Seaweed Mandala

Size 12” x 12”

Materials: Batik cotton, cotton batting, polyester embroidery threads in black, cream and blue, Tsukineko ink pens in turquoise.

Techniques: Free motion embroidery, free motion quilting, hand colouring.

A doodle similar to this is in my sketchbook. I was thinking about seaweed mandalas at the the time, and some turquoise and black pottery of my Mom’s. I spent HOURS on this piece. First, doodling with the sewing machine, then picking out bits of stabilizer from the back. At that time I was pretty happy with the piece and decided to give it a press with the iron. What a ~~~~~MISTAKE~~~~.

Perhaps the iron was too hot, because the polyester embroidery thread SHRUNK! The piece lost an inch all around and puckered terribly. I couldn’t do anything about it. Wetting didn’t help. Thank goodness I had cut a generous starting square, and thank goodness the design is more or less symmetrical and the puckers were even all over.

I didn’t lose any sleep over it and quilted it up in fairly simple outline quilting.  I am pleased with the results and love the texture. 

Here’s a close-up picture of the embroidery design.