#MSBHQAL – Week 07 + Giveaway Winner
Week 07 – Oct 14 – Oct 20 – Quilting
Let’s have a moment of truth: I have zero experience with free motion quilting (FMQ). I look at the incredible Gemma at Pretty Bobbins and think, “Good Lord, woman, you’re making the rest of us look like fools!” Seriously, she needs to be stopped. Can someone go steal that pretty bobbin of hers? So if you’ve shown up today hoping to get the skinny on how to best FMQ your MSBHQAL quilt, eh, it ain’t gonna happen.
But, I do have some experience with straight line quilting, and that is how I quilted my first two broken herringbone quilts. First, make sure you’ve basted liberally with pins or spray. I’m a Penn man, so I used those bent safety pins (love them!) with one in every bar and a few in the sashing areas. I wanted to keep the herringbone design front and centre so I then quilted around each individual bar with Aurifil 50wt cotton thread.
I worked from the inside block and then outwards to try and stabilize the quilt in place from the beginning. It was a lot of practice for me, as this was the first time I paid much attention to that “needle down” button. “Why would anyone want their needle down?” I had often pondered.
“Oh.”
Yeah, once I established that little feature, the rest was just a matter of gettin’ ‘er done. If you do choose this outlining path, start memorising the below mantra, and you’ll have your quilt done in no time.
In the beginning, each block took me about 45 minutes to quilt, and towards the end about 35 minutes. I just like you to know what you’re up against! I’m sure if you’ve got skills like Pretty Bobbins, you’ll be all like, “Eh, I got this.”
Ahhh, it’s such a great feeling to take the pins out when you finish a section, isn’t it? I don’t wait until the end because the weight of those pins add up! Get that weight off your shoulders as soon as possible, I say!
Once your done, flip that quilt over and check out the back! Outline quilting all of those bars makes a nice subtle design on the quilt back, plus if you wash it, that design will be exaggerated. But hey! If you’re new at this, take your quilt out after every block and just check your tension on the back. I’ve had some disasters happen that you shouldn’t have to go through. Trust me!
Okay, another moment of truth. Outline quilting 9 blocks for a baby quilt was doable. Outline quilting 24 blocks: not interested. I’ve got places to be, and other quilt tops to make. So yesterday, I sent my #MSBHQAL quilt to Quilt Jane at Want It, Need It, Quilt so she can work her long arm magic. She is responsible for the fabulous quilting on Bartering for Flowers and Road to Cronulla, and I’m happy for her to make some more magic happen. I believe the Baptist Fan pattern is the way to go for me, but I think I need to call it the Non-Denominational Rainbow pattern instead. Yes, I’ll take that one please!
I’d love to hear about how you’re quilting your masterpiece! Are you an FMQ aficionado and want to share your great idea with the rest of us? Do you have straight lines on the brain, but heading in different directions? Do tell! Or, is your long arm friend feeling totally inspired and has something completely original to show off? I hope so!
Our final link up is in three weeks–are you almost ready!? GIVEAWAY
While you’re pondering your quilting, let’s find out who won this week’s giveaway! Here’s a reminder of the criteria, and the lucky comment from #MSBHQAL – Week 06 is…
- 1-8 blocks – a fat quarter from Molli Sparkles
- 9-19 blocks – a half yard from Molli Sparkles or Intrepid Thread
- 20 or more blocks – a yard from Molli Sparkles or Intrepid Thread
Hmm… I can see some MAD FMQing in those fleshy bits between the bones really making this sing. FMQing is your next challenge, should you choose to accept it…
I'm with you on the size dictating whether I quilt it or not. Mine is 5 blocks by 6 blocks with a 6 inch border. I still need to get a back made and arrange to get it to my long arm quilter. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, I will probably not have it done in time for the final link up. But I assure you it will not sit here and languish! I will share it when it's done.
Congratulations to Melissa! You lucky gal!
If I wanted someone else to quilt it I would have to put all my tops in a "dry and dark" place and store them for another couple of years … so I will quilt it myself because I don't have the storage space …. and by now I'm a straight line outline quilting master … because I suck at FMQ – at least for the time being …
It looks awesome, Molli.
Sob, I have nothing to fmq or straight line quilt. I laughed at your comment the other day about someone always coming to the party late. Well, I'm the one that R.S.V.P.'d and then didn't even show up!!! The way I figure it, I'll be making this quilt about this time NEXT year!! But I'm loving seeing what you and everyone else is doing.
I die Molli! And I'll take my pretty bobbins to my grave lol your quilt is as gorgeous as you are. I'm happy to give you a fMQ lesson anytime but sometimes SLQ is just right for the project at hand 🙂 well done on a beautiful quilt xx
Aaaahhhhhhh! I'm so excited! Thanks so much!!
When straight line quilting something with a million turns, I will actually free-motion quilt around the blocks so I don't have to turn the quilt, it takes some practice but it's not so hard and speeds everything up.
However, an even more efficient technique is to send it to the long arm – brilliant!
You're a Penn man? Small world, my dad taught there for a couple of years when I was little :o) My favourite place there was the broken button. What can I say, I was 3, and I could climb on it ;o)
Nice job on all the straight line quilting. It's amazing what you can do with a walking foot 😉
Non-denominational rainbow pattern FTW, I legit lol'd. 😛 (I really should look up why its called a "baptist" fan some time).
I'm so in love with these beautiful rainbow quilts and definitely need to make one. Hopefully next year.
FMQ ain't so hard, give it a go. I'm hoping someone gives me one to quilt on my long arm, I'm planning on getting seriously busy with the thread, probably a different motif for each strip.
I have many blocks to go before I can quilt, but I plan on quilting the blocks before I sew them together to save my arms & shoulders from the weight of that quilt while maneuvering. I have not tried this method before, but another blogger uses QAG (quilt as you go) on many of her quilts, and these herringbone blocks seem like a good place to try it out. I'll let you know how it goes! I love the look of your quilt back. FMQ is not my thing yet!