Welcome fiber artist and quilter Karen Ponischil, owner of
Karen Ponischil Design. Karen teaches thread painting and free-motion quilting
at Mary Jo’s Cloth Store. To learn more
about Karen, and to see examples of her work visit www.KarenPonischil.com.
I have always loved creating with fabric and began sewing
when I was a youngster. At first I made clothes for my dolls and as I gained
more experience I began making my own clothes. I was given my first sewing
machine for Christmas when I was twelve years old, and this began a life long
love of sewing. In 2001, I discovered
art quilting which was my hobby until 2003 when I decided pursue it as a
career. I create quilts using whole-cloth painting or raw edge appliqué. I then
thread paint the quilt to bring it to
life!
What is thread painting?
Thread is used on fabric like an artist uses pencil on
paper, to add shadows, mid-tones and highlights. Thread “painting” makes an
object look 3-dimensional by using different thread colors. Below is an example of a ginkgo leaf design with
and without thread painting. This is what you will learn in the introductory
thread painting class that I teach at Mary Jo’s. You can see how the stitching and threads
create depth and texture to the fabric.
What is free-motion quilting?
Quilting also uses thread but the purpose is to hold 3
layers (top, batting and backing) together where thread painting is purely
decorative. Quilting can be done by hand, on a domestic sewing machine or a
long arm machine. Free-motion quilting is a technique where the feed dogs on
the machine are set in the down position, so the quilt can be moved in any
direction under the needle, and not just forward and backward. This allows for greater creativity!
I love sharing my tricks, tips and techniques for sewing,
quilting and thread painting with students.
It is such a fun and creative art that combines fabric, thread and
design. Join the fun and sign up for one
of my classes today, by clicking here.
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