Free Motion Quilting Academy

At the beginning of 2020 I started a program called Free Motion Quilting academy Thru the String and Story blog.  Holly, a young quilter who I follow is the blogger.   Well, in the last year she has become very popular! She has had a big, successful program and now has a large following.  

 Me, on the other hand, I have felt less success from her program.  Mostly, because the entire COVID year of 2020 took over this nurses life.  I am a self-taught free motion quilter and a little experienced.  I took this class to improve and expand my skills.   I started off well.  Not at the pace I wanted, because it started during my project quilting time, but that did give me a jump start at completing a few quilts and modules.

Jump forward a little over a year and the worst of the COVID nightmare I hope.  Things are starting to flow for me and work is slowing down.  So I made myself a goal and project list for 2021.  I initially did not put finishing this class on it, but now, I am.  So along with one of those goals here I am.  This quilt is the Ultimate beginner quilt by fat quarter shop.  

I am going to go thru the blocks on the quilt, one by one to show what designs I did in the program and my current feeling.

This first block highlights the pattern “Ripply River” in the points and Woodgrain between. The sashing highlights continuous loops and some swirls at intersections. 

The inner block is a “swirl”, then “ribbon candy”, followed by “spiral chains”. 

This shows an entire block of “embellished squares”.  I soo like this design but need to get a Rythm, that I don’t have.. 

The center of this block was done in “Filled Swirls” and the outer in “hooked swirls”

This is another “embellished squares” with “double curves”. The sashing is a basic loop and swirls.

In this one you can see the “paisleys” down the Arrows and “pebbles” in the center and outer. 

The center is imitating ruler work, but free handed instead 

The rows in this block rotate from switch back to basic loops aka telephone cord loops. 

So this block contains the stitch I struggle most with the most, embellished continuous curves in the 4 patches.  I just can’t get my rhythm.  Then I did the loops in the triangles. 

In this block I filled it with lots and lots of hooked swirls.  I think I’m pretty decent at these. 

And for the last of 12 blocks, we have a block full of wishbones!! I sooo love how these look and honestly use them a lot!! 

I still have a lot to do and really, a lot to prefect in FMQ, but the more I do it, the better I get!! 

All of these photos were taken at Mepkin Abbey,  it’s sooo peaceful and I love the many spaces that complement quilts. 

Scrappy Blue Spinning Nines

     This is the last regular season Project Quilt Challenge of the year.  This Challenge might be the hardest of the year.   We usually are given a theme and then after that we decide on fabric and design.  This time we were told what size fabric we had to use.   This throws a wrench in my thought process. It makes me think out of order.  

     I first started this challenge thinking I was going to make an ISPY quilt.  Then as I went threw the charm squares I had packed away, I decided to to use a pile of blue floral fabric as my base.  

     I won this pile of charms about 2 years ago.  I knew it wasn't my style so I couldn't decide what to use with it.  So it went in my Charm square drawer, where it sat till now.  I had 54 of them.  

    I then started to ponder what to do with them.  In the same stay I found the squares were white and blue squares that looked good with it!!  I had to cut more, but that was fine!! I only had the exact number I needed for the quilt.  I found a few more charm squares of dark blue and white.  My decision was made!!  I went to my stash and found a country blue I knew would be perfect!  Then as I was looking I also found a scrap of white with Blue dots.  The 4 fabrics blended with the floral well!!

    While I was choosing fabric,  my thought went to a pattern I bought from the blogger that hosts project quilt.  I knew then it would be the perfect one to alter to fit this challenge!!  It is called Spinning Nines.  I am really wanting to do the pattern in batiks, but this will do for now!!

     To make the quilt,  you must first sew the desired amount of nine patches together.  I decided to make 4 rows of three blocks.  Every other row had a rotation of the layout.  This used up everyone of my floral blocks.

     The Next step was very easy.  I cut the blocks in an "X", from corner to corner. 

     I rotated the blocks so that there was a random layout of diamonds around the quilt.   Some of the floral kept appearing next to each other but I just let it.  For a few I tried uniformity,  but then realized it did not work. 

     After sewing 4 triangles together to form new blocks I sewed the quilt into rows.  Then all together. 

     The quilt seemed small and I still had extra charms.  So I cut them in half and made a 2 inch border for the quilt.  The quilt ended up being 42x54. 

     I used the country blue as the binding.

 

     For the backing, I did not like any of my normal yardage.  As I dug threw my bigger pieces, I found a bigger piece of green from the same error. When I put it up to the blues, it looked just right!!

     I am still watching a section of Leah Days FMQ video every time I make a quilt.  The lesson I watched for this was a 3 loop clover/flower with stippling. It took me till I was almost done to really get the feel of this.  I do love how it turned out.  They are not perfect, but it works!!

     The hardest part and the step I need to learn more about was sewing the triangles back together.  The center ended up with humps from the 4 points.  I guess this will be my next lesson to teach myself!!

     I hope you enjoyed this season of Project Quilt as much as me.  I always enjoy the adventure and the challenge to try something new!!  Best of all,  I completed all the projects again this year just using my stash!! 

     Sadly,  this quilt is going to Mrs Doris from the little hospital I work at.  She is the newest victim of the dreamed word cancer.  

   

My New Machine "Joy"

So it took me long enough to figure out what I wanted. Like almost a year at that. I had to get my old machine fixed a couple of times last year so I knew I needed a new one. The only problem was there are too many to choose from. So after those months of looking, I decided on the Janome Horizon. Thanks to Leah Day of freemotionquilting.com. She reviewed many machines as a non payed sewer to see which she liked. And she settled on the Horizon and actually just got a new one too!!!
So after talking Frankie into it and ordering my machine I was really excited to start sewing!!! But today was one of those days that I had other priorities:(. And one of those drab days where nothing was right, until I talked to my sister Joy. And better it was!! Yes I had things to do, but she made it all better and let me know not to let anyone steal my joy. So for some reason Joy came to mind when naming my machine!! (And then the thought that when my machine breaks down that I always steal hers!!!). So as in the Tradition that I got from Tonya at Hillbilly Handiworks my machine has a name. Not abnormal to the people who talk to their machine!! So welcome yJoy to my family!!! Retiring my 15 year old Kenmore!!

So in appreciation for Leah, my first thing to be sewn is an Ispy Christmas quilt that had been sandwich and never quilted. And to Leah, You were right,,,
I love this machine!!!