2012 FMQ Final entry

All good things come to and end ... or maybe it's just the beginning.
I have a little slide show of my samples to show you. I have done samples of each month and also did up the sampler quilt.

Personalize a free picture slideshow

I will be practicing more in the new year.... that a given.
I have enjoyed learning the different techniques and using a variety of threads.
Thread can add more color and details to your quilt and not just the pretty stitches.
I have really enjoyed learning more about how to quilt borders.As they are the last step before the binding on a quilt and are the perfect space to show case some special stitching. I find that sometimes I just do some meandering  free motion quilting just to get the quilt done. But now I will give it more thought and planing.
I thought this was a great way to learn more about the many techniques taught and learn more about the threads and battings that are out there waiting for us to give them a try.
I would like to thank SewCalGal and all the experts as well the the sponsors that helped make this all possible for us all year long.
Enjoy your families this holiday season.
in stitches
Annette
I have to thank my daughter for helping me with the smilebox slideshow :0)

Last day of the Wicked Hop

                                                                  Happy Halloween

(if you like this guy , he is in a quilt one post back )

well all good wicked things must come to an end but first check out the last day of the Wicked hop.

Wednesday, October 31st

Beaquilter
Fun Thread Designs

Stitch, Stitch, Stitch

Made By A Brunnette

Buttons And Butterflies

The Recipe Bunny

Quilted Delights

Sunshine Reflections

Louzeekreativ

Mice In The Mix

Rosemary - That Other Blog
The Fuzzy Hat Quilter
Sew We Quilt

Hope you had the chance to stop by most of the blogs .... there were a lot of treats given away during this hop and it might not be to late to be included.
Thanks to all the creative minds that put together such a great hop for Halloween. Stay tuned to see what will be next. I know the next one I will be in  on is Holiday Lane Pillows in just a few weeks.... I best get busy with that.
I did get my FMQ challenge sample done ..... it was a fun tut playing with doodling and your name, all done in thread thanks to Teri Lucas and Darlene  for getting this one set up for us. I still have to check out the bonus tuts. It has been a great year for learning different ways to do our free motion quilting. Here are my samples.

my practice piece

and now on the sample quilt







I'll be linking up with SewCalGal pop over to see how everyone else did up their names.
As for my works in progress just some of the same ones just trying to give them some time. And working on my FMQing.
Pop over to The Needle and Thread Network  to see what the others have been up to.
Happy Halloween and happy stitching this week
in stitches

August FMQ Challenge

Boy this month slipped away from me......
I only had the chance to do a little practicing with this months challenge and I promise to do more. It is a fun little hat to stitch and with the middle little flame shape it lends itself to more quilting options.
Thanks Wendy for a fun tutorial on a fun little hat that we all can play with .
I can see it a a basic fill on a few of the little quilts that I like to make and give as gifts. A good place to practice and build a skill.

jester hats

jester hats with middle flame

I am linking up with SewCalGal with the Free Motion Quilting Challenge for August
.It's never to late to try out a few of the lessons posted. Some are posted for a limited time and others are still there, They also  have extra bonus lessons as well sew pop on over to check it out.
in stitches
Annette

Dead lines....

I finally got to my FMQ challenge for July and thought I better get that posted as today is the dead line to do that. I found that I wanted to stitch a little wavy when stitching the straight lines. Sew I took a straight edge, mine happened to be a small cutting mat to use as a guide.

using a guide to sew a straight edge

my July sample



tyring a little writing

 It worked great I just kept my foot along the edge and my line was then nice and straight.I know with practice that I should be able to stitch with out a guide but until then I think I will use it.

 I love this method of FMQ it has a lot of possibilities and I will be using it again. Thanks Angela Walters for the July tutorial , I 'll be watching for your books to learn more.
I'll be linking up with SewCalGal's FMQ July Challenge. I do not think it is too late to join in on the lessons. Check it out if you would like to learn a little more about Free Motion Quilting.

My other deadline is also drawing near ... Sunday midnight is when I have to have my design posted with McCall's Quilting for the Quilt Design Star Challenge. I will be sewing every night this week to get my design to the point where I feel it is done. Different folks think it looks great as is but I  feel it needs a little more and I want to make sure that I have my 20% of the challenge fabric in plus a little extra cushion to be on the safe side.I also want to do a little hand stitching on it as well. I do hope you all will like what I have created.


another little peak

It has been a little more of a challenge this time. As I have not had the extra time to work on it. I usually work part time and this summer it has been full hours for me, we have had company for a week  as well. I would not change it . as it helps me to focus when I am down stairs quilting and working with the time element is just part of the challenge.And who would have thought that I would run out of thread....... well now I have a good stock of colors for this quilt after my thread run on the weekend.
Voting will start on the 7th of August. Be sure to check out what everyone has done with the Challenge Fabric I know I will.
In stitches
Annette

FMQ Challenge and WIP'S

I have been stitching out this months FMQ challenge and playing with it a little. It has been kind of fun just doodling with thread, and filling your spaces with many different designs. I have found that I need to use a better contrast of fabric to thread for it to show up nicely in a picture. This is what I have come up with this month.

I think I can practice this one more on some smaller quilts and loosen up my spacing. I find that I was wanting to stitch very tight and small, sew more practice will be required on my part to get this where I think it should be.

Thanks to SewCalGal for hosting this FMQ Challenge and to Cindy Needham for teaching us this month and showing us a different way to look at our quilting. I am always open to new ideas for my quilting,/playing. By learning/playing with our FMQ skills we will always be improving upon what we can do for ourselves and our sense of accomplishment grows......just watch that pile of quilt tops become quilts......

Now for my WIP's I have my Square in a Square quilt ready for the hand work part of the binding.

The doll has a little bra ( I may redesign that ) and I have started on her clothes. I just have to figure out how much embellishments will be done to them. I have tweak the top/jacket pattern by changing up the hem line and the sleeves, as well as adding darts to help give it shape.I do not remember if she had her hair last week but I know she has a do now. I may bead up some jewelry.

She's looking a little better now ....... just some fine tuning and hemming to do...

printed on fabric to make a garden flag

I am also making a garden flag to let folks know that I am participating in the McCall's QDS Challenge. I want to let people know that this is going on and for them to see what everyone in the challenge has created and to vote for their favorite.
 If you use my link to pop over to the voting you can use the slide show or gallery to view all the quilts in the professional category and then go to McCall's Quilting to find your way to the amateur category.

I will be linking up with SewCalGal`s FMQ June Challenge

as well asThe Needle and thread Network      ( a little later today I'm a ready a bit to early to post )
have a great day
In stitches
Annette

2012 FMQ challenge

April's challenge
I thought I better get this posted as I am not sure if I will be able to play with my free motion quilting any more this month. I am not sure where it went. The months are just flying by
sew with out further delay here are my stitching samples on practice and one on the little sampler quilt

practice  piece

 I will be using this method again, I found it very easy to transfer the designs and to stitch out  .... Thanks Don for the great info.
I did a little shopping and bought a few books for myself a couple to read and one for ideas from this months instructor Don Linn.

I will be linking with the SewCalGal 2012 Free Motion Quilting Challenge

I do hope to play with this technique more in the near future, with other shapes and sizes.

On another note I will have a little announcement on Tuesday May 1..... sew stay tuned

in stitches
Annette

signs of spring

I have seen a few signs of spring ... the other day I saw a robin on the clothes line, I have seen the geese flying back from the sunny south, the snow is all but gone ( we had a few inches on the weekend )and I have seen a couple bunnies....

Thanks Sheila, for the cute Easter post card.They arrived just before the snow this past Friday
Here are a couple small samples of my fmq for this months challenge on sewcalgals blog.I will give it another try when I get my machine back on Thursday it is off for a check up and cleaning.

Sew this is my first attempt at this months instructions I hope to play a little this weekend if I get my machine back in good working order.      Something I learned this week .... check your warranty

I found out my warranty on electronics was longer than what the dealer thought I was glad that when she checked it out she found out that I had the correct info as there is something going on in that area with my machine and I am half way through the warranty.

Last night I had the second part of the D9P class that I taught here in Watrous. the Ladies are doing a great job on their projects. I may have a visit from a couple gals that are getting started with quilting sew that they can finish up their quilts and get ready to start the next one.

Putting the block together

Here is a little projec that I am still working on

I have the two center layers to add to this topper

I hope to have it done for this Easter

I will be linking up with Sewcalgal and The FMQ challenge

 as well as with The Needle and Thread Network ( side bar link)

Stay in stitches

Annette

W.I.P. Wedensdays

the start of my over sized label

Well it's that time of week again. and I do have good news ..... at least for me I am on the binding of Jewels of the Night , my challenge project. Next will be the label and then getting entered into the challenge before April 15.

binding ready to turn and stitch

 I also have been testing out a pattern called "DUETTA" a Grandma Coco Design. I have never done testing before and just thought why not sew now I have it almost half way knitted. It has a quilted collar made in a few different ways i will be trying out the paper pieced directions.

Sew that's about all I have been up to .... that and curling up with my quilts and a cup of tea.

Be sure to check out The Needle and Thread Network .... link on my side bar. To see what the other gals have been up to.
 in stitches
Annette

February FMQ Challenge

Well here it is almost the middle of the month, time to get at my challenge piece for the fmq challenge. I have a link on my side bar sew that you can see what it is all about and join in on the fun of learning.

This month was feathers taught be Diane Gaudynski,   I have admired her stitching for a few years now. I first saw her on Simply Quilts on HGTV with Alex Anderson. I could not get over the detail she can get in her quits with the stitching.... something to strive for.
Sew here is my attempt at this months challenge.

I will practice  feathers often I do like the look and how they fill a space. I do like to add curls and swrils to them.

I have been practicing my fm quilting on my challenge piece called Jewels of the night. I am about 2/3's done, depending on how much I quilt in each border. I have ideas of what I would like to quilt sew I will draw them out to see how I like it and how it will flow.
I have used a technique that I learned from Leah Day over at the Free Motion Quilting Project on using a self threading needle to bury thread tails. Check  her site she has a video to show you how she uses the needles. I have found that when using  rayon thread if you twist it with the cotton before you thread the needle it dose not shred on you.

I will be having my 1 yr anniversary  blogging this week. If you like check out the give away I am hosting.
Thanks for stopping by
in stitches
Annette

2012 FMQ Challenge

Has started  The 1st post was up yesterday. (Link on my side bar)
Video instruction on how to stitch out  a nice leaf pattern.

 step one practice drawing what you are going
to stitch

I feel this challenge is a good way to get more skills developed in my free motion quilting.

2 step practice stitching it out

I would like to feel more comfortable using a variety of designs in my quilting , right now I  seam to only use a few that I feel very comfy with.Sort of stuck in a rut. Sew as they say it's time to step outside of my box and explore what is out there ..... at least stitch wise. And learning with all of you out there and with a variety of teaches will be great. And not to forget there will be give aways , I think each month.         
                  What's not to like.
             I have put the sampler together  with only the border to add.

a scrappy sampler to practice on
might have to make a nicer one later


It's never to late to join up .Pop over to sewcalgal to join in the fun .

In stitches
Annette