FMQ - Final Overview

Our last requirement of the SewCalGal FMQ Challenge is to provide an overview of the challenge.  The past 12 months, I have learned so much and became much more comfortable with my FMQ skills.  By no means do my skills come close to being professional, but I am very proud of what I can now do.  Each month, the teachers were wonderful and the tutorials were great learning tools and skill builders.  With the knowledge I've learned and continued practice, I can only get better and better.  Right??!!

I've lain out my blocks on a bed to take the pictures.  It took 2 pictures to get the 20 blocks (yes I did a few extra or twice!) to show the designs and I was standing on a chair!!.

Eventually, I will trim these up and make a sampler quilt.  Definitely not a pretty quilt, but it will be a great reference guide for me.

Thank you to SewCalGal for offering this challenge and for all the hard work you've done to get teachers, prizes, and keep us going for the whole year.  Thank you to all the teachers who provided such great tutorials.  They were ma-a-a-valous!!

Keep on Stitchin'!

Grandmothers Choice - Week 17

Got this one finished just in time for a new one to be posted tomorrow! Oh, well....

Grandmothers Choice - Week 17

This one is Mother's Delight.  It could have had two colors in each of the center and outer star points, but since I wanted to use the stripe and only one color in the center, I eliminated the extra lines in the foundation.  This let me cut only 4 stripe pieces and 4 center pieces.  There were inset seams in this block, too.

Hope everyone is surviving the holiday season!!!

Keep on Stitchin'!!

Funky Chicken - December Done!!

WooHoo!  Yippee!!! I have completed all the blocks for the Funky Chicken quilt!  I'm looking forward to doing the quilting on this quilt.  I will be doing it either block by block, or vertical strip by strip.  I'm leaning towards sewing 4 vertical blocks for 3 strips and quilting each of these before putting together. That will leave me with only 2 seams to do after the quilting is done.

Dec Funky Chicken

Dec Chick - Closeup

The quilting that I have decided to do will be free motion done on my Bernina 830.  I'll do pebbles on the lower portion and a larger, more open swirl-something on the top.  I also plan to do a bit of detail quilting in matching thread color on the chickens themselves.

I have enjoyed working on these blocks so much throughout the year.  They were just FUN!!!!  A big shout out and thank you to Fat Cat Patterns for providing these wonderful blocks each month.  Just in case anyone missed it with the first block I posted, the original patterns are for hand/machine applique. I digitized the embroidery stitches on these blocks for my own use and they will not be shared or sold.

Keep On Stitchin'!

FMQ Challenge - December Final

I really enjoyed the practice sessions for these borders.  I wanted to do the full 24" piece, but just didn't have the time right now.  So I just did a corner.  Hopefully next year I can do a free motion 24" piece similar to Patsy Thompson's samples in the tutorial.

Dec2012-Borders Final

I drew lines to mimic borders and free motioned along the lines.  I'm most impressed with myself for FMQing such straight lines! hahaha  The only other guidelines I used were the spines in the feathers.  Everything else is free motion!  I still have loop troubles, but I can see I'm getting better with every practice session.  Next year with all the quilts I'll be working on, I should really get in some wonderful practice, don't you think?????

I've done all the FMQ Challenge blocks on my Bernina Artista 630.  Once I begin the quilting work on the BOMs quilts from this past year, I will be working on my Bernina 830 for some and some I will load on the frame with the Juki.  So looking forward to the quilting year of 2013!

Keep on Stitchin'!

Practicing on paper

December's tutorial is by Patsy Thompson.  She's guiding us through borders.  Lots of pre-drawing and practicing for this.  The picture below shows my free-hand pencil drawing of her pdf file, then the needle holes as I went over the lines free motion sewing.  No thread, of course, in the needle or bobbin.  My Bernina 630 lets me turn off the function of seeing threads.

December Border Practice on Paper

I did surprisingly well on the feathers.  Hope I can do as well on fabric with only the center spine drawn in.  The spirals still give me trouble...just can't get those boogers to cooperate with me!!  I also need more practice on the large loops with smaller inner loop to get those bottoms to meet up nicely.  I even had trouble drawing them correctly.  Overall, not too bad, but I think one more dry run on paper is called for before I use a quilt sandwich.  Tomorrow is another day and I'll do the dry run then.

Keep on Stitchin'!!

In Color Order- December HST Block

Yippeeee!!!!  Another final BOM finished and ready to be assembled into a quilt!  I enjoyed doing these HST blocks throughout the year.  My points have gotten pretty darn good, if I do say so myself! LOL  It helps that these HST are 3 inches, making it easier to match points, but even so, I've gotten a lot of good practice.

In Color Order HST - Dec2012

The suggested finished quilt layout has been posted.  I think I will probably assemble the quilt as suggested.  It has sashings with cornerstones and an added border with a 3x4 block layout.  A quick glance in my closet shows I will need to purchase border fabric.  I have enough of the white for the sashing and enough left over pieces from the 10" square layer cakes I used for the corner blocks.  Oh, and backing...doubt I have enough of anything for that.  I'll put the quilt together, then take it to the store and get help with picking border/binding/backing.  Always fun to get opinions of others!!!!  So I guess I can put this aside until next year!!

Keep on Stitchin'!

Carol Doak Mystery Quilt - December Blocks

Carol gave us easy blocks for this hectic month!  Much appreciated, too!  These are huge flying geese - 4 of them and not sewn together.  Each goose block measures 12.5 x 6.5 inches.  Hmmmm...wonder where these will fit into the quilt??!!

CDoak Mystery - December Blocks

Keep on Stitchin'!!

BlockBase Sew Along - Block 6

Aaaaah.  Caught up with the BOWs!! It's way to easy to get behind with weekly and every two week blocks!  Now on to the BOMs & FMQ challenge for December!

BlockBase Sew Along - Block 6

Colors are pretty good on this block.  The inside swirl fabric is actually a bit more greenish.  I'm trying hard to remember warm and cool fabrics next to each other.  How am I doing?  I spend way to much time picking out fabrics.  Wish this warm/cool stuff came naturally to me...

Keep on Stitchin'!

Grandmothers Choice - Week 16

WooHoo!  I'm caught up...with this particular BOW anyway!!

Grandmothers Choice - Week 16

This block is named Capitol T.  Do you see it?  It took me forever to see that T!!!  The T is on the diagonal and in my block is the brown/green floral fabric.

Happy Holidays!!

Keep on Stitchin'!

Grandmothers Choice - Week 15

I'm behind a week, but hopefully I can get caught up today....maybe!  As long as hubby stays interested in a football game! hahaha

Grandmothers Choice - Week 15

The name of this block is Centennial, recalling the 1993 celebration of New Zealand's honorable position as the first country to enfranchise all women in all elections. Hop on over to http://grandmotherschoice.blogspot.com/ to read more.

On to this week's block!  Hope your holiday shopping and planning and fun is going great!!!

Keep on Stitchin'!

Grandmothers Choice - Block 14

I wasn't expecting to get another block finished today, but I did!

Grandmothers Choice - Week 14

This one is Bride's Knot.  Check out the story behind this block and how 'invisible' women were at http://grandmotherschoice.blogspot.com/.

No more today for sure. I have to now begin the regime of beautifying myself for a fancy holiday party at hubby's work.  They make us starve until around 7 pm! hahaha  And the beautifying part takes a loooooong time!!!!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Keep on Stitchin'!

Grandmothers Choice - Week 13

Catching up, I think!!  I have one more plus the new one that comes out tomorrow.  Hopefully, I'll be caught up with these BOWs this weekend.

Grandmothers Choice - Block 13

This one is called Everybody's Favorite.

Keep on Stitchin'!

Jelly Roll Braid

I may have mentioned...or I may not have!! that the quilt/Bernina shop where I teach and patronize (read, spend my money!!!) has a monthly Jelly Roll Quilt Class.  I missed the October one as it was held when I was in Houston oohing and aaahing over quilts and vendor booths.  November's uses a pattern by Eleanor Burns..Braid in a Day.  Umpfh!!!  in a day?? me???  no way!!

I decided to make the lap size which needs 3 rows of braids, each with a set of 18 'bricks'.  I didn't quite get those 3 rows done during class...but I have an excuse!!  I decided to help a gal pick out fabrics.  Now that's fun!  I can really help someone spend their money! hahaha  Anyway, here's what I've gotten done so far.

Jelly Roll Braid Quilt

I've got 7 more sets to go for each braid row.  Haven't picked out the rest of the fabrics for the sashing and borders.  Probably will use at least one fabric that's in the braids.  The store cuts the jelly rolls for these classes, so finding a fabric should be easy.

Ya think I'll be quilting like a mad woman in 2013????

Keep on Stitchin'!!

BlockBase Sew Along - Block 5

I'm a bit behind in getting this block done.  Also 2 blocks behind with the Grandmothers Choice blocks with another due to be posted on Saturday.  I'm hoping to get caught up this weekend.  You know how it is around the holidays.  Always expect the unexpected!!!

BlockBase SewAlong - Block 5

I think this one is very pretty.  Of course, I paper pieced!!

Keep on Stitchin'!!

Another FootBook Page

November's Foot Book Class used the Edgestitch Foot (Bernina #10).  The page was an easy one and once backed with another page, it will have ribbon sewn around the outer edges to further embellish the page.

Edgestitch Foot #10

We did tucks on the center fabric using the Edgestitch Foot, going both ways across the fabric.  The fabric was sewn to the page with strips of card stock.

Keep on Stitchin'!