Free Motion Quilting Journey

 Yesterday I quilted a baby quilt with FEATHERS--and they weren't too bad!  Getting the hang of FMQ has been my challenge over the years.  It really helps to PRACTICE, a lot.  And my Bernina Q20 makes the actual quilting a breeze--lots of table space to support the quilt, excellent tension with no fiddling, and stitches that are as regular as I please.  It's not the BEST quilting ever done, but it's quite an improvement for me so I am making progress on this journey.

The fabrics are mostly Raining Cats and Dogs by Free Spirit Fabric--perfect for this particular quilt:

Top, Before Quilting  38" x 46"

The feathers were totally free-form, no marking.  I did draw them on paper several times to get the rhythm and size I wanted.

For the border I did a free-form cable, a bit too free--form it seems now.  I used a Crayola Ultra-Clean Washable Marker to draw two lines in the border, one about 1/2" inside the outer edge, and one down the center of that space.  This gave me reference points to aim for as I quilted the borders.  In hindsight, I should have marked the four corners too since I "got lost" as I came into and out of the corners.  

Here is the finished quilt, after washing.  I love how a quilt gets that pucker-y look after washing and drying.  

Now, if I could just find the label I made 3 weeks ago and put in a "safe" place before my Studio Sale...

Let's Quilt!

Barbara