2012 Free Motion Quilt Challenge Grand Finale

Grand Finale ~ 2012 Free Motion Quilt Challenge

 

 

It was December 2011 when I heard about the FMQChallenge from Cindy Needham, in her newsletter!  Oh, Thank you Cindy, I have learned so much and had a blast in the challenge.  It was so much fun to meet up with other women, and so many of them, that LOVE working with fibre, fabrics especially, and doing Free motion quilting.

The instructors were Fantastic, and they kept the assignments simple enough to do in a month, yet particular enough to be a real challenge!   Learned so many tips and tricks from every single lesson.

The participants, all you ladies, were so great to meet, and your encouragement, well, always someone out there willing to encourage and help and I so much appreciate all your input.  And your creativity, I do believe you knocked my socks off a few times :)  What you would do with the lesson amazed me!  I thank you for inspiring me on to trying new and different things.

Sew Cal, well, what can I say that I haven't said already.  You have blessed me so much.  You brought the world of FMQuilting and all these new friends from all over the world, into my hometown out in the country.  I thank you dear one!

Godspeed, and Merry Christmas....  Following are my samples from each months challenges!
Mary Fanslau


January with Frances Moore
http://cantstopstitchin.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-free-motion-quilt-challenge-and.html

Frances it was a delight to be introduced to you in the quilting world.  Loved learning from you and your pattern was used in these Dick and jane cloth books I created for my grandsons.  They travel with Mimi's quilting (thats me) when in the car and take them to bed for their own story times when drifting off to childhood sleep or to look upon when waking!   Thank you Frances for helping me complete this very special project!

February with Diane Guadinsky

Feathers with Diane... oh - can it get better than that! Love all her books!   I FMQ yardage of these feathers, and then created an appliance cover for my Stand Mixer which sits on my counter.  Everyone gets to enjoy seeing the quilting and it did not require any wall or flat surface space :)   Fun Fun Fun~

March with Ann Fahl










What a fun tutorial Ann!  Thank you.   These light and fluffy flowers are on a doll quilt for a baby girl... maybe one day I will wrap a granddaughter up in this one!   It is completed and safely tucked away.  I have to tell you so many people enjoyed seeing this doll quilt as it was on display as part of a quilt gallery at a state university here in New England.   I was honored to have quite a few of these  on display!

April with Don Linn

Fantastic class with Don Linn!  Enjoy his books!  This tulle tip in the hoop is a great idea, and has been used a few times since his tutorial in the Spring.  This project is a Christmas gift, that had been waiting quite some time for a finish ~ it is now wrapped up and ready to go under the tree :)


May with Leah Day

Leah is so much fun!  Love her book!   When I heard she was going to be an instructor on the FMQC one month, well, I new we were going to be in for a treat!  Love the tracks  Leah.  We originally had one main line going through the track, however when I saw one of the FMQ  participants added the second line, well it looked just like a train track, and with two grandsons, you know I am using this pattern a lot!  The block on the left is soon to be a pillow that goes with a quilt (my first pieced sampler) I made years ago.... what I made with the leftover pieces.

June with Cindy Needham

Cindy Needham is the best and have ordered her Craftsy Class.  I first was introduced to Cindy Needham FMQuilter of linens watching an episode of the Quilt Show.  And immediately ordered her e books, until I could find her one paperback book that was sold out everywhere.  I eventually found it for sale at a little quilt store here in New England, they had two copies, and I was so glad to help one of the other FMQ challenge participants access the other copy.  I was so excited to work on my first linen, in the challenge.  I had been collecting linens for years, but had not put one to thread until this challenge came along.  Thanks Sew Cal, it gave me the added courage I needed to do it.   To my delight, Cindy saw it, and not only encouraged me, she posted it on her blog :)  What a HUGE joy that was for me to be able to share my little chair I sip tea from with all of you over the internet as I enjoy the view from my window!

July with Angela Walters

Loved learning from Angela and have ordered her Craftsy Class!  She is such a great teacher of the modern quilting style and so generous in sharing her knowledge.  I used the tile pattern learned in this quilt... I call it Picnic Racer.  It is a picnic blanket that we can use inside our out when the grandsons come over.  I have FMQ a few racecars that can travel up and down the assorted blocks that form a trac.  lots of fun!

August with Wendy Sheppard




I enjoyed learning the Jester hat FMQ pattern, and found once I got the rhythm in my head I could do this pattern easily.  I remember some of the gals on facebook struggling so with this one, so I wrote an idea about this pattern on the FMQ facebook page - that if you make a number 3 with a great big curve at the top part and the bottom part, and then make a backwards 3 going in another direction with like a 90 degree turn in the direction, it may help you get the rhythm...  Love her blog !



September with Paula Reid



I enjoyed learning about the rubber hand holders from Paula while doing this pattern.    I took out two of my foam stamps I recently had purchased for the grandsons, and they worked great for shifting the quilt under the FMQ foot.  Some of the gals on facebook had a hard time knowing where to start and where to finish, so I wrote a tutorial and posted the link to my blog on the FMQ facebook page.  I heard it helped a few of the gals get this pattern into their minds eye :)  My finished quilt sample was the bottom of a round basket cover.   First introduced to Paula watching her on the HGTV with Alex Anderson years ago.


October with Teri Lucas
 



Loved learning this months lesson and including words in one of our projects.  This was the drawing I decided to put on fabric.  So glad to have been introduced to this artist.  What a talent!

November with Sarah Vedeler

Really enjoyed learning Sarahs' way of doing spirals.  It was fun to follow her ideas on practice and applying that later to fabric.  First met Sarah on TQS a while back, and now enjoying her instruction of this years BOM on the TQS.

December with Patsy Thompson

  

Love learning from Patsy and have her book Feathers Abound!  I was so saddened to learn of her quilts being stolen and learned from    her not to let lifes disappointments stop you from doing what you love.  She has shared her talent with us again and again, and on this project helped me with one of the hardest things in   FMQ , what to do with those borders, and how to come up with the pattern that will work!  Terrific class Patsy.  Thank you!



Thank you all for the 2012 Free Motion Quilt Challenge

Godspeed,
mary fanslau

2012 Free Motion Quilt Challenge December Patsy Thompson Borders

It was December 2011 when I heard about the FMQChallenge from Cindy Needham, in her newsletter! Oh, Thank you Cindy, I have learned so much and had a blast in the challenge. It was so much fun to meet up with other women, and so many of them, that LOVE working with fibre, fabrics especially, and doing Free motion quilting.  Loved all the sharing and further instruction that I recieved from other participants on the facebook page!  Not to forget all the blogging help as a few of us struggled to learned this new to us technology!  Thank you all for sharing your tips, successes and failures, along with oodles of encouragement!

The instructors were Fantastic, and they kept the assignments simple enough to complete in a month, yet particular enough to be a real challenge! Learned so many tips and tricks from every single lesson.

The participants, all you ladies, were so great to meet, and your encouragement, well, there was always someone out there willing to encourage and help and I so much appreciate all your input. And your creativity, I do believe you knocked my socks off  more than a few times with what you created :) What you would do with the lessons amazed me! I thank you for inspiring me on to trying new and different things.

Sew Cal, well, what can I say that I haven't said already. You have blessed me so much. You brought the world of FMQuilting and all these new friends from all over the world, into my hometown out in the country in New England, USA. I thank you dear one!

Godspeed, and Merry Christmas!  Here is my December Challenge...

My journal page 

 

My sampler testing out threads and colors

 

Mary Fanslau                                                    The Back

Quilt Along # 45 Thank you Leah ~ recap ~ hearts

 

 

Dear Leah ~ How do I say thank you.... hmmmm .... I have loved visiting with you and the other quilters every week in the quilt along!  I have learned so many things, like how to use a "BLOG" for starters, and if you want to see my projects I made with the stitches you can scroll on through the postings.  I have loved being able to connect with other people all over the world who LOVE quilting like I do!  Thank you all for sharing your tips, successes and failures, and words of encouragement.  They have meant a lot.  Above you see Quilt Along # 1, remember wiggles... well this is my first of all 45 samples and reviews for my ring as I tested out threads and battings and colors !

 

 

 

And Leah ~  You can see my sampler book above of all the stitches you taught us, on this one ring!  Once Thanksgiving happened, we got so busy I did not even have time to set up small samples, just did one long strip of stitches!  I bet you recognize a few!

 

 

Leah, here you see my feeble attempt at hearts overlapping, well, my brain just couldn't go there, but I had a few good laughs as I made attempts at it!  Good to know what you don't like, and confirms what patterns you do like!

 

Please pass my thanks on to your family men, for assisting you with you tubes/videos, and even being a part of the quilt along videos!  You are a very kind and generous family!

 

May Gods blessings be yours in the New Year!

See you in 2013

Godspeed,

mary  

Quilt Along # 44 Starry Mess

Quilt Along # 44 Starry Mess was more difficult for me than it looked.   I think crossing the lines of a new star through an existing one was what kept hindering me from getting a rhythm going when doing this pattern.  I like the way it looks, and expecially like having tiny stars next to large ones.  It seems to make the pattern more dramatic I think.

Leah, this has been a fun year of Quilt Alongs, and I am so happy that I was able to quilt along with you every week.  I have learned so much and the inspiration and encouragement has been so refreshing as I practice, practice, practice.

Thank you Leah, and Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Godspeed,
mary

Quilt Along # 43 Cat Hairball Filler

LOL ~ Leah, you are too funny....  we get to "Cough up a cat hairball FMQ pattern!"    This pattern reminds me of many a day the kittens would get in to my yarn.

 

This is a great little pattern that did work up so fast and filled in nicely around other Quilt Along patterns.   I tried drawing my circles in both directions depending on which direction I was going next and I also tried different size circles, finding the smaller ones took long to fill the same area, however they would make a great pattern to work around some trapunto work, as they packed in so easily and nicely worked around other shapes.

Thank you Leah!  We have almost completed a whole year together in the quilt along.  I am grateful for your teaching!

Merry Christmas to you
Godspeed,
mary

Quilt Along # 42 Spiral Ornaments

LOL ~ Leah, you are too funny.... next week we get to "Cough up a cat hairball FMQ pattern!"   Having been a cat owner my whole life, I have "sew" many images and will laugh out loud all the while stitching next weeks Quilt Along "43!

QA#42 Spiral Ornaments

So enjoyed seeing this pattern done on the video Leah !  Thank you for sharing with us these tutorials on how you start them and go all the way to the finish.  I tried something a little different on this one.  Although I really liked the way you did this pattern, especially for finishing borders, starting at one end and doing the curve line knowing where it would finish and then adding your spirals onto the line, I tried something more random and as I curved the line, I added spirals in as I went along using this pattern as more of a random filler.   Thanks Leah and Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Godspeed,
mary

FMQ Nov Challenge Spirals, Sarah Vedeler

The Free Motion Quilt Challenge sure has lived up to its name ~ A Challenge!  SewCAlGal, Thank you, it sure has been fun learning more about FMQ, and meeting women all around the world who enjoy this Art/craft/skill. 

This months challenge was led by Sarah Vedeler.  I first became acquainted with Sarah's work on the Quilt Show where she has taught and shared a few projects.  Thank you Sarah for sharing this spiral challenge for us to enjoy.

This is my sample of spirals ~

Merry Christmas Everyone
Godspeed,
mary

Quilt Along #41 Pods

Quilt Along # 41 Pods

Love the titles of some of the FMQ designs.   They make me smile!   Pods stirs images in my mind of islands of aliens, can you tell I have been spending much time with my grandsons :)  

Here is my go around with Pods...  My journal page, if you look closely, you may see butterfly pods on the paper.

If time allows, will give this another go around, as they definitely don't look like Leahs :)  

Merry Christmas Everyone :)
Thanks Leah!
Godspeed,
Mary

Quilt Along # 40 Quilt Busting Flower Power

Quilt Along #40   Quilt Busting Flower Power

Had fun doodling this design all week.  Brought back many memories of Spirograph days of doodling!   He is my little daisy with an open center ~

Here you see my daisy with the flower petals all meeting in the center

 

It's Christmas season, I love Christmas, so here my petals all have a point to them giving the illusion of a poinsettia flower :)

Merry Christmas Everyone :)

Thanks Leah!
Godspeed,
mary

Quilt Along # 39 Matrix

Matrix... Now doesn't that sound interesting ~ Well it lived up to its name.   I really enjoyed working on Matrix and look forward to applying this pattern to some quilts in the future!  Not only was it fun, but it was Fast and best of all this time of year, busy with Christmas crafting, it was easy to do!

Thanks Leah!
Godspeed,
mary

Quilt Along #38 Lost Data

~ Happy Veterans Day ~

Thank-you to all who have served! 

I believe the best place to live on the this planet is

The United States of America!

Quilt Along # 38 Lost Data

Quilt Along # 38 is called lost Data..  It is an edge to edge design with large areas of what some call "negative space" where you may incorporate other FMQ  patterns.   In this negative space Lost Data created quilt along #38 used a pattern called Zippling..  Zippling is a great pattern if  you wanted to make people... If you use your imagination you can almost see a little girl running (upside down) at the top of the mountain in the middle.

Thank you Leah for your faithfulness to the project.  Learning so much from you!
Godspeed,
mary

Thank you for your prayer

Thank you to all who were praying for us in New England.   Although many towns in our area were more than 90 % without power in the aftermath of the storm, more than 7 million in the country, by Wednesday morning we (in my town) awoke to having access to power, water, telephone and internet :)  

While New England is north of NJ where Sandy made her entry to the country, the winds north of the storm were quite harsh, and it was early on Monday that I heard that resounding "snap" of a Red Maple coming down!  Ever so grateful it fell in a southern direction over a old stone wall, rather than on our home.  Soon after, we lost power.  We are now back to routine in our area.

Thank you all for your prayers, and I especially ask if you are willing to continue to pray for those who have been devastated by this natural disaster.

Godspeed,
mary

FMQ October Challenge ~ Teri Lucas

October FMQ Challenge was a lot of fun ~ Thank you Teri !

This month was a great challenge, a bit of journaling, a bit of Practicing, and whalah, put it on fabric and you have this months October challenge completed!

Enjoyed this months challenge, and appreciate your efforts Sew Cal Gal in organizing our group!  Off to batten down the hatches as Hurricane Sandy is about to hit New England !

Godspeed,
mary

Quilt Along # 37

Quilt Along # 37 Jagged Lines

I found this FMQ pattern a little more difficult after so many weeks of smooth curves.  However, once you are in the motion, practice practice practice, I can see how this pattern would be a fun one to apply ~ especially with themed quilts involving stars, rocket ships or fireworks!

Off to prepare for the Hurricane that is coming our way.   Wanted to get posted, as with storms like these we can lose power in New England for a week.  See you ~
Godspeed,

mary

Quilt Along #36 Trapped Paisley

Quilt Along number 36, Trapped Paisley, part of the flowing lines series, was fun to do.   I enjoyed making all the smooth curves and will use this FMQ pattern again.

Thank you Leah Day
Godspeed,
mary

Quilt Along # 35 Goldilocks

Quilt Along # 35 is another flowing line design, great for borders and sashings!   However, there is such a cool twist to this one.   Inside each of the bubbles you create within the lines, you fill in with a stipple design, creating more texture and pattern to a pretty simple design.  

These flowing line designs would be great used in picture quilts, rivers, clouds, and even snowbanks :)

Thank you Leah
Godspeed,
mary

Quilt Along # 34 Flowing Lines

Quilt Along # 34 is called Flowing Lines.   We have finished working with the pivotal designs and have moved on to these flowing designs that can create nice texture and a beautiful background in FMQ design.

Thank you Leah!
Godspeed,
mary

Quilt Along 33 Pivotal design Pointy Paisley

Love this little FMQ pattern. 

Imagine using this pattern on a fall decoration/quilt

where you may have used a fabric with candy corn motifs!  

 

Hard to believe we are on week 34 already!

Thanks Leah ! 

Quilt Along # 32 Snake Paisley

Quilt Along # 32   Snake Paisley

Thanks Leah for challenging us each week to try new designs we might not ordinarily do!   My sample ring is Full and now it is time to start a second sample book of designs!  Comes in so handy alongside your book when looking for inspiration for the next quilting project.

Quilt Along # 31 Lava Paisley

Quilt Along continues with Pivotal Designs.  This one is called Lava Paisley.  See you next week!
Godspeed,
Mary