For the month of August the Free Motion Quilting Challenge was brought to us by Wendy Sheppard. Her blog is called
Ivory Spring. I read her blog all the time. Her machine quilting is phenomenal. You can read more about Wendy on the
SewCalGal blog.
Our challenge this month was basically to sew a Jester's hat. If you go to the SewCalGal blog you will see what I am talking about. I knew this one was going to take practice on paper first. As you can see I practiced on paper a lot. Front and back. See the scribbly marks. That is my frustration showing up. I practiced and practiced. I just could not get the design down.
In my mind I kept repeating "Jester's Hat." I finally decided to try on the quilt layers. Still nothing but big time frustration. My problem came when I had to do the hat up side down. More frustration when I would get stuck in a place and didn't know where to go next.
I worked on another layered piece. More frustration!
As you can see I had many glitches. My brain and hand just were not catching on to this design. I really like it but unfortunately I don't think I will be using this design. Sorry Wendy! Your blog will still be an inspiration for me.
Let's go look at some more bowls instead of my pitiful free motion quilting!
August 23rd
21 comments:
I have trouble with that part of quilting too.I think my problem is I get uptight and cant let it flow........
Oh Carrie, I feel the same frustration! I just could never get this rhythm flowing. I am still enjoying the challenge and it does make me practice!
I had problems with this month's fmq challenge as well, even though I started out thinking it did not look difficult. For me I think I didn't know where to go with the design. Your effort looks nice.
Carrie, you are head of me as I haven't even tackled FMQ.. Well done for getting started.
Ah, FMQ - a challenge I must get back to -- some day!
I think you're doing really well.
I have the same feelings for this design...I get all tangled up and can't figure where to go next! I will have to check her instructions and see if they help me. But as you have been doing, doodling is the best practice when you begin a new move. Keep up the practice in your free time, and before you know it, you will be doing Jesters Hat with ease! Good Luck!!
This is a tricky one for me too and since it is not my favorite I have decided to leave my frustrations behind.
Carrie, it looks better than you think it does. Really....But if you don't have fun making it, then let it go. =)
I agree with Amy, hon, it does look better than you think. But she's right, this is supposed to be fun, so absolutely try something different. I love Wendy's blog although I doubt I'll ever learn to FMQ! She is amazing, isn't she?
This may help in quilting your "Jester hats", the Lady who taught me called it "3s and Es". I still have trouble with that pattern.
It's amazing the eye hand coordination necessary to free motion. I say if it isn't fun, don't do it. There are tons of patterns you'll no doubt master.
Hi Carrie,
Sorry about the frustration - from looking at the pictures, I thought you were doing pretty good except for a few spots. Sometimes, when I don't know where to go, I just stop and survey the area and see what I do to fill up a spot. Anyway, that's just my two cents.
I thought your paper version looks just wonderful! So, half of the challenge is done there. ;)
I think this design is just plain hard, Carrie! I even have trouble following the lines when I do it on a pantograph on my longarm! I think for a first effort you've done really, really well!
Cheers!
I found this month's FMQ design difficult too! I made my sample but I'm not satisfied. I had a hard time just drawing it on paper. I think we did our best and that's all that counts!
That one would definitely trick me up too! When I was in college I kept telling my calculus teacher that I can't see in 3-D (thus my C-). Then last year I learned that I also don't see in 3-D. So something that required upside down thinking...I probably couldn't handle at all.
Your quilting looks wonderful Carrie and I have been having a time with this too. Like you I always love Wendy's blog and posts!
I am forewarned - I haven't had a play with this one yet - it looks fun.....
don't give up....just remember that the second part of one hat is the beginning of the next one. You can flip the hat around and move in different directions. Your stitching looks good.
Looking at how you quilted, i don't think you did a bad job. But, when looking at Wendy's work, I know why you got frustrated. I would get very frustrated too, to not get it the way she did.
But, I do think your work does not look bad at all, if you don't know what you wanted to make.
I guess it will be more fun to do that which works well for you!
I think you did a great job! I am still practicing on paper and only have a few more days to get it done!
Hi Carrie, I think your jester hats are coming along very nicely. After lots of practice on paper, I found this design easier to fill the space evenly by starting in one corner and using three horns instead of two. Hope this helps a little.
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