Decorative Machine Stitch Samplers

My March 2016 show and tell photos were a bit of a flop, but I did manage to capture one photograph that really needs sharing.

The clever quilters from the Kaitaia club brought along their cushions to show us.  Have you ever thought that you really should stitch out every decorative stitch on your machine so you know what it looks like?  Have you ever done it?

Well these ladies have.  And not in a boring way either!  They took folded strips of fabric and stitched long lines of each decorative stitch in different coloured threads.  Then they wove these strips together to form a panel, and then turned the panel into a cushion front.

So now they have a useful sampler of their decorative machine stitches.  I thought this was a totally inspired idea that really should be shared.

You could take this idea and make other useful things  - like a notebook cover, placemats or even a sewing machine cover - then you'd really have your stitch knowledge right in front of you every time you sat at the machine!