FMQing a straight line

I've begun quilting the Craftsy 2012 Mystery Quilt following Leah Day's Craftsy class, Machine Quilting a Sampler.  It is all free motion.  The first thing to do was baste, of course, and I chose to baste using my quilt frame rather than how Leah demonstrated.  Yep, gotta swim upstream sometimes!  The next step is to FMQ in the ditch around each block.  Whewie!!!  Is that hard!  I was so tempted to use my walking foot, but this is, after all, a free motion quilting class, as teacher Leah pointed out.

FMQ in the ditch

Backside of FMQ around block

You can see the large U-shaped basting job I did!  Erratic to say the least, but it does the job.  You can also see the stitching around the block easier.

First starting out with the ITD FMQ, I did some frog stitching and trying again.  Then I began to relax a little and did better.  I find I mess up when starting off after stopping to adjust the quilt.  Once in a while the needle goes where I think it will and stitches forward in the correct place, but most often, it's off to the right or left.  I know it has to do with getting the quilt back in place after adjusting.  I'll eventually get that under control too, I suppose.  And yes, I am using a green thread for my quilting.  Another Leah-ism...how can you see your mistakes and get better if your thread is a perfect match to the fabric?  Gulp!  I keep telling myself...this is a learning quilt, this is a learning quilt.....

Next step will be free motion in and around the blocks.

Keep on Stitchin'!

Jelly Roll Quilt is Finished-Almost!

I have finished quilting the Jelly Roll Race quilt, the label is in place and it is bound.  So it could be finished...but I want to do some embellishment to the front eventually, so I'll say it's finished, almost.  Rather like that song Call Me, Maybe!

Jelly Roll Race Quilt 

 I tried to get a good closeup to show the quilting.  I had to fade out the colors a little for the stitching to show.  I quilted this using  my frame & Juki following a pantogram.  The thread color is a sage green.  It blended so well with all the fabrics in the quilt.

Closeup of quilting

The other day, I embroidered labels for most of the BOM quilts I did in 2012.  For the Jelly Roll quilt, light blue thread on darker blue fabric.

Embroidered Label

Now I'm ready to start free motion quilting the 2012 Craftsy Mystery Quilt using my Bernina 830 machine!!!  Need to decide on thread color.  Intimidated and excited to work on this quilt......

Keep on Stitchin'!!

Basting on the frame

I decided to try basting a quilt on the frame.  Well...I learned a lot and it took me a while!  But I will give it another go as I believe it will be easier for me in the long run.  It isn't pretty, but it does the job.  The HST quilt will most likely be the next to be basted on the frame.

Basting on frame with Juki

This quilt will be quilted on the Bernina 830 machine following the Craftsy class by Leah Day, Free Motion Quilting a Sampler Quilt.  I'm anxious to get started on this, but there's a few other things in front of it.  Like.... this teacher needs to get ready for her next class!!!!

Keep on Stitchin'!!

An Embroidery Project in 2013

The Bernina quilt shop where I teach has started a new embroidered quilt as a monthly class.  Altho nice and easy, it is very unique and I decided to participate in making this.  Here is the fabric (all batiks) and thread that I chose.  The dark purple is the block onto which the embroidery designs are sewn.  I'm using 2 thread colors, yellow and pink, in a cotton quilting thread.  The gold fabric is for sashing and the fushia will be a border and corner stones.  The layout of the quilt is a simple 24 block horizontal/vertical layout with sashing and cornerstones.

Countdown Fabric

And here are the sew outs for the first class.  There are 12 designs in all and we get 3 each class, making 2 of each design.  These blocks still have the stabilizer on the back and have not been pressed nor trimmed to size.  I just folded under the edges and laid them on the floor for the picture.  My blocks will be about 7" finished. 

January Countdown

Closeup

Aren't these so unique???  The owner of the store digitized them.  I don't know if they are for sale or not, but if  you really are interested, please contact Temple Sew and Quilt Store, phone #254-774-9797, email tsewquilt@clearwire.net.  Inquire about the current Countdown to Christmas designs that started January 2013 and tell them "that Sue Halter person" said to contact them! 

Keep on Stitchin'!!

In Color Order - HST Top is Pieced!!

I purchased some fabric from Connecting Threads that they had on sale during the holidays hoping that it would make a good backing fabric and possibly border fabric for this quilt.  Bingo!  The color was spot on and the design 'felt' very good with the fabrics in the blocks.  I love the way the top turned out and love the colors!

In Color Order - HST
Triangular Adventures

The top measures 56 x 71 inches.  I haven't decided how I will quilt this one yet.  I may put it on the frame and do an all over design with a pantogram.  Or I might do as I plan to do with the Craftsy 2012 BOM quilt and follow along with Leah Day in the Craftsy class.  I haven't started quilting on that quilt yet or any quilt for that matter.  But soon...very soon!!

Keep on Stitchin'!!

NEW! Craftsy 2013 BOM - January

Craftsy has a new BOM for 2013.  This time it's not a mystery, so we can see the finished teacher's quilt.  Laura Nownes is our teacher this year and we are off to a great start.  Here is the teacher's quilt:

All dots and circles!!

Here is the fabrics I've chosen:

I'll have a dark background this with quilt.  I've been wanting to do something like this for a long time..now's my chance!! I'd purchase most of this fabric for an unknown quilt...which means I just started with the floral and bought fabrics to go with it and the dark watery blue for background with no particular quilt in mind.

And here's my January blocks:

Craftsy Jan 2013

These are simple log cabin blocks with one side of the fabric logs wider than the other.  These 4 blocks finish at 6 inches each.  See them in the upper left corner surrounding the cube blocks of the teacher's quilt?

Go on over to Craftsy and join us!  It's a free class!!!  Check out the various colorways everyone is using, too.

Keep on Stitchin'!!

Carol Doak Mystery Quilt - January Block

According to Carol, this block will the centerpiece of our mystery quilt.  I think it's a stunning block!  Hmmmm...wonder if it will be combined with those huge flying geese we did in December....

Carol Doak - Jan 2013

I can visualize this block rotated on point with the December geese making it a larger block.  Might that be part of the mystery solved????!!!!  This was a fun block to do!  Lots of pieces - 21 in each quadrant!

Keep on Stitchin'!!

Grandmothers Choice - Week 18

2013.  Sounds very syfy futuristic, doesn't it??!!  Welcome to a new year!  This is the latest BlockBase block for the Grandmothers Choice sew along.

Grandmothers Choice - Week 18

The name of this block is Cheyenne.  Wyoming was the first US Territory and the first state to legislate women's full rights to vote and hold office.  Cheyenne is the state capitol city.  Read more at Barbara Brackman's blog, http://grandmotherschoice.blogspot.com/.

Keep on Stitchin'!