Fun and Done Machine Quilting Practice Installment #9

I haven't posted about this for a while, so I probably need to explain what this is. There is a technique and pattern out there called "Fun and Done." This technique allows you to quilt a block and then sew it together with other blocks to make a quilt. I took this a different direction and I cut the fabric the way the pattern suggested, but used a whole piece of fabric. Now I am practicing my machine quilting. After "many" practice blocks I will have a quilt instead of just a pile of practice pieces.

This block is a practice of the flower I used on my Dazzeling Diamonds Quilt. I left out a few of these lines on the actual quilt. It makes the flower prettier. This flower is from a book by Judy Woodworth titled "Freemotion Quilting." I really liked this book, but if the only thing I got from it was this flower pattern, I would still be thrilled. I recommend this book to those who are wanting to learn more than just the basics.

This is the same flower done with invisible thread. I was having trouble with pop ups so I used the brown thread on my actual quilt. This has a few more lines than Judy's pattern too. On the quilt I stuck to the original pattern instead of trying to make more lines. Sometimes "less is more." The original is much prettier. I have a picture of that quilting on the post just before this one.

Here I am using techniques I learned in "Free Motion Quilting Made Easy" by Eva A Larkin. This is one of my favorite books. It has helped me in my learning process.

This is a stencil I used on my Potatoe Chip Quilt. I was just practicing going around the stencil. I added the stippling. I didn't use stippling on my quilt. I wasn't willing to do that much work on it.

This is another stencil I used on my Potatoe Chip Quilt. It is an easy stencil, but it added a lot to the look of the quilt. That quilt is one of the best I have quilted on my home machine so far. Here is a link to that quilt: http://colleensquiltingjourney.blogspot.com/2010/08/potatoe-chip-quilt.html

Someone asked if I had finished the quilt yet. I haven't because I don't have enough blocks done yet. I will finish it after more practice pieces.