Blooms and Leafy

I have read about using double threads, not a double needle, and so going to give it a try. Jan gave me some flower fabric with an iris outline, so I am going to machine embroider these with 2 threads in a single needle – Jean 100/16.

Started with the pink flower, pale pink and lavender thread. Had problems with the tension, so I loosed it off a little. Changed threads to flour pink, and a dark purple for another pink flower. I like this combination effect.

Dark purple and dark blue for the purple flower, but it just looks like a thicker thread, so perhaps dark/light combination would have been better. On the brown part of the flower, I used burgundy and brown. Looks good.
Other thread combinations used:
Burgundy and red on red flowers.
Orange and red on red flowers.
Lavender and dark blue on blue flowers.
Yellow and white on yellow flowers.

Love the effect and the technique, will be using this one again.

Decided to try and quilt using the two threads, and chose dark green/light green combination. Followed the outlines of the main flowers first, then randomly created stalks and leaved. Had a small issue of thread looping at the back, but changed the foot pressure and the top tension and that reduced the problem, but it didn’t disappear. Tried to zigzag the border using the double threads, but it kept snagging, so changed to a single thread.

Small yellow beads finished the yellow part of the iris, and a red dragonfly brooch I picked up at the $2 shop flies between the flowers.

I am surprised how effective the double thread technique is, and how easy it creates interest on the quilt. The plain flower fabric had been transformed and it was me who did it.
Not quilting in the ditch is still a dilemma for me, but I am getting better, it is just practice outside the comfort zone. These small A4 quilts are good to practice on.