I heard from some beginners to FMQ and wanted to share a step that I've talked about in my blog before, but didn't really mention in the posts about FMQ. I didn't start out doing FHQ (free hand quilting). I started out doing marked FMQ.
FMQ, or free motion quilting just means bypassing the feed dogs on the machine and using your hands to move the quilt sandwich. That way, you can get the stitch wherever you want it, without having to turn the quilt. All free hand quilting (FHQ) is free motion, but not all free motion (FMQ) has to be free hand.
What if you didn't have to decide where to put the shape you're going to draw and could skip straight to getting the stitches where they need to be. No worry about perfect curves or impossible straight lines. You wouldn't have to decide whether to go left or go right in order to get that flower to form? You can do that with marked free motion quilting.
The tracing below is not something I could do free hand. And, if I did, it wouldn't be something I'd want to show anybody. I traced it from a holiday gift bag that my friend shared with me. There is a continuous cord that moves from light to light and the lights are similar enough to be recognizable. I know where everything needs to go and all I'll have to focus on is getting the needle to go down where I want it to and making my stitch length even. And, if I don't like something about the original, I can use one of those big pink erasers and make it go away. I'm just waiting until they make a seam ripper that works as good as those big pink erasers.
I'll copy this original to a piece of tear away paper by needle punching it and pin the copy to my quilt sandwich and lickety split, I'll have lights. Then, I can fill in between them with background filler to make them stand out. My fabric is dark, and my thread is going to be a few shades lighter, so the background will be lighter than the string of lights. I hope.
So, on to the giveaway. According to Microsoft Excel, =randbetween(1,27), the winner of the Harriet Hargrave book is HAPPY COTTAGE QUILTER!!!! I'm now following her blog and if you go visit, I think you'll see why after reading just a couple of posts.
Okay, so that's it for me. Hurry through your work day and let's get home to quilt. Take care. Lane
6 comments:
Loved your closing line -- hurry through your work day . . . That's a great idea. I've got a quilt top I really want to finish so I can get on to the FMQ and try a few new things.
Your quilting video was really great. You have a very nice voice, and I forgot to mention the other day that your hands are just as nice as Rob's. It takes a lot of nerve to put yourself out there like that, and you did really well.
Hope your workday goes quickly.
xo -El
The video really was awesome Lane! I'd love to see a video on how you take your machines apart, oil, and adjust the timing. You mention this a lot on your blog and I'd really love to see how it's done step by step.
Cheers,
Leah
I'm working on a quilt top and, last night, I eyed the back of it... there was some thread snipping and pressing going on at my house!
Thanks for all your advice... it is very much appreciated!
Thanks, Lane - I need to do this - use marking and cut out a good 50% of the "terror" of doing the FMQ quilting. :)
I love your video - thank you for taking the time to make it and to share it with us. Thanks, too, for following my blog. I'm going to participate in the Free Motion Quilt Challenge and that now has its own blog at http://fmqchallenge.blogspot.com/ You don't have to join to "follow" and watch everyone's progress.
Thanks for the personal email lane I feel very encouraged. I won't give I will practice practice practice. I finished my first quilt top last night bar the border (I haven't got fabric for that yet) .So i had to cut out a new quilt to use as my leader and ender project and my old leader/ender is mow my primary quilt its amazing how fast a L&E project grows !
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