Thursday, September 29, 2011

BlockLotto -September 2011 - Curved Rails

These were incredibly quick to sew!  I think it took me longer to trim to 8.5 square than to sew.  Someday I'm going to find a 8.5 inch square ruler - that will help alot!

Directions are here:
http://blocklotto.blogspot.com/2011/09/curved-rails-in-batiks-for-september.html
Example photos are here:
http://blocklotto.blogspot.com/search/label/sep%202011%20photos

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Friday, September 16, 2011

Expenses

Last Tuesday, mailed extra fabric to block lotto winner - the original block I sent got lost in the mail.

Less than a dollar.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

FMQ - River Path and WSF Section Completed

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2010/01/day-121-river-path.html

Before:

The video is pretty clear - it shows how to start and then how to fill in on one side.  Looking fotward to doing this design.

After:

I thought this was going to be a really easy pattern to do - but I lost track of how many times the thread broke or even worse the needle skipped and then  picked up again.  I understand now why she had the curve arranged so the foundation line goes almost up to the edge - then the remaining stitches are just in the small area - it's hard to try and make several large curves - easier to do in the sections.  The end result is nice looking - I need more practice to really like doing these large curves though.

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I have now finished another basted section of the Wonky Shoo Fly quilt!

Now I will be finding the rest of the blocks and sewing them together so I can baste them together so I can practice more free motion quilting....

But first I'm going to switch over to working on my Liberated Round Robin project. I want to sandwich what I have done now and quilt it - then use the QAYG border method for adding my yet to be sewn rectangle and curved borders.

FMQ - Trippy Triangles

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2010/01/day-119-trippy-triangles.html

Before:  

I'm going to need to relook at this video - I'm having trouble understanding how the next row is done!  I wish she had shown the transition - but oh well, I'll figure out a way for me to do it - tomorrow or the next day.  I have to finish up some paperwork before I can sew anymore for a while...

The design looks very complicated to me....

After:

I like it!  I had to think while I was doing the design - but it was very forgiving and I think looks terrific!  I don't think I broke the thread at all - but I think I had to put in a new bobbin.  I wasn't sure my triangles were straight enough - but they look great.  I'm very happy with the block.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

FMQ - Rainforest Leaf

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2010/01/day-112-rainforest-leaf.html

Before:
At first I thought this would be really easy, but after seeing the video I'm thinking lots of curves to break thread and needle.  She shows how she has to reposition the fabric while doing the side of the leaf, but I'm not really sure why she did that.  Well, I'll give it a try!

After:
The design was easy to sew.  easier than the earlier leaf pattern too.

I think the thread broke just two times - could that one of those times it was a needle break too.  I can't remember...

Friday, September 9, 2011

FMQ - Mesh Curtain

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2010/01/day-115-mesh-curtain.html

Before:
The design is pretty easy - just curvy line down, then curvy line up crossing in the center - repeat - then go back and add two more lines.  I sort of think the last two lines make it look too jumbled - but what do I know?  I wonder how hard it will be to actually get those crossing lines in the center of each space....

After:
Very easy.  I did somehow manage to break a needle while doing this - but even so it was an easy pattern to do.  Maybe I broke the needle with the previous pattern - big leaf.  I really can't remember now.

FMQ - Modern Art

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2009/12/day-110-modern-art.html

Before:


This design appeals to me - and I liked doing the designs it was based on earlier in the project so I'm anticipating enjoying this one.  In the video she shows how to get to the second side of the design on the block so that is very helpful.

After:

It wouldn't have taken any time at all to do this block - except - of course I ran out of bobbin so had to rewind my spools again.  That always takes time.  I like the way the pattern looks - can't imagine doing this on a piece that is much larger than what I am working on now....

FMQ - Overlapping Arches

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2009/12/105-overlapping-arches.html

Before:

The simple design seems doable - the complex one does too.  She mentions marking it when doing the more complex pattern, but doesn't show an example.  And the video does not show how to start and end new rows of the design in the block.  I think if you just wrote down directions to yourself you could do the more complex pattern.  Wide short arch - go back to center and do tall skinny arch - go back to center and do a tall wide arch - something like that.  I'm not even sure marking really would help for this design as there is so much traveling back. I'll have to draw this out to figure out the traveling required.  I'm thinking this is not really a beginner design as traveling is required....  We'll see...

After: 

Getting to the second row wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be.  I just did the simple arch version - in the end it reminds me of the Cat design from the very first - I didn't like that one.  Don't really like this one either - will need to try again with a more complicated plan so it looks fancier.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

FMQ - Bright Star

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2009/12/103-bright-star.html

Before:  Hard to believe this one is coded as beginner level  there is alot of moving of the fabric to sew the design.  It will be easier than Hot Coil as it's straight lines....  She gives the advice to slow down when you approach an area that will have a lot of thread build up, as the slower you stitch the less thread is left. So that sounds like a good tip.

After:  This was a pretty easy design.  I messed up a few times in the center and when I was going backwards to do a line I ended up in the wrong area.  It looks pretty nice though.  Would be nice as Leah suggested to use in a holiday quilt.  As I was doing it, I was wishing I had pencils to mark the lines - so that might be something I end up buying....

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

FMQ Heat Coil

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2009/12/101-heat-coil.html

Before:
 I remember reading about this design when Leah first posted it - a cute idea.

After:
Boy, I broke the thread about five times, and even broke a needle.  This was hard to do with my larger blocks than I thought I would be!  It is a good learning design though.

FMQ Super Spiral

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2009/11/day-98-super-spiral.html

Before Sewing:
The video seems clear - there is alot of fabric moving to get the design done - but I will try to do without moving the fabric.

After:
Was rather easy to do.  My middle points are all joined up - but it looks nice.  Toward the end I did some stitching from the other direction so I think it looks even.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Expenses

Mailed the BlockLotto August Block (Violet) and some extra fabric to Newberry Florida.

.84 postage.

Monday, September 5, 2011

FMQ - Wobbly Cosmos

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2009/11/day-97-wobbly-cosmos.html

Wobbly Cosmos - Front
Before:
The video is clear - the design is a natural after the jagged cosmos.  It is a pattern that requires the sewer to reposition the fabric... 1:10 pm

After:
1:30 pm Went pretty quickly.  Broke the thread only once so that helped with the speed. It's a nice design.

Wobbly Cosmos - Back
I realize I've been including the taking photo time when I've been putting the times in so it really isn't taking me as long.... 1:45 pm



I've completed another section.


Section Front
I have one more that is basted and ready to prepare for FMQ....
Section Back - with the artistic red strip!




FMQ - Jagged Cosmos

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2009/11/day-95-jagged-cosmos.html

Before:
Jagged Cosmos - Front
The video does show that the fabric needs to be moved as you get to different parts of the design....  At the corners you have to sort of fill the pattern in - then remember to add the points again as you continue on with the design.  It would be difficult to do with a big sandwich - but I have a pretty small one so will give this a try!
11:57 am

During:
Jagged Cosmos - Back
Broke the thread a few times, ran out of bobbin, replaced with a not full bobbin, ran out of bobbin, reloaded two bobbins. While I was doing the pattern I thought how I was not doing what Leah had shown.

After:
12:45pm
Now that I see it, it looks pretty good.  This was a good design to practice making angles and repositioning the fabric.  To avoid the straight lines I added an angle before I thought I was going to have to reposition the fabric.  This will be one I try again later.






FMQ - Leaf Veins

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2009/11/day-92-leaf-veins.html


Leaf - front
Before:

The design looks really nice on her sample block.  The video is sort of clear - she does not show how to get to the other side - I suspect she she had to turn the fabric once already it will be necessary to do that again.....

Leaf - Back
After:

This is a beginner design.  I did break the thread two times - but I was going too fast.  The trick I think is to think about the leaf standing up so the angles are going up too - wider at those ends so it gets shaped correctly.


Sunday, September 4, 2011

FMQ - Oil Slick

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2009/11/day-89-oil-slick.html

Before:

Front - Oil Slick
I watched the video  - design  involves creating squiggly loops and filling them in - then tracing back over those areas and starting another loop.  There are notes to use thin thread - but I only have what I have.  I know the traveling part will look okay on the front, but on the back it will look real ugly.

I do not think this is a beginner pattern at all.  So we'll see how I do! (My first thought was to just skip it but I think I will try later on....)

I wrote to Leah earlier about how she codes the beginner patterns and she said something about how she needed to have beginner designs or people would think it was too hard - but I think she has enough patterns now that she could go thru and redo her coding - it would save other beginners frustration.  I think the curvy patterns are harder - the ones where you have to move the direction of the fabric are harder - the ones where you have to travel back are harder too.  Any design with these three characteristics are not beginner ones they are at least beginner intermediate!

I drew the pattern on a piece of paper to  test it out and decided to give it a go.

Oil Slick - Back
But then I remembered I had finished the last section of the Wonky Shoo Fly, so I had to spend time getting a new section ready for FMQ.  That always takes a while - and since my walking foot isn't working right I first tried with the darning foot - then just the regular 1/4" foot - that worked better to outline the blocks that have a wonky shoo fly....

After:  

It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  I broke the thread two times while doing this block - but it wasn't as scary as I feared.  It doesn't really look like an oil slick - but it's what the block was telling me to do....

I think it wasn't hard as I wasn't really doing the pattern as she intended.  My result looks more like some sort of modern Danish drawing of people bending and sitting on different things.  Looks okay though - I'm moving on to the next beginner design!