Don't Give Up on Free Motion Quilting

I hear lots of people saying that free motion quilting on their home sewing machines is too hard, but perseverance pays off!

This is a quilt that I made last October (2009) -

Here is a close up of one of the feathered wreaths in the plain squares -


Pretty bad! But I have learned a lot since then, with lots of practice, reading and experimenting.
This is a close up of a feathered wreath I quilted last month on the Diamonds at Large quilt -


So don't give up!! You get better all the time!!
The above scrap quilt is a great reminder for me of how far I have come in machine quilting. Still learning, always!

Karen from For the Love of Needle and Thread has a great post showing how she is doing at free motion quilting.

Janet from Quilsalott shares some great free motion quilting - the idea is from Jenny Bowker.

Blogs are a great resource for learning, here are some that inspire me -

Diane Gaudynski
Feather on a Wire
Joan at Leschenault
There are lots of other great ones out there too!

Here is what I have been working on - quilting my Mother's quilt (all finished) -

Loops and butterflies for the main part

and leaves for the border.

I did a post on this type of quilting in April - here is the link for my favorite easy free motion quilting designs.

When my youngest son was little it took him a couple of years of fishing before he ever caught a fish - he called himself a "casterman" instead of a fisherman, he didn't get discouraged, he enjoyed casting, he just wasn't a "fisherman" until he caught a fish.

Here he is a couple of years ago with his first fish - now he is a fisherman. He says the same thing about quilting - if you don't actually quilt your quilt, are you a quilter?

Over at My Red (Yellow) Farmhouse she is calling October - Blog-tober and blogging everyday for the month. I thought I would give it a try too. So I think I will be blogging about all kinds of things this month - I think sewing everyday might be easier than blogging everyday! I'll see!!

Sue over at Alderwood Quilts has a Go! Cutter to give away!!!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!!♥

Machine Quilting

The "Diamonds at Large " quilt is all finished!


I free motion quilted (on my home sewing machine) feathered wreaths in the main darker diamonds,


and a "wave and pearl" (my variation of McTavishing) filler for the lighter background diamonds.


The fabric is a layer cake - Harvest Home by Black Bird Design for Moda. I used wool batting and it has a flannel backing. The quilt is 55" x 42", and is a very nice (manageable sized) lap quilt. It would be great for an older person or someone in a wheelchair because of the size - the wool batting also helps keep it very light.
The pattern is from the book "Layer Cake, Jelly Roll & Charm Quilts" by Pam Lintott.
The wonderful thing about this quilt is that it only uses one layer cake to make the whole top and the binding! It was a simple design and left nice large spaces to practice free motion quilting.
I used almost a whole spool (1300m) of Aurifil thread (top and bottom) and a #80 Microtex needle - never had a problem.

Some things I learned about free motion quilting feathered wreaths -
On the inside curve lay the first loop down at a low angle so that the last few loops will be able to fit in (I finally realized this for the last few wreaths!).
I like to make the ends of the loops wider (bulbous), I think it looks better.
When you have to go over a stitching line (when laying loops down side by side), try not to stop or move your hands - your hands will remember the path they just took and it will be easier to stitch on top of the other line.

(I did trace the oval for the wreaths, but free motioned the loops in.)

This quilt is the last of the three quilt tops that I made over the summer. I just have to quilt a lap quilt that my Mother made for a family friend and then it is on to smaller projects.
Also the Secret Santa Christmas Swap was just announced over at Ouvrages d'une Acadienne (I don't know if you have to be part of the Charming Girls Quilt Club to participate?).

Now that the new TV seasons has started, I picked up my tatting again (something that doesn't need my undivided attention).

I started this when we went to Italy (doesn't take much space to carry). I like this pattern (it is from an old book) because it makes one big motif and there are no filler or joining parts. There are 3 motifs so far (started the fourth and still need 3 more). I am using #30 Cebelia cotton. If I fill the shuttle very full it will make one whole motif.

I made this one a few years ago with #80 tatting cotton, it is about 9" across. There are 7 motifs. I like the way the secondary patterns come out, reminds me that I would like to try making a double wedding ring quilt.

I saw this one on the Accuquilt site. Oh No! Another table runner!!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!! ♥

More Machine Quilting

I started machine quilting the Diamonds at Large quilt.

In the diamonds I am quilting a feather wreath.

I made a paper template to trace around with chalk and after stitching around it two times, I free-motion quilted the feathers in. I haven't quite figured out how to make even feathers on an inside curve - oh well! I have better luck with the outside curve - but I thought that the wreath wouldn't look complete without the inside feathers.
I think I will quilt some sort of MvTavishing in the background diamonds.

There is another GO! cutter and dies give away going on over at Jane's Fabrics and Quilts. This one ends on October 1st. Good luck!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!! ♥

Have you noticed that Diane Gaudynski ends all her posts with "Keep quilting! Your work gets better everyday." I think this is such a encouraging ending! And very true!

Diamonds at Large

I finished sewing the layer cake quilt (Diamonds at Large from the Layer Cake, Jelly Roll & Charm Quilts book).

The blocks all ready to be sewn together.

I will use flannel for the back of this lap quilt, still don't know if I will use wool or cotton batting. I think I will wait to machine quilt it.

The other day we had a rain/thunder storm with lots of hail. This picture was just as the hail was starting. I had to stop taking pictures and wipe up all the water that was leaking in our new window!! They are coming to fix it again tomorrow - third times a charm (I hope!). Luckily we didn't have too much damage - just broken plants.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!! ♥

Contest Winner!

Today is the draw for the $40 GC for CSN stores.
Thank-you to everyone that entered!

Very technical I know!

I am thrilled to announce that the winner is the very talented Cyndi from BLUEBIRDSWING! Congratulations!

Coincidentally Cyndi also suggested a great name for the little Schnibbles quilt, so I am going to call it "My One and Only"! Thanks Cyndi!


I have been working on the Romanian Point Lace - 4 more flowers and only 8 more to go (along with meters of braid and filling in stitches).

I think I will work on filling in the some of the areas now.


I started making a new quilt too! "Diamonds at Large" is from the book "Layer Cake, Jelly Roll & Charm Quilts" by Pam and Nicky Lintott.

It is very easy and only takes one layer cake (border, binding and all) to make a 45" x 60" quilt. The layer cake is Harvest Home by Blackbird designs (Moda). I bought it on special from Hamels, when I went to a quilt show this spring (it is still listed for the same price on their web site - $32).
The pattern calls for a layer cake with a strong light/dark contrast and this one doesn't really have it, but I am hoping that it will work out. I liked the idea of making something with just a layer cake - so I am trying it out!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!! ♥