FMQ.....huh?

I admit it. 

I am addicted to Free Motion Quilting.

This is one of my FAVOURITE finishes for 2014. This fabric made me So happy. A heavy wool blanket for batting and FMQ all over. This is my current snuggle up on the couch quilt. Blog Post Here.

Or...  "FMQ", for short.

In my humble opinion, I just like the look and texture you get from the finished quilt with a loopy-swirly FMQ pattern.

This was my most ambitious project so far. Applique, stars, math, and lots and lots of FMQ to keep the 'snowflake' pattern going. I'm pretty proud of this one, it was a donation to a fund raiser. I learned a lot, and the second one I did was much easier to come together. Blog post Here.

Since I'm intermediate with my FMQ so far, I haven't tried any of the fancier patterns. Yet.

Yet.

But I can tell, it's coming soon. I have my Rainbow Star Quilt to work on this week, and since it's for Us, then I won't stress too much if it's not 100% perfect. Which is why I like FMQ, it's very forgiving.

This is what I mean: 

See the swirly stitching in the green fabric? That's Free Motion Quilting. 

The 'normal' type of quilting (VS. FMQ) is generally straight lines, or following the pattern of the fabrics, etc etc. I have done this on a Trip Around the World Quilt, stitching 'in the ditch' following the lines. It looked really nice on that particular pattern.

 (I'm not a hater on reg. quilting. I just find I'm better at FMQ)

I found the most AMAZING Blogger recently; she is a FMQ freakin' GODDESS!!!! 

Her Blog is inspirational, educational and just beautiful to read through. 

Lizzie Lenard - Vintage Sewing

I am linking up to her Free Motion Mavericks and am just tickled to be able to be a part of it!!

And no.... I haven't forgotten about my January Goals....Getting Organized. Updates to come!

One Day Wonderwoman Quilt

A very good friend of mine recently turned 40, and so of course, I knew exactly what to get her. 

Wonder Woman is a shared hero of ours, and when I found this Wonder Woman fabric in Lens Mills, (despite the crazy high price) I decided WHAT THE HECK you only turn 40 once!!!

I already had the perfect navy blue with white stars fabric kicking around, and added some bright red & gold cotton solids from my stash.

So here is the trick for making A Quilt in a Day.

1. Start early.

2. No one else around (cats don't count).  A luxury, I know.

3. Have a solid plan/pattern in mind, draw it out & have the math done.

4. Have your batting & backing ready to go.

5. Free Motion Quilt to finish it up and use purchased binding strips.

So I had the pattern already sketched out; a basic "Strip Quilt" design with varying widths of fabric.

I knew I was making a larger sized lap quilt,  and the width of the fabric 45" was perfect for this.

I cut strips using my handy dandy Olfa rotary cutter. I had just put on a new blade...let me tell ya. Ain't nuffin' like using a new blade to slice through fabric. Like buttah.

The strips measured out cut easily and I just draped the strips in the order I wanted them across my cutting table. I sewed them together in order and folded the quilt in my lap as I went.

Once sewed together iron the seams down.

All laid out in the familiar sandwich. I use spray baste 505 to baste layers.

Heading downstairs to put on the batting & backing. I recently have been going through all the blankets and flannel sheeting I have and whittling it down by using it for batting. Why not? 

It washes well and as we know already, it's cozy and warm. So I used a cozy fleece blanket for batting.

The backing is this amazing fabric I blogged about before; it is African Wax Print fabric and wow. Stunning colour (yes, I know it's B&W) and patterns; and the perfect neutral to even out any crazy front pattern.

I use painters' tape to tape down the backing layer on the floor. Then I add the batting, smooth out all wrinkles and baste them together with Spray Baste 505. I love this stuff. It works like a dream and even if you have to leave a project and come back days weeks later; it's still adhering.

 I digress.

Add the top layer by repeating process of laying, smoothing & spraying baste.

 I also use some pins on the edges, just in case. A few more in the middle and I'm all set to go back up and Quilt!

The Finish.

I love the scrunched up look.

I love to Free Motion Quilt (FMQ). Adjust your stitch length to a longer stitch, slow down your speed and put on your FMW foot.

Closed toe; I use the Janome cuz that's what machine I have.

Technically the Darning Foot; but well, it's my FMQ foot. I actually prefer the closed toe rather than the open toe; I found the open would sometimes catch on the thread pattern if you weren't careful. Learning, always learning!

I chose to do a "WW" loose pattern, big sweeping "W's". I used an off white thread and it nearly disappeared on the backing side.

A bright blue premade bias tape binding finished this one off, and a wash on the gentle cycle and air dry had this quilt all set, in less than 10 hours!

................. and of course, it's Muffin approved.

So there you have it. I started around 8am and finished snipping the threads around 8pm.

And it was given with lots of love, and I know it is appreciated & will be cherished for years to come....

Sphinx reclining gracefully on the Wonder Woman Quilt in its new home.
XOXOXO Kelly!! Happy Birfday!!!

Rainbow Around the World and Other Stuff

YAY!

I'm pretty excited and proud about my First Big Finished Quilt. It's double sized and it's for my baby brother (who is 30 ha ha ha) and it's his Christmas present.
Here's some pics of the my journey making my first real patterned quilt, "Around the World".

 I found some jellyrolls on sale and KNEW I had to make something with them. I worked and tried to concentrate hard on the pattern but if you look carefully you can see where I mixed up a row...strip pieced and machine sewed; and I stitched in the ditch the around the world pattern and then stippled the borders.

At the start....

I really like the hot pink thread on the red border. And the black fabric for the wide edge had a neat grey pattern that really looked neat with the black on black stippling.

I was so excited to finish it though I nearly gave it to him yesterday.

At the basting and backing stage

Done!

I feel I should explain......

Many of my friends were freaked out when they found out I've been quilting. They look at me askance and call me grandma....and I'm enduring teasing beyond belief via email. The young girls I work with can't even begin to comment or identify so they largely ignore my enthusiastic descriptions of my new found love of quilting.

I could care less! This quilting thing is GREAT!!!!!

I've always admired beautifully crafted quilts. In fact Mom made one when I was little for my middle brother and we loved that thing beyond anything, until it was tatters. I don't know where it went, and Mom can't remember, either. But when we go through the family albums, in several old photos, there it is. Wrapped around us, under us, over us, used as a tent, or blankie, or all sorts of things we played at.

And when we were kids, Mom made our clothes too, even up to a highschooler she would make me some thigns (although at that point she let me choose my own fabric!) and Mom is a fabulous knitter. Of course she's slowed down a lot, her arthritis makes it hard for her to do that these days.

But that woman can KNIT like you wouldn't beleive.

And me, I turned up my nose for years. Couldn't be bothered. Had other things to do...you know. Teenagers. Ha.

It wasn't until the last ten years or so that I started knitting; the lady we would stay with when in FL on tour was a HUGE handicrafter. She knew my mother knitted and sewed, and knew I sewed. I didn't sew well, it was mostly all self taught, and the library books were helpful. But I was a  complete beginner.( For the show I was in I made all the costumes; Renaissance ish style ones) and couldn't BELIEVE I didn't knit. SO....I learned. At first because she sat me down at the table and wouldn't let me get up until I could cast on and knit 10 rows...laugh. Terrifying.

Then because I really dug watching something take form outta nothing. It was a trip. Kinda like sewing, but so, I don't know...Old-timey and feel-goody. And I felt ACCOMPLISHED. My first scarf I completed was HORRIBLE...lol...so of course: I gave it to my Dad. HA HA HA. Here ya go Dad. Enjoy.

And of course it was bright turquoise and I had embroidered with knitting DAD in giant brown letters. ( The colours were an homage to my father and the days of him picking me up after high school dances wearing bright turquoise shirts with turquoise socks to match and brown sandals. And oh yes. The socks....the socks. Pulled up over his glaringly white chicken legs up to his knobby knees. The horror.)

ANYWAY. Betty also sewed; she was fantastic and was learning to quilt in her towns tiny quilt shop with a group of ladies. I went with her one day to the shop and nearly fell over at the bright store. It was beautiful. I salivated. I wanted to laugh and sing and cry with joy! The colours were bright! And juicy! And I wanted to grab them all and rub my face in them and roll around like a cat in a catnip patch. I felt them and pored over all these wonderful fabrics.....

Needless to say, I had never been in such a glorious store.

The fabric shops I had been in previously were more utilitarian,  smelly, kinda like garage bins of old cloth you go through at a yard sale. Dust bunnies on the floor, unhelpful staff in black pants, pince-nez glasses, measuring tapes around their necks and giant dress shears in their hands. All named Maria and very unhelpful> did I mention that?? They would watch you go through and select your fabrics and sniff when you brought them to be cut...tersely asking, "What you making?" and when I would describe the project, sniff again as if to say, You're making THAT? Good luck kid.

But this New Wonderful Place was NOTHING like the previous shops I had been in. That shall remain nameless  and since I still have to shop there occasionally shall remain so. :)

I had discovered my as yet unknown love of quilting, and all things fabric-y.