New on Creative Spark: Thread Sketching Foundations Series with Angela McPherson

New on Creative Spark: Thread Sketching Foundations Series with Angela McPherson

New on Creative Spark: a two-part Thread Sketching Foundations series with fiber artist Angela McPherson, all about turning doodles, lines, and simple appliqué shapes into playful, expressive thread art—with a free-motion twist. These two courses joined the Creative Spark catalog, designed to work beautifully together or as a flexible choose-your-own-adventure path.

Angela is known for blending watercolor pencil techniques with thread sketching, transforming traditional quilting into an experimental playground of color and texture. Her teaching style is low-pressure and high-fun: the focus isn’t perfection—it’s personality.

The series includes:

Together, they take you from “I’m curious about thread sketching” to “I’m stitching characters, not just shapes.”

Part 1: Beginner Basics – Make Your Sewing Machine Sketch

Thread Sketching Foundations: Beginner Basics shows you how to treat your needle like a pen and your fabric like a sketchbook. In this course, Angela helps you:

  • Use your machine as a drawing tool for expressive thread lines
  • Play with beginner-friendly methods (including Whimsical Stitching, On Point, and Short Spurts) that build control without losing the fun
  • Pull ideas from everyday coloring books and line art so you’re never stuck for inspiration
  • Blend thread colors and textures to create a more “painted” look on fabric

You’ll put these skills to work in a whimsical appliqué mug rug project that feels more “art studio” than “straight-line-only.” To get you stitching right away, you’ll also receive a downloadable PDF of seven ready-to-stitch doodle designs, so you can focus on movement, texture, and confidence—not on drawing from scratch.

 

Part 2: Appliqué Edition – From Flat Shapes to Storytelling Stitches

When you’re ready to make appliqué the star of the show, Thread Sketching Foundations: Appliqué Edition focuses on giving those shapes personality and motion. If your appliqué has ever felt a little flat, this is where it starts to come alive.

Angela walks you through how to:

  • Use whimsical outlines and on-point stitching to add movement and character
  • Rely on short-spurts sketching so detailed areas feel manageable, not overwhelming
  • Make smart thread choices, shading, and blending decisions for added depth and texture
  • Use water-soluble stabilizer to transfer clean designs—even for tiny motifs like faces, feathers, and folds

You’ll apply your new skills to three small-but-mighty project types: a journal cover, wearable or decorative patches, and playful ornaments for any season. Each project is quick, customizable, and perfect for experimenting. Plus, you’ll get seven additional ornament and patch doodle templates to keep your ideas flowing.

Appliqué Edition is best suited for students who have already taken Thread Sketching Foundations: Beginner Basics or who feel comfortable with basic free-motion control—so you can decide where you’d like to start.


Start (or grow) your thread sketching journey

Both courses include lifetime access to the videos and downloads, plus entry into the Creative Spark private community and direct discussion with Angela and fellow students. Learn at your own pace, revisit techniques anytime, and keep exploring your own “what if” stitches.

Ready to begin?

Explore the series on Creative Spark and see where your thread can take you next.

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