QA # 24 Tree Roots

This week in our Quilt Along with Leah, she is teaching us a FMQ pattern called Tree Roots.  I found this pattern difficult to do the first time out.  The part that was so hard for me was the backing up, the retracing your path that is full of curves and bends. 

I do like the look of the pattern, and enjoyed trying out one row in a variegated thread.  I will be adding this sample piece to my ring binder, for a quick reference in the future.  If I get a project made using this pattern, I will include it in this post.  Made a mug rug with some scrap leftover from my sample; never have too many mug rugs for my pottery coffee cups

Thank you Leah!  Really enjoying this weekly free~motion quilt along!  Congrats on the Craftsy Class~

Godspeed,

mary

Quilt Along #23 Bare Branches, Baby Bibs

This week in our quilt along with Leah Day we worked on a FMQ pattern called Bare Branches.  What a cute pattern, and I could see this one being used in a winter snowman scene as background filler.

Here on green fabric with poly batt I did my practice creating a small sample that will attach to my stitch sampler ring.

 I then used this pattern on a Precious Moment Pink Bib, as the background quilting.  I used a poly batt filler.  The white thread was a bad choice for this project as it made it hard to see the stitches on the  white background; bare branches has you retrace your stitches, and if you can't see them, it is difficult to retrace them. 

Next I made a blue bib, using the same pattern in white thread on a blue colored background.  Much better!  Easier to do as I can see where I have been so know where to go next.  I did the same poly batt, but also included a layer of cotton batt, and I  liked the way the stitches look so much better, as they have more filler for the threads to sink in to. 

Thank you Leah… look forward to our QA Wednesdays!   Can't wait to meet the two little babies who these bibs are for... they were born this summer!

 The bibs are bound and the velcro closures have been added on.

QA # 22 Nametag Label for your quilt

Making a Nametag Label

This nametag label is for my race car picnic quilt for "my boys" ~ grandpapa and the wee grandsons.  Yesterday I hung my quilt at the university, so my nametag will have to be attached to the quilt later this Fall.  I loved using the freezer paper for a template, and by pressing the fabric to the paper it held the fabric taut while I wrote on it, therefore, I was able to make smaller letters and had more space to include additonal information on the label.

 On the block on the bottom of the quilt on the far right you can see the flags, (at the starting gate) they are made from small squares of fabric (they are not prairie point).  The pattern placement of my blocks in this quilt allow 'the boys' to race their cars from the start line driving their cars over all the light colored wonky blocks, to go around around a few corners, and they then can continue onto the finish line flags at the top right block. The Zen String is echoed, creating a pathway wide enough for matchbox size cars and trucks to race a different course.   If you look closely,to the  far left of the quilt (on the wall) you will see a "Hot Wheels race car".

On July 16, yesterday, I took my "Picnic Racers Modern Quilt" to the university, where along with about a dozen of my quilts, is part of an art exhibit with other artists, titled, "The Feel Good Gallery".  The gallery will be open to the public now through the end of September.   There is still some more quilting I would like to add to this modern quilt, (especially around the pillow area) where I drew in thread a few images of cars and road signs and lettering; however, any more quilting will have to wait until "Picnic ~ Racers" returns home this Fall. Hidden within some of the FMQ are a few written messages- I love writing within the quilting to be found later by those who study the quilting!

Thank you Leah, this was a great experience, and I was delighted to find in talking with the people viewing my quilt how much they liked the assorted quilting patterns and appreciated this modern style of quilting.  I do believe I will one day make another "Modern" quilt.

Question for you Leah... my background fabric, is a blend of poly and cotton, and my batting is cotton in this quilt, the other fabrics are cotton.  When FMQ, when I got to the darkest fabric, the one that was a poly/cotton blend, all too often my needle pulled bits of cotton to the surface of the quilt; on the other fabrics this hardly happened at all.  Do you know if there was a reaction  with the poly in the fabric to the cotton batt that caused this to happen?  That is my assumption, but wonder what you think about that.

July FMQ Chal with Angela Walters

This July FMQ Challenge has been fun!  Our instructor for the challenge was Angela Walters, and challenge us ? did she ever J  Thank you so much Angela, I love seeing what you are doing in blog~land.  Thank you SewCalGal.

After years of quilting, this month I am making my first modern quilt in a quilt along with Leah Day, and how appropriate Angela is our July instructor.  I have found while creating this quilt I am using words like "wonky" and "not matching", which sort of means I am doing it right! I thinkJ

For one section of this quilt I applied this months challenge.  I did spirals for the FMQ pattern and had the framework for the tiles set at a "wonky" angle.

This challenge entry piece is part of my race car picnic quilt for "my boys" ~ grandpapa and the wee grandsons.   The start flags are at the bottom right corner; as the cars race on the light colored wonky blocks around corners to the finish line flags at the top right block.  The Zen String is echoed, creating  a pathway wide enough for matchbox size cars and trucks to race a different course.  Hanging on the wall to the far left of the quilt is a "Hot Wheels race car".

July 16, I took "Picnic Racers Modern Quilt" to the university, where along with about a dozen of my quilts, are part of an art exhibit titled, "The Feel Good Gallery", which is open to the public now through the end of September.  I have more quilting I would like to add to this quilt, especially around the pillow area where I drew with thread a few images of cars and road signs; however, any more quilting will have to wait until "Picnic Racers returns home this Fall. 

For more photos of this quilt go to my previous blog, QA# 21 . 

Saddle up , I am off quilting!

Godspeed,

mary

QA #21 quilting the modern quilt

Working on my Modern Quilt and it's almost done....

There are just a few more sections to finish, but almost completed and ready for binding :)  This quilt will go on one of the bunk beds in the guest room until our next picnic with our grandsons. 

I lined up the blocks so that the light colors are connected for a roadway for cars and trucks; the echoed Zen string created a space perfect for matchbox cars!  

I have included all 5 of our quilt along stitches, and then quilted a few others!  I drew in thread some cars, placing one coming out of the start gate, and one about to cross over the finish line, just in front of the flags!

Thanks Leah, it was fun!  I know grandpapa and the boys will enjoy this one!

QA # 20 Assembling Modern Top Update applique and baby quilts

Yeah ~ it has arrived!  Love my "365 FMQ Designs" book! Love the way it is set up, and the photos are so nice and large ~ no need for glasses :)  Congratulations Leah on this book; it will be a well used resource for me!

What fun it has been learning how to create a "Modern Style Quilt Top", this is my first.  Thank you Leah for teaching us this technique.

 When we started this project, I knew nothing about this quilting style and found trying to make things "wonky" was a bit of a challenge, and led to a few questions.  Thank you Leah for answering my questions last week J

I assembled my blocks in a pattern for this quilt that will allow my two grandsons to have a road for riding cars on with their Grandpapa, (our grandsons are almost 1 and 2 years old).  First I stitched the wonky blocks into strips and then into rows, keeping them all together while I chain pieced them so I did not lose my pattern.

Having assembled the top, pressed seams open (except on the lightest blocks) I am now ready to mark my Zentangle string and baste the three layers together. 

My quilt is pinned, my batting is cotton,and you can see the race car flags, the little triangles, at that start and finish line :)  love my guys!

I completed stitching my first Zen string/division working from the back in order that the wonky blocks were not a distraction, I then turned the quilt over and did the echo quilting.   Once done, I added one more division in the middle of the quilt using a sliver of a bar of soap (soap is what I use on dark fabrics ~ never have trouble getting those marked lines out; keep a sliver in my sewing room draw, old and dry is best)!  Now to begin the quilting process as the basting is all done!  

 Love working without pins getting in the way! 

I "LOVE" how it turned out so far, and can't wait to begin quilting this week.  Thank you Leah.

Update on the baby quilt…. completed the scrap quilt for the baby and used flannel for the backing.  The new parents love it!  Baby shower was this past Saturday!

Update on my applique quilt… top is all assembled and connected, and the sashings are all quilted.   Now to complete beading the borders this week.  Hope to have it completed by the end of July! 

 

Thank you for reading my post. 

Saddle up ~ Going quilting!

Godspeed,

mary