New toy! (Or never say "Never"

I'm now the owner of a Janome MC350e embroidery machine.
Pam gave me nearly two hours of her time familiarising  me with  a few of the machine's points, but I will be back for more in depth lessons, once I have digested the manual and accompanying DVD.
All in all, I'm more than happy with the deal: Extra patterns,
Three hoops, including a Giga hoop, and patterns to use with the hoop
Water soluble stabiliser
Tear away stabiliser
Cut away stabiliser, and some reels of thread.

One happy little black duck!  That's me

Returning to Crazy

As I promised yesterday

                                                                                                           
a shot of the small amount of seam embellishment done.
On the pink fabric is Cretan stitch
The next seam between the patterned fabric and the bottle green features a multi dyed silk thread, which unfortunately doesn't  create an interesting contrast, so I guess that I will need add some bling to enliven the chain stitch.
The two entwining branches, worked in Fly stitch are two Edmar Rayon , lola weight threads.

Never say "Never"

Some eight to ten years back, an online friend was attempting to entice me into the joys of Machine Embroidery!
She would send me delightful motifs and lacy pieces to use in my Crazy Quilting.
I always gratefully accepted her offerings, and used them in CQ and fabric and fibre postcards.
I was so adamant that I would NEVER even look at Embroidery machines, that most of the rayon threads I  had used in machine applique, and other odd bits,  I sent to her.

Move on a couple of years, and I had drifted away from CQ to small Art quilts and Fabric and fibre postcards.

I made contact again, with someone who persuaded me to do a small workshop with her, in an effort to get my creative juices flowing again.

Yesterday, I worked on the first piece of rusting fabric. Pen has an old bookpress that is used only for rusting fabrics.
I had seen her pieces before, and was curious: so the piece of homespun was thoroughly dunked in a vinegar bath; fold to fit within the press and pressed and left.
P willoversee the process, and next Tuesday we'll rinse the piece,dry and iron it, and choose pieces to use in the small quilt.

The next step , was the "NO! not ever!" embroidery machine:

Three pieces were to be  constructed:
 One,a spray referred to as "Sunflowers" fitted in a five by seven piece of fabric.
The second, fitted in a square of fabric, and resembles a piece of square crochet (I forget the correct terminology, but will check it out and repair the omission, later)
As you can see, I (or rather the machine) managed to complete TWO pieces for me.

In the quilt, I am adding a photographic print: adapted from Michelangelo's "Creation"

I am also deciding whether to "do" a plain photographic face, or a machine embroidered face.
I have chosen what I will use for the basic model, but time ran out before I could make a start  on her.  I have chosen a pre-Raphaelite model.

The other piece(s) I to complete next week, are two "free standing" pieces of lace to attach at each end of the Sunflower Spray.

As you may have guessed from the fabric  and thread colours I've used, plus the addition of the hands and the face, I am hoping to achieve a look that resembles an "old" piece of fabric art---rusted fabric, muted paintings ( or sections of)

I am looking forward to getting on with it....next week!