the corner, cloth and batting, at a 45 degree angle made turning the binding at the corner much easier!

Using pre-purchased set of strapping designed to fit around a yoga mat that has a handle between two sets of adjustable clips, I positioned the handle along one side of my mat
and pinned in place. 

Since the male portion was cut from the handle, I folded the cut end and stitched the strapping to assure it won’t fray, then positioned the clasps 4″ from the edges on the opposite side of the carrier, pinned in place, and carefully machine stitched them to the carrier. Even though the strapping is thick, the sewing machine had no difficulty stitching them in place. 

Last, I created a pouch with a clear front that will be positioned inside the carrier with two large snaps, one on each end. This adds to the functionality of the mat carrier for me, as I do not wish to carry my purse into my yoga class, yet I often need a pocket for a few small items, such as my towel and cell phone (ringer off, of course!).

To create this zipper bag (the finished size for mine is 7″ by 14″), I cut a piece of thick clear plastic, sold by the yard in stores with home dec materials.

I stitched to the “right” side of a zipper. Using the same type of fabric that lines the inside of my yoga carrier, I cut a length of cloth one inch wider than the width of my plastic “window”, and 1 1/2″ longer. With the right side of the cloth facing the right side of the zipper, I stitched the cloth to the zipper. Turning the plastic and zipper so it was inside-out, I stitched the sides together, taking care to stitch closely to the zipper ends. The zipper ends were carefully trimmed, along with the plastic (and I trimmed the corners to a 45 degree edge to minimize the plastic poking a hole in the cloth.

The bag was turned right side out. Large snaps were positioned on each top end of the bag. The male portion was attached to the bag, and the female portion positioned on the inside of the yoga mat carrier and stitched in place.

 

 

 

 

 

I added a whimsical but functional clip to the handle strap as a quick way to clip my car keys to the carrier. I found this clip at a home improvement center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The finished carrier is functional,
lovely (inside and out!) and absolutely unique!

 

This carrier is absolutely perfect for carrying a quilt to and from a show, guild meeting, or anywhere else.
This carrier is not just for yoga mats!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rotary cutting is one of the best tools in the modern quilter’s box. I was so excited when I got my first rotary cutter when I was a budding quilter but that quickly turned to dismay when it turned out a bit harder than it looked. I have gathered some of my best tips for successful rotary cutting.

1. Square it up! One of the things that frustrated me the most was the dreaded curve in the middle of my cut fabric strips. I would try to steam it out but that never worked. Quilter friends gave advice for cutting a straight strip but I still ended up with those pesky curves. My friend Cat M. came to the rescue with her great technique for squaring up your fabric for cutting straight strips.

Begin by ironing your fabric. Match up the selvedge edges so they are as close to parallel as you can get. Selvedge edges are not always straight. Lay your fabric on your cutting mat and smooth it flat. Cutting is best done on a counter height
table to prevent back fatigue.

Use two rulers: a long one and a square one. Place the long one down first on the fold line and then the square one right next to it. Use a line on the ruler rather than the edge of the ruler to place your ruler accurately on the fold of the fabric. Using two rulers ensures that you will have a straight edge for your first cut.

Hold the ruler firmly with one hand or arm while you make your cut. Many people use their hand to hold the ruler. In order to keep the ruler from shifting as they cut along the length, they have to stop the cutting motion when they have moved past their hand in order to move the hand up to the top part of the ruler. You might want to try this approach in which you lay your arm from elbow to fingers along the entire length of the ruler. I never have a problem with the ruler shifting when I hold the ruler this way and I am less likely to accidently cut myself.

2. Don’t let it slip! There are some great tools to help prevent your ruler from slipping.

Small sandpaper dots (Fabric Grippers from Nifty Notions).

And a plastic cling film called InvisiGrip™.
Both keep the smooth plastic rulers from slipping.

3. Rulers wear out! Over time the sharp edge of your rotary cutting blade can shave off the plastic of the ruler. This tends to happen about the middle of the ruler. Check your ruler to see if it needs replacing by placing it on edge on a flat surface. If there is a section that is not in contact with the table it is time to get a new ruler. In this photo you can see a tiny bit more shadow around the 13″ mark where the ruler is not completely in contact with the table. It is very slight but there are also a couple of good nicks in the edge so I need to start looking for a good sale.

4. Mark it! Use blue painters tape or specialty ruler tape such as Glow-Line Tape to mark corners when squaring up multiple quilt blocks or along a line when cutting multiple strips the same width. This saves time and prevents you from accidently using the wrong measurement.

5. Consistency Counts! Some quilters caution you to only use the lines on the ruler for measuring and some insist that the lines on the cutting mat are the best way to measure. We can have a passionate discussion about who is right but in the end as long as you are consistent with your measuring choice it doesn’t matter if you chose the mat or the ruler. The same goes for which side of the line you measure off of or if you use the middle of the line, as long as you are consistent you won’t have any problems. You should also be consistent in the brand of ruler you use. There can be tiny differences between brands that may affect your finished project.

6. Baby your mat! You can extend the life of your self-healing cutting mat with a little TLC. Always store your mat flat especially when traveling. If you do a lot of strip cutting be sure not to cut on the same line all the time as this will eventually cause cuts too deep to heal. Treat your mat to a spa day once a year. Use a soft brush and warm water to clean out fibers caught in the cuts. Then give your mat a soak in cool water with a little white vinegar so it can re-hydrate. Make sure you soak them flat though! You can make a temporary soaking tub with thick plastic sheeting that is gathered up in the corners to make a shallow basin.

7. Use the right rotary cutter! When you are cutting through two layers of cotton a 45mm rotary cutter is perfect but when you want to cut through 4 layers of cotton or heavier fabrics you may want to choose the 60mm cutter. The small cutter is great for small shapes and curves. Havel’s rotary cutters are designed to prevent hand fatigue and repetitive motion stress so they are the perfect choice for cutting lots of strips of fabric.

8. Change those blades! Cutting with a sharp blade makes our work easier. As soon as your blade shows signs of dullness, or if you nick it on something don’t put off changing it. You have to use a lot more pressure to cut with a dull blade and that means arm fatigue and a higher chance of accidents.

Liz Kettle is a mixed media and textile artist living in Colorado. She is co-author of two books, Fabric Embellishing: The Basics and Beyond and Threads: The Basics and Beyond. Liz loves teaching and sharing the joy of making stuff in her articles, classes and workshops. Visit her blog and website at www.TextileEvolution.com

 

 

Click Here to See Other Articles By Liz

Patchwork refers to the technique of cutting pieces of fabric and then stitching them together to make a quilt top. The cut pieces of fabric are called patches.When the pieces are stitched together into a single unit, the unit is called a quilt block.When quilt blocks are stitched together, this is called the quilt top.When the quilt top is layered with the batting and the backing and quilted together, this is called a quilt.

Today’s quilter uses “strip piecing” to cut and stitch patchwork together. The “strip piecing” technique can be described as cutting strips of fabric, stitching them together, cutting them again and stitching them back together. Many complex designs can be created in this manner. The wonderful thing is that one only needs to know how to sew a straight line on the sewing machine.

So, I will start with the simplest block and that is called a Nine-Patch because it has nine patches in it.

I start with laying out fabrics and here is the Japanese design group shown in an earlier blog. I laid them out making sets of two with contrasting colors.
There are six sets of two.

Before cutting my strips, I cut off the woven edge of the fabric, this is called the “selvedge”. It is more tightly woven than the rest of the fabric. You see little holes in it; this is where the fabric is held by machines as it is processed.

In a previous blog, I show how to use a rotary cutter.
We also have a video tutorial on this website.

Starting with one set, I cut three (3) 1/2″ wide strips
with my rotary cutter of each fabric.

I arrange the fabrics into two sets.

Now, the strips will be sewn together with a 1/4″ seam. Quilters have proven that this is the best seam allowance for patchwork. The key here is to stitch very carefully so that the seam is 1/4″ exactly all the length of each strip.
This may take practice to always have a good seam.

Press the seams together with a hot iron. Don’t use steam, it may distort the blocks.

Now, press the seams together to the darker fabric side.

See, the strip set on the left has the seams pressed inward and the set
on the right has the seams pressed outward.

Now, cut the strip sets 3 1/2″ wide to create a strip of three patches.

Arrange the sets into two nine-patch blocks. The blocks are reversed!
You will have extra patch sets and pieces; we will use those, too.

Sew the patch sets together with a 1/4″ seam. Now, you can see that by pressing the seams the way we did, the seams snug into each other making it easy to have matching points at the corners.

Terry White is a studio fiber artist. She has been doing this work since 1996, and she discovered the techniques she uses: threadpaint, machine appliqué, piece, quilt, embellish with beads, fibers and minutiae with sewing machine techniques, through experimentation and self-study. Terry teaches these techniques through classes and videos.Over the years Terry has been published in over 50 articles in magazines and books, including: McCall’s Needlework; Quilter’s Newsletter; Machine Embroidery and Textile Arts; CMA trade magazine; Stitch n Sew Quilts; Quick n Easy Quilts; Quilt World magazine and Calendar; Quilting Arts Calendar 2003; America from the Heart; America’s Best; America Sews.She is a wife, stitcher, artist, sister, mother, friend, nana, gardener, baker, writer, student, teacher and American.

See more of Terry’s work at www.threadpaint.com