2012 Free Motion Quilting Challenge Overview

 I loved the 2012 FMQ Challenge.  Here are my 12 completed practise sandwiches.  I had lots of trouble photographing this.  Click on the photo to get a better view.

 This is only half.  You get a better picture.

This is the other half.  Click on each of the photos to get a better picture of what I have done.

 

Now for what I have learned.  It is so much that I don't really think I can express it all. Let me try to make a list.

 

1.  I got to take class from some of the top quilting professionals in the business.  I never could have afforded to do that on my own.  Just getting to know them and getting their feedback was awesome.  Some of them even wrote messages just for "me."  They were such giving people. 

 

2.  I learned that I am better at small curving quilting than I am at long straight lines.

 

3.  I learned to not care so much about being "perfect" and just have a good time.  If it isn't perfect, no one really cares but me.  Look at some of those blocks I made, some are awesome and some are not so awesome.

 

4.  I have learned to take what I have learned and actually make several quilts with those skills and patterns.

 

5.  I set a goal a while back to learn to quilt my own quilts.  I am there.  I am ready.  I have actually been doing pretty good, and I don't mean to sound braggy. 

 

Last, but not least, thanks to SewCalGal for all the work this challenge took.  Thanks for your time, your insight and your knowledge.  You were one of the first blogs I started following and I will never regret having become your blogging friend.

Happy quilting to all!!!! 

 

 

December FMQ Challenge

The December FMQ Challenge was taught by Patsy Thompson.  This was only part of her great lesson.  I loved it so much.  I am excited about doing borders now.  Won't this be fun to do on a real quilt!  Click on the photo for a better view.

November FMQ Challenge

November Free Motion Quilting Challenge from SewCalGal.com.Swirls are lots of fun.  These aren't my best, but I think they look better when they aren't perfect.

 

October FMQ Challenge

This is my October Free Motion Quilting sample for SewCalGal's quilt along.  It was fun to do.  I did some things I hadn't done before.  Aren't my feathers cute?  Thanks to Teri Lucas for being our teacher this month.  Click on the photo to see a larger view.

Also, anyone viewing this before Nov 14, 2012 is welcome to sign up for my giveaway by clicking here. I am giving away a copy of "The Giving Quilt" by Jennifer Chiaverini.



Sept FMQ Challenge in Fun and Done

This block was a delight.  September FMQ challenge from SewCalGal.

August FMQ Challenge

This is my block for the August Free Motion Quilting Challenge by Sew Cal Gal.  No one in the challenge will recognize this as the pattern we were to do.  It was more difficult than I expected after I started.  I definitely need more practice on the magna doodle.

July FMQ Challenge

This is my July sample for Sew Cal Gal's Free Motion Quilt Along.

I should have put the lines further apart.  They lose themselves in the McTavishing.

It still looks nice.  Thanks to Angela Walters for the lesson.

June FMQ Challenge

Our June FMQ Challenge was taught by Cindy Needham.  She did a really good job.  I have always admired her work.  

FMQ Challenge May 2012

This month's teacher was Leah Day.  She showed two cute filler patterns.  One was railroad tracks and the other a loopy pattern.  Hers looked much better than mine.  It was actually harder than it looked.

April FMQ Challenge

Here is my April Free Motion Quilting Challenge practise block.

I appreciate Don's lesson this month.  I found it new and was excited at the possibilities.

March FMQ Challenge

These are my attempts at this March challenge.  I actually did a better job of making

daisies here. on a quilt I made in February.  Sometimes you do better on the real thing.

February 2012 Free Motion Quilting Challenge Block / Fun and Done Machine Quilting Practice Installment #12

This is my block for the 2012 Free Motion Quilting Challenge sponsored by SewCalGal.  The February lesson was taught by Diane Gaudynski.  I have all her books and have studied her quilting for several years.  I quilted the feather in a verigated thread, and did the outside echoing in an ecru thread.  It isn't perfect, but from a distance, it doesn't look bad.  (DON'T click on the photo to make it larger. You'll see all my istakes!  lol ) Thanks to Diane for participating.  I feel honored to have had her as a teacher.

2012 Free Motion Quilting Challenge January - Fun and Done Quilting Practise Installment #11

 These are my practise pieces for the 2012 Free Motion Quilting Challenge sponsored by SewCalGal. 

This was the original pattern.

 I added some loops because I thought it helped me go from one place to another.

This months instructorMartha Moore added an extra pattern on her blog.  I really liked this one.  It fancied things up

I am using the "Fun and Done" method from Praire Sky Quilting for my practise pieces.  I started a quilt a while back with this method so I could pracise and not have to throw away all that fabric.  I keep some samples ready all the time so that if I need to practise a pattern before quilting I will always have something ready to quilt.  I will add the practise pieces from this challenge to this quilt.  You can go here to see my other blocks and to see how far I have come since I started.  Fun and Done Practise Quilt