Weather and nature on Free Motion Mavericks

Welcome to week 368 of Free Motion Mavericks. Since the weather is all over the place, I thought that I would tackle some weather images as well as keep heading east on Version 2.0.

FMQ all kinds of weather

In my son's first quilt, my mother had quilted one of the strips of red fabric with rainbows. This was one of the designs that celebrate nature.

As well as rainbows, I wanted to add different types of weather onto that strip. I've got sun, rainbows, snow flakes, clouds and umbrellas. 

Sun and a rainbow on the right side of the quilt

Three umbrellas for rain!

Umbrellas, clouds, snowflakes and a rainbow seen from the back of the quilt.

FMQ nature

As you may recall, the beige strip that runs across the quilt is depicting various aspects of Canada, from the West Coast towards the East. I'm now in the middle of the prairies. I transitioned from the mountains onto a ranch and then the Canadian Badlands (yes, we have them too!)

Leaving the mountains, I added a mountain goat. After that came the ranch, with a fence, bales of hay, cattle in the pastures and a horse on the path.

A ranch and the Badlands

Adding a ranch after the mountains.

If you wonder how I managed to FMQ cattle, a horse, a mountain goat and a deer, this is my secret. From images on my computer screen, I use tracing paper to trace out the animals in the size that I want them. I then FMQ over the tracing paper, following the image. 

FMQ the cattle over the traced image

Adding the deer by stitching over the tracing paper

After the ranch comes the Canadian Badlands located in both Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. It doesn't really compare to the Badlands of South Dakota, but it's still very special. It's where Alberta's Dinosaur Provincial Park is located.

 

The Canadian Badlands and a deer

What I learned

• As I get more experience, it's getting a little easier to quilt on such a large (queen size) quilt. I find that my movements are rather jerky, and that's from not having the quilt laid out correctly. There are lots of areas of potential drag!
• I started doing the strip with the weather because otherwise it will take me years to get this done. I'm looking for other places on the quilt that would be relatively easy to FMQ. I keep referring to the PowerPoint that I made of the original quilting and adding notes on potential designs. After the weather, there will be sports, birds, playing cards, and a few other fairly easy designs to add.
• I'm thrilled to say that I used the Glide thread on the red - it quilted amazingly! I'm so happy.

Related links

• FMQ Lake Louise on Free Motion Mavericks, January 27, 2022
• Alberta's Dinosaur Provincial Park

Linking parties

I'll be linking up to many fun linking parties. Why not check them out...after you've linked up here! Midweek Makers, Put your foot down, Needle & Thread Thursday, Off The Wall Friday, Finished or Not Finished Friday, Peacock Party, Patchwork & Quilts, 15 minutes to stitch 2022, 

Free Motion Mavericks

It was a real party last time - thanks to everyone who linked up, whether they were doing FMQ or not! We're happy to have you all here.

Denise at For the Love of Geese created this amazing quilt for a veteran for Quilts of Valor. Go visit if you didn't see it!

Denise's very patriotic quilt

It's now your turn!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter