Thursday, June 22, 2023

Daisy Beauty on Free Motion Mavericks

Welcome to week 436 of Free Motion Mavericks. Happy Solstice 😊 I actually have a finish with free motion quilting (FMQ) for you today. Yeah!

May's Table Scraps Challenge done ✔

It's a tad late, but it's done well and I love it 😍. May's Challenge colour was orange and the letters were F and L. The scrappy log cabin block was quickly finished and the gorgeous yellow daisy batik Flowers were attached...but something was missing. I hoped to add lace for my "L" but I wasn't happy with what I tried.

Sometimes a project needs to percolate before it talks to me or I find that perfect thing that will make it sing.

Daisy Beauty - May's Table Scraps Challenge

This is where it sat for a while. I did post this image on Instagram and linked it up to the May Table Scraps Challenge link-up.

Where it sat - simmering

I tried a few pieces of lace but couldn't find anything I liked. Finally, looking for something else, I found this crochet lace - perfect!

I found the lace - now what?

I didn't know how I wanted to finish it. Do I add stems and/or leaves? Finally today it came to me - FMQ daisies so that there is an impression of lots more daisies. I think of them as shadow daisies.

I did add a second echo around the yellow daisies and then I started the shadow daisies. I only quilted the first one with yellow thread. I wanted the daisies to recede, so I used variegated threads in pink and yellow, and light and dark pink.

More daisies and a line of small leaves

First daisy with an echo

I moved the lace out of the way - at that point it was only attached at the binding - to FMQ a daisy underneath it.

Once the daisies were quilted, I added a continuous line of small leaves around everything, including the binding.

Here is the back - you can see the FMQ better from there.

FMQ as seen from the back

Daisy Beauty label

Since I had the fusible web handy, I made the label right away.

What I learned

You can see in the image where the project was percolating, that I had left an extra large backing. I was hoping to just turn the backing to finish the quilt, but when I trimmed it, I cut through it. So the piece has a regular binging.
I actually added the binding before the FMQ. On such a small piece, it really doesn't make a difference, and it's so nice to have a finished piece once it's quilted!
These hand-dyed fabric scraps come from my friend Elaine Quehl's extras. I absolutely love those orange-pinks and have used them quite a bit. I may have to dye some myself eventually!
We had a presentation at our last guild meeting by someone who has studied the judging of quilts. She gave us many tips. I was extra careful when I FMQ the curves - going slower than usual and it paid off - no eyelashes (that's when the back tension is off in a curve, because the quilter is going too fast!)
I also followed my own advice about bindings and it came out really well.
Before adding the label, I attached the lace with a few stitches. It doesn't show except in the back, when it's not covered by the label.
I don't want to be so finicky about my quilts that it won't be any fun to make them, but these small steps make for a better piece, and are really not any more work. I just have to remember them 😁

Free Motion Mavericks

Welcome and thanks to everyone who linked up 😊

Brenda from Songbird Designs has FMQ a beautiful flying geese quilt in the Island Batik Challenge. She used feathers, diagonal lines and block within a block in the middle of her stars! Click on the image on her page to get a close-up.

Come Fly Away With Me by Brenda of Songbird Designs

Donnalee had some left over fabric from a quilt kit and was able to make a lovely runner and a mini. So cute! Aren't small project fun to make?

A mini wall hanging by Donnalee

Melva finished a Dresden quilt for a client last week. I love these pink and red fabrics.

A finished Dresden quilt for a client by Melva

Gail hosted TGIFF last week with her finished quilt. She used Graffiti and Wild quilting designs. This week we'll be seeing the back of her quilt since she made if following Kelly Young's “Perfectly Pieced Backs” book.

Gail's quilt with Graffiti and Wild quilting

Margo of MY Quilts and Crafts got terrific news - two quilts, 'Modern Time' and 'Inside Lines', were accepted in the International Quilt Festival Houston 2023. Congrats!