Free Motion Quilting Continued

Hi Everyone,

I've finished the FMQ hills and ditches on my Sugar Bloom quilt in the white 1/2" areas.  It is not perfect or even great, but I am please with the results so far.  As I worked through the whole quilt areas where I wanted this design, I did feel as though it was getting easier as I moved along.  This makes me very happy that I may conquer this new skill eventually.  All the blogs I have read are very encouraging as well as those who took to time to like my posts or comment on Instagram and Blogger.

I believe that the item of this skill that will take me the longest to win is keeping the stitch length even.  I am getting used to a sewing speed and rhythm that works for me and hope soon it will be easier.

So, on with this weeks trials.  There are areas on the white background fabric that are 2 inches wide.
I wanted to try something simple but different in these areas to increase my skill.  I'm not sure exactly what this design would be called but I doodled it on a couple papers I printed from my electronic book by Lori Kennedy "Free-Motion Quilting 1-2-3".  I have found this book quite helpful. This was the design I choose that I was able to doodle fairly easily.  I marked some lines and dots to help keep my designs consistent.  Take a look at my practice.

I am finding that my machine does a better job moving from left to right.  I was tending to break threads when I would come back the other way.  Any suggestions if this is a machine issue or operator error?  Maybe it is something in my movements that aren't quite smooth enough that is making this happen.

So as of this moment, I am working this pattern on my quilt.  Still as I continue to practice, It seems that it might be getting easier.  I have a full time job with an oilfield company so I can only devote a limited amount of time to this.  Usually, a few minutes after work, but not many with all the dinners and chores I have to do.  On the weekends, I try to get more done, but those chores get in the way again.  So it is slow going.  Never fear, I will complete this project and be proud of my accomplishment even if it is not the best.  Please take a look at my progress on the quilt.

I haven't chosen a design to do in the colored areas and there are triangles on the corners as this quilt is on point.  I have consulted my book and started doodling.  Once I find a pattern that seems that I may be able to accomplish at my level, I will let you know.  

That's all for now.  Thanks for stopping by.

What?! Free Motion Quilting

Hi All,

I've been working on my Sugar Bloom Quilt as well as giving this FMQ thing a go.  First, I finished stitching (sometimes) in the ditch around all the seams in the quilt.  I thought that when I tried the FMQ in the white parts it would show the borders on that back.  I am hoping it will look alright. Take a look.

Let's talk about Free Motion Quilting.  I have watched quite a few you tube videos as well as read Angela Walters and Lori Kennedy's books on it.  However,  they make it look much easier than it is.  I am still optimistic and believe that in time it will get easier and better.  I do like to quilt using my walking foot using straight lines.

I am also seeing advertising on this ruler quilting.  I see will have to see about that.  Any thoughts?

So, I used the bobbin holder and sandwiches I made earlier and gave it a go.  I worked out most of my tension issues.  I will only be able to use the same color tread in the top and bobbin, but it doesn't eyelash, only dots show on the top.  Cannot further adjust my tension on the bobbin to my knowledge so this will have to do.

I will show you those pictures, but please do not grade too hard.  It was only my second time.  I only did hills and ditches.  They were the easiest.  I encourage any suggestions from your experiences if I can do something differently that would help me out.

I sewed up 2 sandwiches and then decided I would try on the quilt.  I felt scared and excited.  Here's how it's going.  

So once I finish putting the hills and ditches across the whole quilt, I have the 2 inch white strips to do something with.  Any free motion suggestions would be welcome.  Have a bigger quilt picture.

Thanks for stopping by.  I can't wait to hear from you.

Cherie

Let's Make Baby Quilts!

Things

Hi All,

I promised to show you the goodies I came back with from the A&A Sewing Quilt Club Meeting. The bag, 2 fat quarters, the pattern, and the seam ripper were in the bag.  I won one of the short bolts as a door prize and I purchased the coordinating bolt.  I have no idea what I want to do with them yet, but I think there will be a neutral color quilt in my future or if nothing else they would make good backing fabric.

Thursday afternoon I received a call from A&A.  My FMQ bobbin holder for my Janome MC9400 was in.  I am wanting to try my luck at FMQ and my first attempts produced terrible tension issues.
I went pick it up from them during my lunch hour Friday.  I was looking forward to trying it out.  I got home and made up some practice sandwiches.

Thanks for stopping by.  

Rafa's Baby Quilt

Hi All,

When my supervisor informed me he was having a little boy.  I thought, what a great reason to make a quilt.  It was a crash quilt because his wife was due in a month and was having the baby in Norway.  I searched pinterest for ideas.  I wanted something that would build a skill for me but nothing too difficult that I would have trouble with.

I went to a local sewing store Lola Pink in Lafayette, LA.  I just love this store.  She sells yardage and cuts fat quarters.  She organizes the fat quarters in coordinating suggestions on her shelf which made it really easy for me to come up with a good pallet.  Being a newbie and all, I am having trouble picking them out for myself.  I've read a many a blogs about it and am hopeful that one day it will be easier for me.

Please take a look at how it turned out.  I didn't take any pictures during the process because I hadn't started blogging yet.  Blogging is another thing

I am trying to learn.  I am hoping in time I can get my craft out to the public and make new friends.

Thanks for stopping by.  

Quilt club and River Song quilt

Hi All,

Yesterday I went to my local quilting shop, A&A Sewing in Broussard, LA for our monthly club meeting.  We had a guest speaker Mike Flynn with Quilting Treasures.  They are the oldest American fabric company.

He had a wonderful presentation on how quilt shop fabric is made in comparison to the fabric you can get from the chain retailers.  He mentioned that the better fabric is made in South Korea and showed us slides of the procedure as well as some historical pictures of the factory.

There were goodie bags and door prizes.  I haven't had a chance to take pictures of my loot, but I did win a door prize.  It was a short bolt of their fabric which they also had on sale for purchase if you liked. Short bolts are the last bolt made from the roll of fabric when it doesn't measure to 15 yards.  I also purchased another coordinating short bolt.  I'll upload the pictures next time.

I've finished this wonderful quilt. Our quilt has been invited for a show and tell at the Krotz Springs quilt show on July 8.  I am thinking of bringing this one but I am shy and not confident of my work just yet.  This is only my forth one so please grade me on a curve.  I would love kind suggestions to add to my processes if you have any to help me out.  I plan of giving it away to a friend that is getting married in August.  I hope they will like it.

This is my blocks.  I had a layer cake from RJR fabrics named River Song.  I cut them in half and snowballed the blue corners.  The blue fabric was purchased from A&A Sewing in Broussard, LA.  It is Moda.  I wanted the points to meet in the middle so I squared the blocks.

Here is where I was laying out the blocks on the floor in my living room.  I have got to get me a design board.  All this crawling around the floor was not too fun.

This is the final placement of the blocks.

Quilt top with the borders added.  I choose my favorite patterned fabric from the layer cake and purchased some yardage for the border and I also used what was left in the backing.  You'll see that in another picture.  By the way, I purchased the layer cake and yardage from Missouri Star Quilt Company.  I thought the confirmation email I got from them was the cutest thing.  They are the sweetest people there.  I had originally purchased 2 layer cakes of this collection because I wasn't sure how big it would be and I was concerned that I might mess something up.  They kindly took the layer cake back that I didn't use and exchanged it for the yardage.  It worked out real good.

Here are a couple pictures of my walking foot quilting.  Please remember I am a newbie, but I think it came out well enough and am happy with it.

Here I was putting the binding on the edge, again on the floor, but please notice that I have the back of the quilt.  

Check back next time.  I plan on taking some final finished pictures.  

Thanks for stopping by.  

Cherie