Customer Reviews

Coloring With Thread: A No-Drawing Approach to Free-Motion Embroidery

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I enjoy traditional quilts and quilting methods, from hand quilting to stitching in the ditch. But I love free-motion quilting and have recently begun learning free-motion embroidery. Coloring with Thread by Ann Fahl is a fascinating and informative addition to this ever-evolving art form.

Embroidery is decorating or embellishing the surface of fabric with thread. And machine embroidery is the decorative stitching that is done with a sewing machine. Note: When you quilt, you sew through all three layers of a quilt. Machine embroidery is not seen on the underside of the bottom layer of fabric.

Coloring with Thread offers the reader a gallery of quilts to view, with their development by the author. It also includes instruction to help learn the process of machine embroidery, tips and techniques that will help make the sewing easier and more fun, tools and essentials, and actual projects that are easy enough to do that even a novice will be thrilled with the results.

I found the portion about stabilizers and hoops and the advantages and disadvantages of each to be helpful. The tips for bobbin thread selection and thread success should be marked for reference. And the practice exercises allow beginners to become familiar and comfortable with the process of machine embroidery.

Armchair Interviews says: If you're interested in learning about machine embroidery, Coloring with Thread is a must have for your library. And while this is a great book to learn from, the reader will also be thrilled looking at all of the spectacular quilts that are included.

This book is a 'curl up and read' book as if Ann is in the room talking to you. The book is written in such a personal way that you feel she is standing there in the room helping you. She has written it in such a manner that you can easily follow her suggestions and begin using her techniques. I suggest this book for anyone who wants to learn to use the sewing machine to add details to their work.

As one reviewer says, this is a must have, must keep how to publication. As I read the introduction, it occurred to me that I could follow the directions and learn free-motion stitching, by which I have been terribly intimidated.

Ms. Fahl takes you from a first-class introduction to several practice exercises and projects -- all designed to allow the reader to become thoroughly comfortable with the process. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful, and the instructions are clear and well-written.

I use self-learning books all the time, and this is one of the best I've ever read and used. Learning how to draw with thread has been the most fun my sewing machine and I have had together in a long while.

Do yourself a favor and buy this one. It's surely a keeper.

Ann Fahl's COLORING WITH THREAD: A NO- DRAWING APPROACH TO FREE-MOTION EMBROIDERY tells how to use any sewing machine with feed dog drop to create embroidered fabrics. From a student gallery of works by students to step-by-step project instructions packed with color photos throughout and color sidebars of tips and tricks, COLORING WITH THREAD provides a fine new approach to creating enhanced fabrics.

Ann Fahl does an excellant job of putting together an interesting book explaining thread work. It is full of information on needles, threads, cloth, etc. A very good resouce to have on hand. And an inspiration to try to new machine work in quilting.

This book has succeeded in capturing the exquisite beauty of Ann Fahl's stitching and color. The step-by-step photos and directions are so detailed that quilters will rest assured they can learn some of her special techniques. For those of us who simply appreciate her work as art, she has shared stories of how some of her quilts came to be designed and included many colorful scenes to enjoy.

I have seen Ann Fahl's quilts up close and they are beautiful. So I was happy when I could purchase her book that shared her tecnique for thread painting. I think this is a must for anyone who would like to go a step further in their quilt design.

As a freehand embroiderer for more than a couple of decades, I purchased this book a few years ago and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I must admit that I buy books like this as much to enjoy reading as to learn from. Unlike a prior reviewer, I won't criticize Ms. Fahl for having a different artistic vision that I might have--and my work is quite different from hers. So what? This book is presented as a jumping-off point for the buyer's creativity. This book is a great companion to Ms. Fahl's DVD presentation on working with thread; I have reviewed it separately. For a beginner, this can be a very good first resource.

We just cannot get enough time to try everything in this book It is absolutely inspiring. It is exciting just reading it and makes one long to get to the sewing machine. Why do we have to do housework, cooking and cleaning when there are such exciting things to create. Thanks to Ann Fahl for the work she has put into this book.I will always treasure it as I learn the art of Thread Painting.

This is one of the more interesting free motion embroidery
Books. I think that any one who can sew can do these projects. They are well illustrated and directions are clearly given. No guess work.