WIP: Wholecloth - FMQ done!

This is probably getting a tad boring , but I am actually done...finished all the in-lining of the second border. This is it...it is finished.

All that's left is the binding...I wonder whether this will take another year. Already thinking ahead to my next Wholecloth project. Looking at this, I would not mind stitching something a bit less formal and more free flowing. We'll see

Linking up to Amy's FMQ Adventures, Freemotion Monday, Week 3

Karin

WIP: Wholecloth - Almost Done

I cannot believe it...I am almost done! Managed to finish stitching feathers all around the border and like the way that looks. Actually felt that I do not like the inner border that much anymore...but, that's just too bad...maybe I have been looking at it for too long . I reckon I started this some time last year, initially fairly enthusiastic, but had the wind blown out of my sails with that huge area of microstippling. Definitely won't do that again, just too labour intensive (Famous last words).

Started the in-lining of the feathers. I am completely addicted to that look thanks to Patsy Thompson's web site and DVDs. Really like the look of that.

Making the feathers pop

Little bit closer

The Corner

Two more sides to go

Some detail re this quilt:
- the quilt measures about 35" square
- I used wool batting for this project. No particular reason other than that I had the batting at the time. In retrospect I think that a thinner cotton batting would have been nicer and if I had coupled this with some trapunto it would have really made the design elements stand out a bit more. Well, there is always next time.
- I was going to echo around the outside of the feathers in the outside border as well but won't now as some of my corners are closer together than others and an echo would really highlight this. 
- I need to find a new filler...the microstippling was absolutely crazy and took a while to complete.
- I use Aurifil thread Mako 50/2 for all my FMQ. I have been using this thread for the last 2 years and love that subtle sheen of the thread. It sews beautifully, I never have any issues with it and the colours are just gorgeous.
- I use my Springloaded foot (Pfaff 4.2) for quilting feathers. While I now have a new foot with the new machine (Dynamic 6D foot), I must say that I prefer that open toe foot when quilting feathers. I am used to this foot and feel that it gives me the best control of my stitching. Might just be a habit...I am sure that if I had learned feathers on the other foot, it would probably stitch just as well.

Just finishing off the in-lining and then the binding to go and this is actually done.

PS. Another resource to look at is the quilting of Wendy Sheppard over at Ivory Spring (look under
(Freebies, Ideas, Tutorials on the side bar for many tips on how to quilt feathers)

Linking up to Amy 's FMQ Adventures

Karin

Amy's FMQ Adventures Link Up

Have been playing around with the new ruler from Accents in Design that arrived in the mail on Monday. So, I am a bit behind everybody...but just had to try it out

Did some grid work, practising some straight lines with the ruler and then filled the squares with some random designs

The ruler works fine, except I had to experiment a bit with what FMQ foot to use...in the end, my Sensormatic FMQ foot was the best as it is fairly broad on the sides, so it glides very nicely against the ruler. The only problem I had was that I do not seem to be able to make nice 90 degree corners with it...maybe that is just practice.

Then I got really sidetracked...as I do. I have this book "One Line at a Time" by Charlotte Warr Andersen which is about grid work. She uses both FMQ and quilting with the walking foot. The book contains an array of designs and I was really in the mood to just play a little bit. I have had this book for years and have not actually used any of the designs.

So, this is what I trialled

The book has a few strips of Inchie Ruler Tape, so I used this to guide my sewing. I based the design on a 1inch grid. This was a design that would have been stitched with a walking foot and after having done it using FMQ, I would have to agree that it probably would look sharper if I had used the walking foot. As you can see I could not keep my lines entirely straight. But how cool is this design... you can see I have some 1/2inch lines in there...ignore them, I was going to do something entirely different initially.

Box Kite pattern

While I used the Inchie tape, in the book, the author also shows how to mark the design on the grid with a marker of your choice. I must say, having tried out the Inchie Ruler tape, I am sold. I will need to get me some of this...that was super easy. All I had to do was stick 3 Inchie tape sections on my block, remove the middle one and then stitch the design in the middle following the markings of the ruler tape. Then the process was repeated, row for row, and column for column. Brilliant !

Linking up to Amy's FMQ Adventures

Karin

FMQ - Flower Scroll Design

Finally managed to have a closer look at Amy's FMQ Adventures Link up that she started last month with a series of tutorials on McTavishing. Unfortunately I could not participate as I was seriously piecing away on two different projects...switching my machine over to FMQ would have side tracked me again (and we know what happens then). With my baby quilt out of the way and my Dresden Plate table runner ready to baste, I feel now ready to play a bit again and that Flower Scroll design looks just lovely. I hope we can work up to the feather flower version...tried this a couple of times but something seems to be going wrong for me on that one.

Anyway, here are my practice pieces of the Flower Scroll design

First attempt

Yep, could do the shape but could not really travel all that well with it...sometimes I managed and sometimes I did not, ending up all over the place and having those unquilted pockets appear. Also lacked my particular take on traveling with this particular design. While I could see how Amy was doing it in her video, I obviously need some more practice to make this design my flower scroll.

So, next attempt I went much smaller to get a bit of a grip on the traveling

Second attempt

Some odd shapes in there, but getting a bit better...felt that I was getting a feel for how to travel from one spot to the other.

Third attempt

Yes, definitely starting to work, even though it might not be that obvious from this sample...more consistent shapes and I managed to travel a bit all over the place. Paid attention to how I did my scroll as that determined which side I ended up, so that was a bit helpful. Also swung out a bit more on the echoing which tended to fill the spaces a bit better.

This was good fun...definitely need more practice


Linking up to Amy's Freemotion Monday Quilting Adventure
                

Karin