I've been whiling away the wee small hours on my iPad lately. This scary looking portrait is another of my experiments trying to master my Apple pencil. I was aiming to make the eye as liquid as possible which I think has worked but with an unblinking stare like that I wouldn't want to meet her in a dark alley!
Drawing flowers is probably a safer bet. Here I've been getting to grips with ways of blending and shading colours.
I know some people think drawing on an iPad is somehow not real but I have to say, if you work in a traditional way like I do it's exactly the same as drawing direct to a sheet of paper with a pencil or a paintbrush. There are some great advantages in using the technology of course. One of them is being able to erase mistakes and start over again in the wink of an eye!
Bye for now,
Linda x
Hi Linda,
ReplyDeleteAs a keen admirer of your work and a follower of DMTV, I hope you won't mind if I ask for some advice.
I am a very keen FMQer and getting frustrated by the size and space limitations set by the 7" harp of my lovely but old Bernina, so thinkkng about a mid arm machine.I notice that you use the Pfaff Powerquilter. Was there any reason you chose that above the Handiquilter 16 or the APQS George and would you recommend it?
Many thanks
Hilary
Hi Hilary,
ReplyDeleteI love the Powerquilter and would certainly recommend it. I have no experience of the other machines you mention so I’m not in a position to be able to make direct comparisons.
I know it’s an expensive decision to make so I would recommend you try as many different machines as you can. I was lucky to put a Powerquilter through its paces at a show and knew right away that it would be perfect for my style of working. Of course it only does straight stitch so you will still need another sewing machine for other tasks but for quilting it’s so much better than a domestic sewing machine. The table is a very generous size, allowing you to see large areas of the design you are stitching and of course it also supports the weight of the quilt so there’s no pressure on the needle like you may have with an ordinary machine. The manufacturers do offer an optional table extension but I have placed my machine alongside a desk so I’ve never felt the need of the extra worktop. I also decided against a stitch regulator although I do know some people wouldn’t be without theirs. I suppose it’s what you’re used to and I’ve never had one!
I’ve found that it’s a very straightforward machine to get to know. It’s quite simple to use as long as you make sure to thread it correctly through the tension disks. I really like the double size bobbin too as with the close quilting I do you get through a lot of thread and it’s irritating to have to stop to wind bobbins all the time.
Sorry I can’t give you any info about the other machines but I am more than happy with mine. Good luck choosing!
Best wishes,
Linda
I went to look for a Powerquilter, based on Linda's recommendations, and I found out that it is basically a HQ Sweet Sixteen, repackaged for Pfaff. I bought a HQ, I love it, go for it! The harp and light are wonderful. The only issue I ever have is figuring out the tension for different threads.
ReplyDeleteLiveanddyecolor.blogspot.com
Hi Merran - thanks for joining in the conversation! I agree, tension is the most important thing to consider, especially if you often work with different weights of thread. I keep a small quilt sandwich at the side of the machine and always work a few stitches before I start on the actual quilt. I think it's worth doing this at every thread change as it only takes a minute and saves trouble in the long run .
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ReplyDeleteSorry, my reply had typos :)
DeleteI enjoyed your post Linda. I haven't read any blogs in a long time even though I enjoy yours and Laura's videos.
I agree that art on both computer and iPad is just as creative as using paper and pencil. it's just another tool.