Several times while quilting this I wished I had picked a simple overall pattern. My initial design was lopsided - too many bare spots. Adding to it was challenging because of what was already stitched. I am unhappy with some sections close up; I contemplated ripping it out. The quilting looked better from several steps back, so I let it be and forged ahead.
Gah! Lots of technical issues. I had to swap needles at one point because the top stitching refused to catch the bobbin thread. I still have a number of skipped stitches - backing fabric contributed to that. I had a few thread breakages as well, always at inopportune spots. Some of the curved pieces had more fabric than others - so there's odd rippling in spots (luckily no pleats). The humidity made everything a little tacky and I need new quilting gloves. My hands would slide and the fabric would not!
Working this piece at the same time as admiring photos from the Mancuso quilt
show certainly pointed out how much my quilting needs improvement. I
always planned to keep this piece, which is partly why I didn't stop and pick
out all the quilting. Whereas not as my best work, it will look great on
my hallway wall.
I have questions for the FMQ quilters out there: Are there tutorials or drills on keeping an even stitch length, or does that just come with practice (for those of you who don't have a nifty machine that takes care of that)? Do you sew a fine stitch length (like 10 stitches per inch), or does it tend to be longer? (I have to admit - sometimes I let mine look more like machine basting because it's easier to rip out when I make mistakes....) How do you practice, and what do you do with your practice pieces when they're done?
Sharing with:
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Well when I used to FMQ on my regular sewing machine, I made sure to roll each section up to where I would be quilting next and attach quilting clips (not the clothespin like ones), but metal circles that expanded to hold whatever amount fit in it. Probably something from the 1990's. Can't remember what they were called, but I digress. I am a bent safety pin baster, I prefer the 2 inch safety pins, I do use more than & closer tog than the pkg suggests. I was taught to practice my designs on small whole cloth pieces, so I could get muscle memory. I would practice quilt on a square sandwich of 2 solid colors, one on the back & one on the front, mostly to see how or if the fabric would bunch on either as I went. I was also taught to practice FMQ on pre-printed rectangular panels, so I could get the hang of moving around corners, curves, waves, etc. I also drew on a large sheet of paper, various quilting designs I wanted to try on a machine to create muscle memory before trying it on a machine. Good luck on your FMQ journey. It will be fun.
ReplyDeleteFor all the issues you had your finished quilt is lovely. FMQ always seems to throw up problems as one stitches away. I guess it takes a lot of practice, and even then I am quite sure there will be tiny glitches. Another gorgeous finish for you to display on your wall and enjoy.
ReplyDeleteYour quilt is lovely! I'm just catching up on blogs this evening! Hope you are feeling all better as well. It's scarey to have to go to the hospital these days. Have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteBravo on you beautiful quilt!
ReplyDeleteThe pattern does look daunting, but well worth making.
you just pointed out a good thing about virtual online shows... no judges comments about technique.
ReplyDeleteEveryone who entered that I know, has had judges say "strive for more even machine stitching) but now that so many people use longarms with stitch regulators maybe the judges had to come up with another generic fault. At Paducah, I hear the judges looked at our quilts with magnifying glasses to see our stitch quality and starts and stops. Online shows probably have fewer if any judges comments... did you get them emailed to you?
Part of the artistry is learning how your materials work together, that's what you're doing. Learning while still creating lovely work. Yes keeping a piece flat so it hangs well against a wall, keeping areas with balanced amounts of quilting, having thread stops and starts, is part of construction, like building a house that won't fall down. Then there is the artistry on top of that... it's why we will always be learning, as michaelangelo said.
LeeAnna
Some people are not happy when I say this, but I have always done my practice FMQ-ing on donation quilts. It goes against the grain for me to just quilt "sample pieces." I feel like that is a waste of fabric when I could be making something useful to donate for someone in need. Maybe the quilting is not perfect, but it's not embarrassing, either! I correct tension issues or "toe catchers", but a wobbly curve or crossed over meander stays.
ReplyDeleteI like your quilt. Free motion quilting does get better with practice, especially with regular practice. I found it helpful to draw a design in a small space (used sudoku puzzles) to learn how to maneuver the design in the space, then switched to newspaper to draw it full size. I quilted at least three 96" square quilts on a 1530 Bernina with a 6.5" harp space. Have the machine recessed in a table, Supreme Slider taped to the bed (it is worth every penny), support the quilt all around you so it isn't pulling off the table, and puddle it so there is as little drag as possible on the area you are quilting. I fan folded the right side. The clips caught on the edge of the table and the "log" it created was as unwieldy as a telephone pole. Fan folding is soft and easy to move. Concentrate on moving steadily at a speed that seems comfortable to you and stop with needle down to adjust the quilt. Think of the job as a marathon, not a sprint. As you get into the rhythm of the pattern and the process, your quilting will improve. From the start, to the finish, you will notice improvement. The hardest part for me was to relax my shoulders and keep my elbows down. Sometimes it is helpful to quilt a bit on a small piece to get the rhythm going before moving to a larger quilt. A 6" square, or a 9"x12" or whatever is easy to cut is helpful.
ReplyDeleteI disliked the quilting part until I started free motion quilting. I do not do competition quilting. I now have a mid-arm and still do FMQ.
Beautiful quilt, love the colours.
ReplyDelete