Wednesday, January 11, 2012

2012 Free Motion Quilting Challenge

In my effort to learn new techniques this year I have signed up for this series of monthly tutorials based on free motion quilting organised by the SewCalGirl site.

I hope it will give me more ideas and skills to apply to my smaller creations.

JANUARY:
This month the tutorial is about using a leaf pattern and is taught by Frances Moore.

First challenge is to find a darning foot for my 20 year old Elnita (by Elna) machine (which did not come with one), so this means I will not get started until that is sorted! But I can prepare the quilting 'sandwiches' in the meantime so they are ready to go!

I do have the fabrics - have chosen a natural calico and some other natural/neutral fabrics, and will use caramel thread for the stitching.  I will just make random 'sandwiches' and then by the end of the year I am thinking I will put the blocks together to make a decorative bed-end runner for summer.

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3 comments:

  1. Nancy J1/12/2012

    I have signed up for the FMQ challenge, but I didn't see where they gave the size square to work with, is it the usual top, batting and backing, about 12.5 inches, or a little larger so it can be trimmed?I also sew with King Tut, and use a polyseter in the bobbin, unless top stitching and use the same thread.Hope you can help with this. Cheers from Jean

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    1. Gemini Jen NZ1/13/2012

      Hi Jean, I think I had an email link or saw something on the site somewhere that said to make 'sandwiches'(which I presume mean with batting in the middle) of 8"x 8". I guess you could make them any size you like. The first video has got mention of the threads that Frances suggests using, I don't have a range of threads so will just use my regular everyday stuff. I guess it is all up to your own interpretation. Cheers!

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  2. Gemini Jen NZ2/06/2012

    So, found a darning foot for my machine - Dunedin Sewing Machine Repairs had one - but have now got issues with the tension in my machine...have given it a clean-out and fiddled with both top and bottom tension but couldn't get it right, so have not been near the machine since late January (as figured it might get hurled out/through the window in frustration, as well as the fact that school has started again so that gets in the way). Perhaps next weekend I will have more luck and will be able to have a go at the FMQ at last - my sandwiches are ready to go!

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