Free Form Friday

Friday, January 3, 2014

My Great Week

I had a great week!  I got a lot of my quilting organized and I made a project list to get me moving.  I'm trying to add the new projects to the end of the list, but that doesn't always work.

My first project for 2014 is a new set of placemats for my family.  One of our family resolutions was to have dinner all together at the dining room table more often. so I thought the placemats might be a good way to encourage that.  I finished the first one on New Year's Day.  

I designed the pattern myself.  I named the pattern Love Is… Placemats. I used fabric from my stash.  I free motion quilted it.  I used an all machine binding technique.  

 Most importantly...I didn't obsess about it.  
Love Is… Placemats
Hubby & the kids love it.  I'm working on the other 3.  Each one will have a different Love phrase on the white and they'll all have our four names on them.  Each phrase will relate to our other family resolutions.  I'm quite excited to finish them, show them off, and use them!

Curly Anna's Favorite Free Motion Quilting Tips

These are some of the tools and processes I found most useful when FMQ'ing.  I'll start out with the first five and add a few more over the next few Fridays.

1. Find quilting gloves that work for you.  I love, love, love Quilter's Comfort Gloves by Dritz Longarm.  They have gripper dots all on palm and fingers.  What puts them over the top for me?  It's a mild compression glove!  They're usually $30, but I wait until Joann Fabrics has them on sale or I wait until I have a 50% off coupon.  All quilting notions are 50% off right now so it's a good time to give them a try.  You can also try Machingers or Fons & Porter Grip Gloves.

2. Use a slider on your machine.  My Babylock Crescendo has a TruGlide Overlay accessory. It makes it easier to get a nice groove going and to keep it going when FMQ'ing.  If your machine doesn't have a custom one as an accessory, you can try a Supreme Slider.  It comes in two sizes 8 x 11 1/2 and 11 1/2 x 17.

3. Find your machine's sweet spot.  The point at which your machine is running just right for optimal performance when FMQ'ing.  Cindy Needham calls it the "Hum Purr" of the machine.  If you haven't already taken her Craftsy class, it is filled with so many great lessons, I highly recommend it.

4. Invest in yourself.  Give yourself time to improve your skills.  Give yourself the training you need to improve your skills.  Whether it's a book, LQS/guild workshop, Craftsy class, or tip you heard or read online, if improving your craft is important to you, make it and yourself a priority.  

5. Buy a sketchbook.  Now use it!  I keep a 5 x 8.25" moleskin graph notebook in my purse.  When I have a bit of free time, I practice FMQ'ing designs, plan the quilting for one of my tops, or design quilts.  It gives me a safe place to practice and design.  Plus, I almost always have it with me.  I also date each of the pages so I can track my design work.

I hope you find these tips helpful! 

First Projects of 2014

 These are the projects I want to move forward this week with my progress so far in parentheses.  Like most of us, I have many more on my list, but I'll be happy to move this forward.

  1. Love Is… Placemats (Finished 1, started next one)
  2. Fall Quilt Binding (On front, started back)
  3. Christmas Table Runner (Ironed & ready for FMQing)
  4. Hearts a Flutter binding (almost finished)
  5. Blue Table Runner for CAF (materials purchased)
  6. Month 1 calendar quilt (materials purchased; more on this later)
  7. Start planning whole cloth (2 designed: must pick one)
  8. Submit quilt pattern to Quilty (designed; get refined design on paper - neatly)
I'm off to a good start...let's hope this lasts!

Quilt. Create. Enjoy!

Anna

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Happy New Year! My Goals for 2014!

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Welcome to 2014!

As I wrote this list, I started to see a number appear in most of my goals - 4.  So I went back in and made all but one of them 4.  It's 2014 after all!

This year's list of goals feels like an attainable stretch.  I'm excited to see how far I get.

1. Sketch quilting designs/motifs 4 or more times a week. Create new ones & practice old ones.
2. Submit 4 quilt designs for publication.
3. Finish 4 bed sized quilts.
4. Make 4 sets of seasonal quilted placemats and/or table runners for dining room table.
5. Enter 4 quilt shows.
6. Finish 4 UFOs.
7. Approach 4 quilt shops about teaching a quilting class.
8. Finish 1 whole cloth quilt.

I need to start by organizing my quilting projects & stash.  You can probably tell that each of these are within reach, but when you put them all together it becomes the stretch.  As long as I plan my time properly, I should be able to do most.  I'm looking forward to sharing my progress on each of my 2014 goals!

Quilt. Create. Enjoy!

Anna

BONUS GOAL: Start a red, white & blue Dear Jane quilt.

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Reflecting on 2013

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Happy New Years Eve!  I was  going to share my favorite free motion quilting tips and what I've completed this year, but first I want to share some thanks.


Reflecting On Those That Matter
I have had an awesome 2013!  I want to thank my wonderful husband Eric.  He supports me, helps me, indulges me, cheers me on and, when needed, he's there to drag me forward.  I feel like I've done some very beautiful work this year and it would have been impossible without him.  I also want to thank my two awesome kids, Samantha & Eric.  I see something quilty in their futures.

The seemingly random fabrics, thread spools, project bags, finished tops waiting to be quilted, and quilts waiting for their binding are all in various nooks and crannies and sometimes they're right in the way.  As with many quilting families, they help with all of it.  Each of them has spent time carrying bolts of fabric, looking for some obscure notion or looking for just the right red fabric to bring the whole quilt together.  They also protect all my things quilt related with a fervor most people and one cat find surprising.  For all these things, I thank them.  Coupled with who they are and all they do, I love them more & more each day and am thankful to have been blessed with an amazing family.

Favorite FMQ'ing Tips
I had planned on sharing my favorite free motion quilting tips, but I don't want to short change any of the planned topics.  With that in mind, I'm moving my favorite free motion quilting tips to Friday.

Completed in 2013
I wanted to include an accounting of my quilting for the year, but work took more time than I had expected today.  I'll update this post with my list tomorrow, but here's the general idea.

- 5 lap quilt tops
- 3 bed quilt tops
- 2 lap sized quilts completed for quilt shows
- @10 mug rugs/wall hangings
-  2 dozen swap blocks

I do not measure success only by 100% finished quilts.  My completed tops are just as important to me.  When I think back to all of the responsibilities I have outside of quilting, I am impressed with myself.

I am happy with what I've accomplished.  I am looking forward to what I'll accomplish in 2014!

Have a happy, safe & quilty new year!!!

Quilt. Create. Enjoy!

Anna

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Motif Monday 5

Ooops...a day late!


Today's motif is a free motion, continuous line oak leaf.  I used this as a block motif and a border motif.

First, a little about the project I used it in.  I did a 10" fall fabric square swap in September.  I'm a little funny about fabric swaps.  The varying fabric preferences can lead to either a great swap or a less than fulfilling swap.  I've come to terms with the occasional interesting (sticks out like a sore thumb) fabric selection.  What I don't like is mixing LQS and non-LQS fabrics.  For this last swap, we were all very specific about what was being swapped and all went well.

Back to the actual quilt.  Here's the top pinned using #1 curved pins with Quilters Delight Safety Pin Quilt Covers and a Kwik Klip. You can see the nice group of fall fabrics we were working with.

Fall Quilt Pinned

Here it is quilted:

Quilted with Binding on Front
For the block motif, you'll be FMQ'ing forward and backward.  It's a simple enough pattern.  Even if you're not accustomed to quilting in all directions, you can use this motif to help build the your directional skills. I started at the bottom of the stem for the block and border.

My test block
And here's the border:

Border
I'll post a directional photo and the border on black next Monday.

I really like how nicely these worked for my quilt.  I hope one of them is useful to you.

Quilt. Create. Enjoy!

Anna

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My Quilting Roller Coaster!

Sunday, December 29, 2013

While I've been terrible about the blog, I'm actually quite happy with my progress on quilting.  I was spending so much time focusing on the down parts of my quilting roller coaster that I'd all but discounted the ups and the soaring ride in general.


First, a big THANK YOU! and I LOVE YOU! to my hubby.  He surprised me with exactly what I wanted on Christmas morning.

The Birds of a Feather weekend quilting retreat with Virginia Longarm Network at the beautiful Founders Inn & Spa in Virginia Beach, VA.

Best. Christmas. Present. Ever!

It's exactly what I wanted & needed to keep my quilty juices flowing.  Let me know if you're going to be there.

I just finished putting the binding on my fall quilt.  I'll be stitching the back down this evening.  I haven't named it yet so I don't have the label.  I'd planned on a bottom left corner placement, so I'd better get thinking.

Pouring rain outside, so kitchen pic it is!

I'm determined to get back to my old normal posting schedule. Here's what I have planned for the coming week.

Motif Monday: I've got a nice block motif to share tomorrow.  You can see a sneak peek of it above.

Technique Tuesday: I'm going to share my favorite free motion quilting tips and what I've completed this year.

Wednesday: Happy New Year!  I'll share my goals for 2014.

Thoroughly Modern Thursday: I have a pattern for a quick win modern quilt I designed. 

Free Form Friday: I have time to decide on this one!

…with more to come.

As I sit here writing this post, I realize that I've really missed writing about my quilt journey.  There's something therapeutic about sharing my quilting hopes, successes & failures.

Don't forget to appreciate and reflect on all parts of your roller coaster!!!

Quilt. Create. Enjoy!

Anna

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