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Thursday, 3 July 2014

Free Motion Mavericks Link Up - Week 5




This is the start of my latest project.  After having such an easy time of it when I tried out free motion quilting on tweed, today I thought I would see how it works with wadding.  It doesn't.  Too much drag with the extra thickness.

Once all this nasty mess was unpicked I started again.



Here is the quilting I have done, seen on the calico backing.  It isn't particularly neat.  



The dark pink tweed I am using has a loose weave, so it doesn't hold itself firm when it is being moved around when working the quilting.



And the thread doesn't show up particularly well either.  It seems to bury itself in the pink woolliness of it all.

So all told, a rubbish day for quilting, but I will make a little something with it.

Now that I have shown you all how not to do it, I am looking forward to seeing what other people have been up to.

If you love free motion quilting, whether you are a beginner just taking the plunge, or you have reached the stage where you can do ostrich feathers with your eyes shut and still achieve perfect symmetry, then please link up.

Here are the very easy and slightly elastic rules:-

1.  Link up with any recent post, ideally from the last week but within the last month, which features a free motion quilting project.

2.  Link back to this post in your own post and/or grab the linky button for your blog's sidebar.
  .
3.  Visit as many of the other participants as possible and say hello in the comments box.

4.  The link up will remain open for four days, from midnight to midnight GMT for the long weekend, Friday to Monday.

So far bloggers from USA, England, Wales, Australia, Canada and Germany have taken part.  The first participant from each new country will get a special mention the following week!

Thank you to everyone who linked up last week: Hilary and Gwyned, who have linked up every week so far; Lauren, who posted a gorgeous picture of little baby Kai; Leanne, who made an amazing tiny quilt: Cynthia, who used wonderful colours in her wall hanging; and Kathi, who achieved a timeless look with 1930s fabrics.

Linking up with Kelly's blog My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday 

Welcome to Ceramicals, the latest follower - thank you for joining!


8 comments:

  1. Here's how to make free motions work. If your feed dogs won't drop, then set stitch length to zero. Use a darning/quilting foot because you can move the fabric or quilt freely while the needle is up. Use a big enough needle--at least 90/16, but sometimes I've used 18/100 or 20/110. Check out this post, where every stitch was done on a treadle: http://doraquilts.blogspot.com/2014/07/tutorial-quick-patriotic-wall-hanging.html
    The meandering design you were trying to do, really isn't that much fun.
    You ***can*** do this!

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  2. Hey Muv! Wow, I can't believe you had the patience to pick all those stitches out. As for the woolly fabric, no way to know it'll work unless you give it a shot, so as you know, it's never a waste of time.

    The stitches on the backing look great, no worries there!

    Have missed our hookups. Been a strange few weeks, but I'm hoping to stay on the radar now. Thank you again for sharing your linkup with me.

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    Replies
    1. Hooray Linda, you've arrived!

      Unpicking... something to do while the chicken curry is cooking.

      Love, Muv

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  3. I'm linking up for the first time from the Netherlands. But I don't know, on second reading, whether I really qualify as I don't sew "vintage".

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    1. Marly,
      Delighted to see you here! Of course you qualify! It doesn't matter whether your machine was made last week or whether it is older than your granny. FMQ is FMQ...
      Love, Muv

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  4. I am just beginning to free motion quilt, just finished my first bedsize loop to loop design. I learned a lot by taking the plunge and just enjoying it, also picked out some stitches. I hope i can follow along with your blog.

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    Replies
    1. Good news, Sandra! It's the only way to learn, just do it.
      Love, Muv

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