Pink Land Iguana Thread Painting

Thread painting with Island Batik and Aurifil Thread is always so challenging for me. My first experience with thread painting was back in 2019. It was a little intimidating at first but once I started it was enjoyable. I really should practice because I love the results.

PINK LAND IGUANA by Aurifil
3 LARGE SPOOLS COTTON 40WT
Colors included:
2410 — 2425 — 2530

Code: AC40CP3-005

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This article is sponsored by Island Batik and industry partners: AccuQuilt, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles and Aurifil Thread. Island Batik is a US based manufacturer, importer and distributor of cotton batik, rayon batik and hand-printed cotton from Indonesia. See dislosure

In July box 2 from Island Batik and its partners included this color builder from Aurifil Thread. This year their color builders include a series inspired by Endangered Animals, you can see more here. The collection I received was Pink Land Iguana, seriously, did you know this critter even existed?

We watch a lot of Discovery and Animal Planet but this critter was new to me until receiving this thread. What do you suppose Marlin Perkins would have shared about the Pink Land Iguana? Most likely more in one hour than there is available on the web but I’ll try to sum it up for this platform.

According to Wiki Conolophus marthae aka Pink Land Iguana “This critically endangered iguana is native only to the Wolf Volcano in northern Isabela Island of the Galápagos.”

It was first spotted by park rangers in 1986 but it wasn’t identified as a different species until 2009. How could a species some 1.5 million years old be around that long without being discovered? Well, the northern slope of the Wolf Volcano is forbidden,uninhabitable and difficult to access. So, don’t plan a expedition tour just to see this creature in its native habitat because it wont happen.

They are mainly herbivores and compete for the fruit and leaves from the prickly pear cactus against other land iguanas, giant tortoises, feral goats and pigs. I read somewhere they have been seen scavenging as well.

Their main threat though is the volcano which is still active. Other threats are rats and feral cats that eat their eggs and babies.

Coloring of the Pink Land Iguana

Pigment in our skin determines what color we are as humans and the same goes for iguanas. The more pigment we have in our hair and skin determines whether we have light hair and skin or dark. Due to the lack of pigmentation in the skin of the Pink Land Iguana they appear pink. I liken them to the human albino who sometimes appear pink in locations where blood vessels sit closest to the surface of our skin.

There are currently 192-200 Pink Land Iguanas in existence and conservation efforts have begun. This critically endangered species, when located are marked for identification, measured and blood drawn to check their health. I’m uncertain if a captive breeding program exists.

What an amazing world we live in.

When they’re gone…

they’re gone forever! First I thought I would do some applique, then I tried applique with a black tulle before thread painting to color the areas around the bottom.

It was looking okay but thread painting inside those areas didn’t give the desired affect I was looking for .

Next

Next, I decided to draw the Pink Land Iguana on Ultra Solvy but first I had to glue two pieces together to make it large enough. Then I just pinned it to Island Batik Solid Lt Gray for a background.

First I free-motion stitched all the drawn lines with the darkest pink in the collection.

Not too bad, I can live with this, much better than my 2 previous beginnings.

The thread painting begins with lots of pebbles all over using 2410- the lightest shade in the collection.

Lots and lots of pebbles for a second layer and some straight lines in the top fin.

Next using 2425-med shade I added more pebbles, softened the darker lines and added a little more detail to the top fin (?), sorry I don’t know what that is called. Using 2530-darkest shade I began coloring in the darker areas. I did discover that I could use yet a darker shade of Aurifil (not included in Color Builder) 1103 in the bobbin with the lighter shades in the top to darken the threads here and there a bit.

The Ultra Solvy needed rinsed out and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen so photo first just in case in went downhill.

Rinsed and dried. There seriously has to be a stabilizer to prevent all this drawing of fabric after stitching.

So. After a good pressing I cut the iguana from my gray solid. At this point the iguana was more like an oversized embroidered patch.

Appliqued it to Rice which is from the Island Batik Foundations Collection.

Cut some letters using Heat N Bond Ultra. Layered the piece with a scrap piece of Hobbs Batting and Island Batik white solid for backing. Oh, added some prickly pear.

Did you know if you have a fabric and the color needs to be just a little darker you can use black Heat and Bond to darken? That’s what I did for my lettering with scraps from a previous project.

I decided to try facing the piece instead of a traditional binding following this tutorial here by fellow IBA Brianna.

All of this was completed using Schmetz Microtex Chrome 70/10. At first I was a little worried since this needle is so fine but I encountered no issues at all. This has been my go to needle for everything lately.

Thank you Island Batik, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles and Aurifil Thread.

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