Free Motion Quilting

Winner of last week's Gee's Bend pattern giveaway was Gill W. of the U. K. She chose the Housetop 4 Block quilt. Congratulations, Gill.

Leave a comment at the end of today's post for another pattern giveaway. Check out my Craftsy site to see all 8 of the patterns. If you win, you can have whichever one you want. Contest is over tonight at midnight (February 18, 2015).

This week's winner is Beth A. of Washington (state). Congratulations, Beth!!

Housetop 4 Block quilt

This post has two parts: first my own improvisational quilting on a small version of a Gee's Bend quilt of my own making. The second is some samples for my upcoming classes.

My oldest daughter has an awesome friend named Meg. They have been buddies since graduate school. I gave Meg her own Medallion Variation quilt last year. She saw the quilt top at my house and was awestruck. I listened to the voices in my head and got it quilted and gave it to her. I was a little tricky in my gifting: I hung it in my kitchen with a BIG sign on it to "Take me home, Meg." I invited her to dinner with Audrey and husband.  It took Meg 15 minutes to get the message!

Meg and me in my kitchen with her Medallion Variation quilt

 I had a little sample from a previous class and I thought: Hmmmm. I think Meg might like another one of these Gee's Bend quilts. Maybe if I quilt it quickly and bind it even quicker, I can give it to her on her birthday (January). I did it and she was equally as excited as she was when I gave her the Medallion Variation.

Meg took pictures and sent them to me. Would you like to see them? Of course, you say.

Little quilt on Meg's table

 Without the oranges . . .

Don't you love those rich colors?

Did I tell you that Meg is an awesome person? A perfect friend for my oldest daughter Audrey.

Here she is again. Very simple free motion quilting

I bought a new book by Angela Walters, Shape by Shape. I teach BEGINNING free motion quilting for the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo and I'm getting ready for the Lakeland, Florida show March 5-7. I will be in the HandiQuilter Sweet 16 classroom and I decided to make a few new samples. I will recommend this book HIGHLY to my students. I don't copy and share her work; just suggest it and show my own poor versions of her ideas.

What's the matter, Debby? Aren't your old samples good enough? Of course, they are. But I have always been the sample QUEEN! I have 7 years of samples and I'm always thinking of something new. Can I show you what I did yesterday?

A few of Angela's ideas and one of my own

This fabric is light blue, but you would never know it!

Pebbles. I HATE pebbles. I have to tell the truth. Hello?

I hate pebbles, but my students always want to know how to make them. They are so labor intensive.

See the circle at the top left? That is my OWN, GO TO pattern. No name. Just comes off my hands when I get under a needle with the feed dogs down. I actually can get smooth curves and a semblance of order.

Now I can improvise. A little psycho in that bottom circle

I traced circles using (wait for it) - a CD ROM disc. Perfect circle to work with. The diameter is 4.75". Good enough for a lot of things.

OK. I'm tired. I shoveled snow for over an hour today and I think you've got to be weary looking at all these images.

Leave a message or comment to enter my giveaway for the Gee's Bend pattern.