Quilting with Love (and hearts)!
Published: Wed, 08/29/12
Hi ,
Finally! My computer is fixed and we're back on track with the free motion quilt along and learning new designs! This week we're learning how to mix hearts with five of the baseline designs we've learned so far this year: stippling, sharp stippling, zippling, circuit board, and loopy line.
Finally! My computer is fixed and we're back on track with the free motion quilt along and learning new designs! This week we're learning how to mix hearts with five of the baseline designs we've learned so far this year: stippling, sharp stippling, zippling, circuit board, and loopy line.
Definitely check out this fun tutorial and learn how to add a little love to your quilts with hearts, or any other shape and symbol with these simple designs. Find the video and article right here.
By the way, are you just now joining us for the free motion quilt along? If so, I'm so happy you've found the project and are interested in learning how to quilt your own quilts on your home machine!
Personally I remember how tricky it was to learn free motion and how it often felt extremely frustrating when my threads kept breaking or nesting, or the quilt felt impossible to move over the machine.
It definitely takes a lot of trial and error and experimenting to know what works and how to quilt with confidence. Of course, just like with piecing and applique, certain tools can definitely make the free motion quilting process easier.
Of all the things I tried when learning to free motion quilt, three tools have really made the biggest difference to the point that, even now, I just can't quilt without them!
Here's a bit about these tools:
Machingers Gloves - I found these gloves in my very first quilting class and from the first time I slipped them on, I suddenly had more control over my quilt, better handling of how the stitches looked, and I could quilt for longer periods of time because my hands were able to grip and move the quilt without clenching into painful fists.
Supreme Slider - This is a Teflon sheet that helps your quilt glide over the surface of the machine. I occasionally take mine off the machine to rinse off the lint and forget to put it back on. As soon as I start quilting, I notice its absence immediately because it's so much harder to move the quilt without it!
Little Genie Magic Bobbin Washers - These are tiny washers that go in your bobbin case and help the bobbin to smoothly turn and feed the thread evenly. I find I have fewer thread breaks and birds nests when using these washers, and they improve all forms of stitching on the machine so I never take them out.
Because these three tools have been so very helpful for free motion quilting, we've put them together into a special set called the Ultimate Quilting Kit. You can pick up this kit today for just $50 and save $5 off the cost of these three tools.
Find this kit right here in the Day Style Designs Quilt Shop and help support the Free Motion Quilting Project with your order!
Now it's time for a silly question: do you have UFOs?
No, I don't mean spaceships, I mean UnFinished Objects, or projects you've started but haven't gotten around to finishing.
Personally I have way too many UFOs and decided to make it a goal to finish these projects by dedicating one day a week to work on them. Unfortunately it's not always easy to return to a project that's stagnated because there's usually a good reason why it became a UFO in the first place.
So now on Sundays we're going to link up and share our UFOs. If you're needing help and advice on how to finish a certain aspect of your quilt, or just looking for motivation to get a project DONE, link up with us and share!
Check out UFO Sunday #1 right here.
By the way, are you just now joining us for the free motion quilt along? If so, I'm so happy you've found the project and are interested in learning how to quilt your own quilts on your home machine!
Personally I remember how tricky it was to learn free motion and how it often felt extremely frustrating when my threads kept breaking or nesting, or the quilt felt impossible to move over the machine.
It definitely takes a lot of trial and error and experimenting to know what works and how to quilt with confidence. Of course, just like with piecing and applique, certain tools can definitely make the free motion quilting process easier.
Of all the things I tried when learning to free motion quilt, three tools have really made the biggest difference to the point that, even now, I just can't quilt without them!
Here's a bit about these tools:
Machingers Gloves - I found these gloves in my very first quilting class and from the first time I slipped them on, I suddenly had more control over my quilt, better handling of how the stitches looked, and I could quilt for longer periods of time because my hands were able to grip and move the quilt without clenching into painful fists.
Supreme Slider - This is a Teflon sheet that helps your quilt glide over the surface of the machine. I occasionally take mine off the machine to rinse off the lint and forget to put it back on. As soon as I start quilting, I notice its absence immediately because it's so much harder to move the quilt without it!
Little Genie Magic Bobbin Washers - These are tiny washers that go in your bobbin case and help the bobbin to smoothly turn and feed the thread evenly. I find I have fewer thread breaks and birds nests when using these washers, and they improve all forms of stitching on the machine so I never take them out.
Because these three tools have been so very helpful for free motion quilting, we've put them together into a special set called the Ultimate Quilting Kit. You can pick up this kit today for just $50 and save $5 off the cost of these three tools.Find this kit right here in the Day Style Designs Quilt Shop and help support the Free Motion Quilting Project with your order!
Now it's time for a silly question: do you have UFOs?
No, I don't mean spaceships, I mean UnFinished Objects, or projects you've started but haven't gotten around to finishing.
Personally I have way too many UFOs and decided to make it a goal to finish these projects by dedicating one day a week to work on them. Unfortunately it's not always easy to return to a project that's stagnated because there's usually a good reason why it became a UFO in the first place.
So now on Sundays we're going to link up and share our UFOs. If you're needing help and advice on how to finish a certain aspect of your quilt, or just looking for motivation to get a project DONE, link up with us and share!Check out UFO Sunday #1 right here.
Now with Quilt Along posts every Wednesday, Question Thursday, UFO Sunday, and UFO Followup on Monday, we've got a pretty full week on the Free Motion Quilting Project! Make sure to stop by and check out designs, ask questions, and offer advice to the other quilters linking up.
Also don't forget to share the Free Motion Quilting Project with your friends! We're covering the world with quilting and helping anyone who wants to learn how to quilt.
Let's go quilt,
Leah Day