May 2012 FMQ Challenge

Got Leah's May tutorial for SewCalGal done. She is such a good teacher!

Thank you, SewCalGal, for this 2012 FMQ challenge.  It has made me less afraid to try to quilt.  You can find more quilters who took the challenge here and see Leah's video here.

Stash Report 4/29/12 & FMQ Challenge

Started a landscape and used .25 yards, started my last Jubilee block for another .13 yards, made a charity top for the St. Anne's group using 1.03 yards, and bound one of the teenager's quilts for another .21 yards.  Here are my numbers:
Used/Donated this week: 1.67 yards
Used/Donated YTD:      59.23 yards
Added/Bought this week: 0.00 yards
Added/Bought YTD:      21.5 yards
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Net Decrease YTD:       37.73  yards

I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times - see what progress has been made there on destashing. Button on sidebar.

And now for my FMQ Challenge.  I have to post this today as tomorrow will be busy.  One has to complete and post the FMQ project for the month before that month ends, so here goes.  Our teacher this time is Don Linn.  He does fabulous work.  His method for marking designs uses tulle, a hoop and pens with water soluble ink. The good thing about his method is you can make your own designs easily and enlarge them easily too!  I like that.  But I don't have tulle or hoop and I'm trying not to go to a quilt store or Jo-Ann's so I had to make do with freezer paper again.

 I made an extra copy of the pattern and cut it out for the outline. Then taking the intact copy, I traced it onto a square of freezer paper and cut out the pattern.  You can see that I clipped the lines in the leaves and other parts leaving just a little bit attached so that I would have the least amount of paper to tear away.

 I've positioned the outline paper on the sandwiched block.  This block is part of a large quilt already sandwiched and some of the blocks are already quilted.  I should have traced the block onto freezer paper.  That way I could have ironed this in place and I wouldn't have to worry about it moving.

 Next, I laid the cut pattern in  the outline area.  Again, I learned that I should have numbered the leaves so that they would be easier to match.

 Once in position (sort of), I started to iron down the pattern to the block.

 Here it is with the outline copy removed and all ironed down.

 Following Don's excellent order of sewing directions, I quilted the design.  It was a snap to remove the paper as there were so many places where I quilted next to the paper, not on it.  See a couple of dark sewing lines? That's where I sewed on the paper, right where the pencil line was and the lead transferred to the cloth - darn!

 Okay, this is a big block.  How was I going to fill it?  Decided to try free motion echo quilting.

And here is my finished block.  I'm linking this post to the FMQ Challenge 2012.  You'll find that button on my sidebar also. Now off to start back basting my Jubilee album block.  What are you up to?

I'm trying!

but I have a ways to go! LOL.  Here are my first fabric attempts to quilt feathers.  Thanks, SewCalGal for having Diane on your challenge.  It's a great tutorial with lots of info.  I have her first book and it is like my "Bible" for quilting on my DSM. As you can see, I've got to learn how to taper the size of my featherlets so that they range in a pleasing fashion.  I also had a lot of trouble quilting with white thread on white.  I then switched to gray.  Finally I wanted to try a circle of feathers - I think they are so elegant in plain squares in a quilt.

I will keep on practicing. 

WIP Wednesday 2/15/12

I'm helping my mom finish a T- Shirt quilt for my DDIL.  And I realized that it is perfect to practice my FMQ.  So, here is where I'll practice those lessons that my two yearly projects require of me.  It measures 71 by 84 and is 20 large squares made from T-Shirts she's worn at her employers.  This is the largest quilt I have tried to make with my DSM and not be a QAYG. I'm working on the central blocks right now so that then I can do the outside edge blocks.  3 done - 17 to go!

I'm linking over at Esther's WIPs on Wednesdays (on my sidebar).  Go on over for a look-see!

FMQ Challenge 1/6/12

I'm taking part in the FMQ Challenge for 2012. And I've decided instead of making sandwiches or sample quilts, I'm going to do my FMQ quilting practice on whatever I am working on at the time each segment is posted once a month. This month I was working on a charity quilt, so that is what I tried the continuous leaf pattern provided by Frances Moore. It is a rag quilt and perfect to try on small squares. At right are my first 4 squares (if you click on the photo you can see the enlargement and see the quilting better). Going clockwise from upper left, you see the pattern going from bad to better.  I used an 80/12 needle with blue thread in bobbin and pink thread on top.  You are looking at the back.  I had to adjust the tension to be a little looser so that the pink thread would not show on the back.  So here are the blocks incorporated into the rag quilt.

I'm liking this pattern.  I can see using it on sashing or a border.  It's my favorite thing this friday as I cough and shiver through my day.  On my sidebar, you'll find the button for both the 2012 FMQ Challenge and Shay's Favorite Thing Friday.  Go see what others are liking.