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Thanks so much for your encouraging comments! I need to work on my indoor digital photography skills, as I don't think the color and shine show up quite right. In "real life" the color is not garish at all, just shimmery and kind of glowing. No wonder quilt artists get hooked on silk.

Deb asked about bobbin work, in particular what perle cotton you use and if you can wind it by machine or hand. The answer for winding depends on your particular machine. If you can adjust the speed of your bobbin winder to SLOW then you can do it by machine. If not, winding by hand works fine. You can use any perle cotton you want, either from the little balls or from a skein. I have also used regular DMC. You really are not limited. If you want to use a REALLY thick yarn or decorative thread, you can bypass the bobbin altogether and sew it on the front of your work by couching (sewing across it with a zig-zag stitch). If you want only the couched thread to show, use monopoly, and if you want the zig-zag to show, use the color of your choice. Some of the most beautiful thread I have is hand dyed from Artfabrik. I also like the gorgeous stuff from Superior, and Madiera is also nice.



Here is a website that talks a little about bobbin work. They are showing wearable art, but of course you can use it however you please. Here is some good information about thread and needles (although there are even more "brands" of thread than are mentioned). One more site here.



There are lots of great books out there on the subject of thread embellishment (I have several), but you can get started with the simple info on the websites. Some recommend having a separate bobbin case to dedicate to thread work so you can play around with the tension. If you have a "drop in" bobbin no case is needed, just bypass the tension altogether. Try something new, and have fun!