I decided to try free motion quilting! I have been very frustrated with the fact that many of my quilt tops remain folded in the closet. Hand quilting takes to long, I didn't know how to free motion, and I didn't have money to send it out for long arm.
So earlier this week I read all the instructions for free motion, made a practice "sandwich", and started doodling.
Today I decided to give it a shot on an actual project. I was SO nervous!!! It took a lot of focus but I finally finished!
The swirls were really simple, and a great pattern to start with. I wasn't particularly happy with my decision to try a heart...it turned out a little wonky. But nonetheless, I was happy with the result.
When it is finished, this will be a tote bag for my mother-in-law's birthday :)
I was also dying to get my Happy Accident quilt finished, so I tried another pattern. I had practiced some simple waves and they were pretty easy. The courthouse steps layout made it so easy to keep the waves evenly spaced.
I wanted the motion of the waves to look natural, so I didn't make them all the same. In some places, the waves are concentric, and in others they aren't.
I was pretty nervous to attack these projects since I don't have very much practice. But I think they turned out nicely! Hopefully there will be many more free motion projects to come!
I'd love comments on your free motion projects, tips, tricks, etc.
Thanks!
LB
Hi, Lucy! Great first attempts at FMQ! They turned out great. I don't know what resources you have for learning FMQ, but I have two to suggest. Christina Cameli, who blogs over at AFewScraps.blogspot.com, has written a great book about FMQ, which has some great projects to create while you learn. You can also see many of her FMQ tips on her blog - look at the info on the tab for Free Motion Quilting at the top of her blog.
ReplyDeleteKeep practicing - I can't wait to see what other FMQ projects you link up on Whoop Whoop Fridays!!
Great start to free motion quilting. I remember that trepidation when I first started (not that long ago). I think I've done about 10 quilts since I began. The loops look great and the waves. I've looked from time to time at freemotionquilting.blogspot.com.au which also has some tutorials to watch. I recommend feathers as a surprisingly effective and manageable one too. Looking forward to seeing the development.
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