Tuesday, September 18, 2012

September FMQ

Here is the Free Motion Quilt Challenge for September! Paula Reid gave us this beautiful stencil. Paula is the owner of Batts in the Attic. She quilts all sorts of beautiful designs that I can only dream of!

I used a light box to trace the design onto my fabric. I had a problem with some of the fabrics I chose. They seemed to be just too dark. I couldn't see a thing even with the light box. I like this red fabric so it worked out okay.

My first sample was pretty awful. I couldn't see my markings very much and I veered off course a few times. I was happier with this one but I'm still not totally happy with it. It's so hard to back track over some of the sewed lines. You have to sew so smoothly. Every little bump shows up. 

I like the look of a stencil. It's very polished and so symmetrical! It's just so hard! I know that practice is the key. I'll just have to keep at it!

Thanks to Sew Cal Gal for another wonderful challenge! I'm going to miss this when it's over!

22 comments:

  1. I think it looks great. Good job!

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  2. You are doing great. It really does just gradually get easier. The backtrack stitching still stumps me, but I have seen others conquer it, so I choose to believe I can, too! : )

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    1. I think you're right, Janet! I guess it just takes more practice. Thank you for the nice words and for visiting my blog!

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  3. Great work Rosemary. Your quilting looks really nice and even. I too am going to miss our monthly fmq's but look at what we have learned so far and from now on it is practice, practice practice. I find that I am now confident to use these quilting designs in my quilts.

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    1. I have to agree! We really did learn a lot. We just need to fine tune our newly acquired skills!
      Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. Very nice Rosemary. I have trouble with travel stitching too. Yours isn't very niticable

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    1. Thank you! I can see the imperfections much better than anyone else. We're our own worst critics! So glad you visited my blog!

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  5. WOW! I mean for real! WOW! Your FM is beautiful!! wonderful job. :)

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  6. Hi Rose... we in the blog linky together... like your free motion machine quilting.... I'm moving my aspirations in that direction!!! See ya! Bquiltin Blogspot

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    1. Bev, so nice to meet you! Thanks for the compliments! Machine quilting is such fun!

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  7. Your FM looks terrific to me. Practice really does help and I know that but still struggle to think that each time I free-motion I do indeed get better.

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    1. Thanks, Anne! I think I'm less nervous about trying new designs which is a good thing! I really should practice more.

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  8. I think it looks great! I have never had success at a lightbox, I wish there were an easier way to transfer designs...I like the tulle method we learned earlier as far as ease of set-up goes, but I found that my lines on the tulle were also really hard to see and trace. Ah, well.

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    1. I think all the marking methods have draw backs. I just try to use something I can actually see! Thanks for the nice words, Heather!

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  9. Es una preciosidad de trabajo!!!!!!!!!! Pero que difícil de hacer!!!!!!!!!! Gracias por tu visita.

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    1. Thank you! It was fun but a bit difficult. I still have to practice to make it easier! Thanks for visiting my blog!!

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  10. Your FMQ looks fantastic from here - you're doing great, Rosemary. Love this!

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