I began having a desire to learn free motion quilting in 2012. I would watch videos made by Leah Dayfor months before I actually decided to give it a go. I had a quilt to quilt! It was an ambitious goal but I was ready to take it on. The quilt I began on was pulled out of the closet this week to go on the bed. I have learned much sine then. Mostly because of practice! Here are some "then" shots with my comments.
This square shows my early stage of stitching near the ditch. I knew I couldn't be that exact so this was my solution to that technique.
In the corners of this block, I attempted to place straight and curved lines.
This one has looped corner boxes in the brown squares. The one in the center is quite wild!
I remember feeling good over the fills in these drunkard's path circles!
I wasn't overly concerned about poor tension or loops in the back. Obviously, that's not a good strategy. Many lines in this block are unraveling.
The FMQ learning process is an amazing one. With practice, skills and abilities expand to exciting levels! Here are some "now" pictures.
This is a fun example of interesting possibilities.
Who doesn't love feathers? The entire butterfly is traced around with stitches. I'm definitely doing better at that!
The organic feel of the bamboo is quite nice.
The sky's the limit when you get good at FMQ! Have you tried this skill? Don't be discouraged! You will improve every time you practice. You'll stop holding your breath when you're sewing. You'll recognize the sounds that your machine makes as it slows and speeds up. You'll get more creative and more brave. More focused and more interested in expanding your ability. You'll make audition swatches and practice sandwiches just for fun. You'll find your favorite and least favorite patterns to sew. You'll be a Free Motion Quilter!
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