I have been following Leah's
blog for some time now. She does FMQ so effortlessly. If only I can muster half her skill, I'll be happiest! I've bought some essential tools from Leah's
shop some time back. Although I've had spurts of practice but not enough to really get out of the 'ditch' (pun intended). Stippling / Meandering has always eluded me but I hope that will change this year.
My humble practice piece. I took an old bed sheet and sandwiched with a high loft polyester batting, the cheapy kind. It took quite a bit of getting used to but it was quite free-ing! I am using the speed slider on my Brother sewing machine with the foot pedal disengaged. That way the speed of the sewing machine is regulated and I just had to work on my hand movements. I find the FMQ were more coordinated when I increased the speed. So perhaps I may have found a happy medium. When my hand movement got wonky, the stitches on the front of the quilt was bigger and they in turn formed eyelashes at the back. So that's something I should look out for. I tried to relax but only before the machine starts up :( I hope to try stippling in some doll quilts with low loft polyester batting and better quality thread. Hopefully these changes will help me look good! I can only wish ...
I've completed all the blocks for Lori's
Pink Lemonade QAL. Now to find a suitable fabric for the setting squares. The amount of pink in this quilt was getting to me. Although I did tell Lori that I'd keep it as true as the antique quilt, I added some mauve here and there.
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| Designer: Kathleen Tracy. Book: The Prairie Children & Their Quilts. Size: 26" square |
Completed the quilt top for the January 2012 challenge on
SQT.
I had the opportunity to use this large floral print for the border. It was in my stash for some years!
Some repro fabrics from
This-N-That. The picture directly above are fabrics from a 1 lb grab bag. Very happy with the cut sizes and variety!
your machine quilting looks great. i know that it's a lot harder than it looks and have never been brave enough to give it a try.
ReplyDeletei'm at the same stage as you with pink lemonade and am experimenting with tea dyeing a yellow that seemed a bit too bright. will give it a final rinse tomorrow and after ironing see whether it might work. the other piece that i have may be a shade too light but if the tea bath doesn't fix my first choice i may have to go with it anyway.
:-)
libbyQ
Believe me Libby you'll be having aches and pains after coming away from the machine. Gotta work on relaxing.
DeleteMy setting squares for Pink Lemonade are rather bright yellow too. But I think it might work out okay.
Keep practicing your FMQ, it will find it's rhythm, just like a signature. You will find your perfect speed and quilting pattern. Make yourself some quilt sandwiches, play with the quilting and cut them into shapes for little zip bags, pot holders etc. Good way to use up bits of fabric, make something practical and practice your skills.
ReplyDeleteI never liked practicing especially my music, maybe I never liked anything enough to keep at it. But you are right the key word here is practice.
DeleteI suppose if I FMQ on usable items then I'd be more inclined.
Elyte is right, it is all about rhythm. Once you get the right balance between the machine speed and you moving the quilt it no longer holds any secrets for you!! You can do it!! Love your civil war blocks. Happy quilting, Daniëlle
ReplyDeleteThanks Danielle. Yes, it's all about the rhythm. Hope I unveil it's secret soon!
DeleteLove the Margaret Cottam piece that you're stitching now.
I too am following her blog. I want to expand my quilting to having a set design, not just stippling. For the life of me, I cannot quilt in straight lines.
ReplyDeleteIn my case straight lines comes easy but it can be quite predictable and boring. But that is not to mean that it doesn't have a certain charm especially when you're cross-hatching.
DeleteWith some small quilts that I need to machine quilt, stippling may just come in handy!
Good practice work Barbara with your FMQ! It is such a different concept of sewing than we are used to and is does take practice! I don't do enough of it either, despite the fact I bought my Bernina 440 with BSR especially for doing FMQ, I found that working on small pieces easier to manage when I first started out, I don't know whether that would be worth you trying! Love your Pink Lemonade and your Crosses Mourning quilt looks great! I have completed my nine blocks, so have a bit more work to do on it!!!
ReplyDeleteGood advice Merilyn, I'll work on those doll quilts and see if my FMQ gets half decent ... well it better! I know, I sure don't need the additional stress! :)
ReplyDeleteYour FMQ looks great, Barbara! I would love to try it but need to get more comfortable with my machine. Your quilt top and blocks are all lovely, and I LOVE the new stash!
ReplyDeletelove that border fabric, perfect in mho!
ReplyDeleteKathie