An Embroidered Block Quilt Made With TurtleStitch

This embroidered block quilt is a culmination of six months of learning to code in TurtleStitch. 

(Please note, for all of my papercrafting friends, Turtlestitch designs can be exported as a SVG and used in the Silhouette program because embroidery is graphically similar to line drawing.)

In May, I joined an online "Tea and TurtleStitch" workshop with instructors, Cynthia Solomon and Susan Klimczak to learn how to code in TurtleStitch.  It was an amazing six month journey with two fabulous instructors and a wonderful community of fellow teachers.  On this journey, I rediscovered my love of coding. (I haven't coded in over thirty five years.) TurtleStitch is based on Snap!, a block based programming language. Please check out TurtleStitch, https://www.turtlestitch.org. to learn to code using this powerful "drag and drop blocks" programming language to make designs for an embroidery machine or an electronic paper cutter like the Silhouette or Cricut machine. 

I loved coding the designs and reimagining them by changing variables, adding different proportions and random numbers. Sometimes, changing one variable, an entirely different design was created. I also enjoyed changing the size and type of stitch being used. This change could emphasize different parts of the design.  I liked imagining what the design would look like with different colors and types of embroidery thread (variegated thread) before embroidering it.  When the design was being embroidered, it was delightful to see its fabrication. It was mesmerizing to see the needle at work, moving around the hoop creating stitches that finally created the coded design.

My Brother PE 800 embroidery machine has embroidered half a million stitches while on my six month TurtleStitch coding journey. Here are my coded designs that I created in TurtleStitch. https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine I am forever grateful to Cynthia and Susan for teaching me TurtleStitch. It was a wonderful experience that I will always treasure.

The embroidered blocks, starting at the top left are:

1). Hommage to Vera Molnar, a pioneering computer artist. This block uses Richard Millwood's code to produce randomized lines which are contained within a square block.  I embroidered the design using variegated thread. https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/Hommage%20to%20Molnár%20by%20Richard%20%232%20-%20resized%20for%20PE800

2). A pentagon that is spiraling inward. https://www.turtlestitch.org/run#cloud:Username=Elaine&ProjectName=A%20Study%20of%20Scaling

3).  Flowers coded with Cynthia Solomon's arcleft, arcright and petal procedures.https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/Flower%202

4). Falling Blocks, original by Schotter Nee coded by Joachim Wedekind https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/Falling%20Blocks,%20original%20by%20Schotter%20Nee%20coded%20by%20Joachim%20Wedekind

5). A square spiral embroidered using variegated thread.https://www.turtlestitch.org/run#cloud:Username=Elaine&ProjectName=Polygon%20Spirals

6). A Parabolic Star String Arthttps://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/%20Parabolic%20Stars%20With%20Variable%20Points%20and%20Variable%20Sizes

7). A quilt block using a combination of Cynthia Solomon's arcleft and arcright procedures and Margaret Low's bow tie procedure. https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/Pretty%20Quilt%20Pattern

8). A randomized 5 x 5 decagon pattern in the style of Vera Molnar using variegated thread. https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/5x5%20grid%20pattern%20for%20random%20shape%20-%20triangle,%20square,%20hexagon,%20octagon,%20decagon

9). Peano - a classic recursive or space filling design (aka as fractals) https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/Sunday%20Challenge%20-%20Peano

10). A flower quilt block using a combination of Cynthia Solomon's arcleft, arcright and petal procedures. https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/Border

11). Flowers coded with Cynthia Solomon's arcleft, arcright and petal procedures.

https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/Flower%203

12). Randomized 5 x 5 star pattern in the style of Vera Molnar using variegated thread. https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/Independence%20Day%20Stars

13). A Fan Flower - Margaret Low's bow tie procedure reimagined. https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/A%20Fan%20Flower%20Using%20Margaret%20Lows%20Fan%20Code%20-%20Larger%20Size

14). More spiral blocks in the spirit of Vera Molnar using variegated thread. https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/More%20Spiral%20Blocks%20in%20the%20Style%20of%20Vera%20Molnar

15). Icarus coded with tracing paper attached to the stage area. https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/Sunday%20Challenge%20%234%20-%20Icarus%20Coded%20With%20Tracing%20Paper%20Attached%20To%20The%20Stage

16). Hexagon Star Spiral https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/Star%20spiral%20

17). Pacman drawn using Jagda Huegle pixel drawing procedure.https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/SnapCon-Draw%20-%20Pac%20Man

18). Leaf circles with Cynthia Solomon's arcleft and arcright procedures using variegated thread. https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/Leaf%20Circles

19).  An asteroid formed by four parabolas string art.https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/An%20Astroid%20Formed%20By%20Four%20Parabolas

20). Star Cycloids Using Duopoly2, a recursive procedure coded by Cynthia Solomon using variegated thread. https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/Sunday%20Challenge%20%2310%20Star%20Cycloids%20Using%20Duopoly2

21). Sierpinski Curve, a recursive procedure coded by Cynthia Solomon https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/An%20Astroid%20Formed%20By%20Four%20Parabolas

22). A quilt block using a combination of Cynthia Solomon's arcleft and arcright procedures, Margaret Low's bow tie procedure and a Lissajous procedure by Susan Klimczak.https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/Quilt%20Block

23). An Independence Day tribute in the style of Vera Molnar. https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/Sunday%20Challenge%20%233%20-%20Vera%20Molnar%20Inspired%20American%20Flag

24). A star polygon increasing in size as it spirals outward. https://www.turtlestitch.org/run#cloud:Username=Elaine&ProjectName=Star%20Spiral

25). A turtle design coded with tracing paper attached to the stage area. https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/Tea%20&%20Turtlestitch