Meet Our Featured Member --- Debbie Francis

Featured Member: Debbie Francis

Welcome to our Blog series featuring Tattered Stitch Facebook Group members! Each month we will feature a new member asking them how they started on their embroidering journey, to helpful tips to share with you!

1. Question: How long have you been embroidering?

Our first featured member is Debbie Francis. Debbie has been an avid fan of Tattered Stitch Embroideries for a couple of years and is always sharing her projects in our Facebook Group. Debbie regularly sells at markets in her hometown and loves using Tattered Stitch designs.

I have been embroidering for almost four years.

2. Question: What is your favorite type of project to create?

I don't really have a favorite type of project. I actually started embroidering designs on mulberry paper and turning them into cards at Christmas four years ago. I progressed to towels, tote bags, t-shirts for grands and eventually ITH projects with vinyl first, then fabric. Kinda backwards!! Because I sell locally and do several events a year, the market pretty much dictates what I make. Everything seems to run its course over time. I love to play with designs, mixing and matching and learn something new almost daily.

3. Question: What was the inspiration behind this project? (Pictured here.)

There are a lot of bee keepers in my area and this design (Cone Flowers Cluster and Cone Flowers Coaster) just yelled out to me to be done. It is simple, classy and beautiful all at the same time.

4. Question: Do you have any tips you can share with our readers?

If you are using cotton or woven fabrics (towels), always starch your fabric first with Best Press, Terial Magic or good ole Faultless spray starch.

A wool pressing mat is a valuable asset when embroidering. Design face down and spritz back of fabric/design (if fabric allows) and give it a good press. The wool mat prevents the design from being squished and helps it pop off fabric giving it a 3D dimension sometimes.

If there are minimal puckers, spray those with starch, let soak in and then press again....do NOT iron, PRESS. The starch will minimize the puckers most of the time.

5. How did you find TSE and what is one of your favorite designs?

I am not exactly sure how I found Tattered Stitch, possibly cruising Facebook one day a couple years back. I really liked this particular designer's whimsy designs (whom I now know as Nicole) and the bright colors. I bought a couple of designs and was hooked and every day looked forward to what Nicole was going to release. Nicole has a unique style that continues to change and grow with the times and with her clients' requests. That is the great thing about this website.....NICOLE. She is a one-gal band and she knocks these designs out of the park week after week.

Some folks have favorites, like the proverbial "live paycheck to paycheck," Nicole has those that live "Gnome to Gnome, Friday to Friday."

I can honestly say that I do not have any favorites, I like all of them, especially when that final outline creates the magic of the design. It is mesmerizing, captivating and as I said, magical all at the same time.

Thank you Debbie so much for the great tips! We value you as a TSE reader and contributor! To purchase these beautiful patterns as a bundled set Click Here.