Attraction Of Free Motion Quilting 5

Today we’re trying something a little different – joining in a Japanese blog hop talking about free motion quilting and including an interview with Angela Walters! My friend, Japanese Kate Spain supplier and owner of Red Coconut, Makiko O’Neill, asked if I would share my free motion quilting journey.

I’m a baby free motion quilter! I only began in March – after a quick practice on a scrap quilt sandwich, I attempted this block in a quilt as you go fashion. My aim was to highlight the star inside the white half-square triangles.

There’s not just one speed, there’s lots of speed in that foot peddle, and FMQ is all about finding all of those different speeds. – Leah Day

Next, I signed up for some of Leah Day’s classes on Craftsy. I chose her classes because her first class was Free Motion Quilting A Sampler – exactly what my HST quilt is! From there I signed up for Free Motion Fillers Vol. 1 and Free Motion Fillers Vol. 2 to add to my very bare free motion quilting “library” of designs.

I can’t recommend enough signing up for classes or searching YouTube to add to your free motion quilting learning experience. Being able to see in person (or via your computer screen) exactly how experienced free motion quilters hold the quilts, move around the designs and to find inspiration!

The first big free motion project that was actually finished was my Koufuku quilt – each 4-square patch featured a different free motion design. It is also my biggest quilt that I’ve quilted yet, even if it is only a single lap quilt, but keeping the FMQ to each block really helped keep it manageable.

My latest free motion finish was the Peace and Hope baby quilt. I really love using the free motion sewing machine foot to do “straight” line quilting. I like the natural and organic feel it gives to quilts, not to mention a lot quicker than proper straight line quilting!

I enjoy the freedom of free motion quilting – going where I want, when I like. Or not in the case of pebbling my Itadakimasu wall hanging! Free motion quilting on my little Elna machine is hard work though, with such a small throat space. I don’t see my free motion quilting getting too fancy while I have such a small space and especially without having a quilting extension table or inset machine. My neck and shoulders just can’t do it! But I shall continue to experiment with each project as appropriate and focus on the little skills like coordinating machine speed and hand speed.

As it’s a blog hop, have a peek at the other stops! Yes it’s in Japanese,  but hey, there’s pictures. Just like when I buy Japanese quilting magazines – forget the articles, I just want those pictures, ahem.

Sep 29th – Attraction of Free Motion Quilt 1
About Angela Walters  by Red Coconut 

Sep 30th – Attraction of Free Motion Quilt 2
B*jeans Free motion quilt by Red Coconut

Oct 1st – Attraction of Free Motion quilt 3 by lovemaple

Oct 2nd – Attraction of Free Motion Quilt 4 by miyu0902

Oct 3rd – Attraction of Free Motion Quilt 5 by Blossom Heart Quilts

Oct 4th – Attraction of Free Motion Quilt 6 by nezuko

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