Progress on the Small Blue Scrappy Quilt

Hi and welcome. I didn't spend much time in my studio but I did finish FMQ (free motion quilting) my child-size blue scrappy quilt. It had been a while and I had forgotten how much I love FMQ! 😍 

FMQ a scrappy quilt

I started this quilt in mid-February and it was my blue February Table Scraps Challenge quilt. Now it's my March One Monthly Goal (OMG) and it will be finished! Just the binding left to hand-stitch. I don't have a picture of the fully quilted quilt - I FMQ the scrappy columns and then the blue fabric strips at the bottom. So, you'll have something to see other than the binding on 😁

Blue scrappy quilt on the snow!

In a child's quilt, I didn't think that there should be birds without heads, so I FMQ the heads of the birds at the top of the fabric strip!

Birds with their heads stitched on!

Below you can see some of the FMQ designs. I was really trying to keep the designs flowing, so as many wavy designs as possible. In the background between the two bottom strips, I FMQ a flower, a bird (possibly a chicken!) and feathers. You can also see on the bottom edge that I FMQ circles, apples and pencils (the only non-curvy design). I drew a line with a FriXion pen an inch from the edge and then FMQ the designs. I'm happy to say that where I did that, you can see the full design even with the binding on.

The bottom FMQ background has trees, a car, a race car, more trees and a house.

FMQ fun designs in the background

In the image below, you can see the vertical stitching in the two background pieces.

Details of FMQ

I just thought that I would show you a close-up of the chicken and how the colour of the quilt changes with the inside light. The actual colour is between the outside and indoor pictures. It's a teal.

Close-up of the chicken, flower and feather

Kawandi-style mat

There is progress on my Kawandi-style mat. As I may have mentioned, I sewed the scrappy fabrics together before stitching it. I took this picture last week on the train to Toronto for my semi-annual eye exam. I'm happy to say that all is good. 😊

Kawandi-style mat,  now about 2/3 finished!

I wanted to share these gorgeous tulips that hubby bought me...well, I picked them up with the groceries but he paid for them, so he bought them!😉 Today it feels like Spring might be coming. I am always hopeful and it helps when the sun is shining and the snow is melting.

Tulips....maybe Spring will come one day?

And since I'm Poppy sitting, here she is! Of course I'm disturbing her eating for a photo and she's not amused!

Poppy - interrupted in her eating

What I learned

• When it's been a while that I FMQ, I tend to forget which designs I can do and use. I have a FMQ journal with most of the designs that I've used. It comes in very handy. All I have to do is practice them a couple of times on paper (sometimes more!) and I'm usually ready to quilt.
• I also looked in my PDF quilting books. I've included Lori Kennedy's book in the Related links but I didn't need to refer to her book since most of her designs are in my FMQ journal! 
• I wanted to take an outdoor picture of the back of the quilt, but it had wet spots from the snow after I took the photos of the front! I'll try to remember that for the next time.
• The Kawandi style mat has even kept me busy when we went back to emergency to get the results of my hubby's MRI. It's good to have something to keep busy. We're waiting to hear from a specialist but hubby is feeling a little better.

Related links

• Putting together the Cowboy quilt and other updates, March 04, 2025
• Free Motion Machine Quilting 1, 2, 3 by Lori Kennedy
• Loops, Twist, Sailboat, Zippy car, Easy trees, Home Sweet Home, Delicious apple, Perfect pencil, Mama bird (or chicken!)
• Organic free-motion quilting idea book by Amanda Murphy
• Wood grain
• Step-by-step Free-Motion Quilting by Christina Cameli
• Tideway, Lighthearted, Leafy

Linking parties

I'll be linking up to these fun linking parties. You might want to check some out! Monday Musings, Design Wall Monday, Sew & Tell, Put your foot down, Needle & Thread Thursday, Off The Wall Friday, Finished (Or Not) Friday, Patchwork & Quilts,

Free Motion Mavericks

Welcome to week 522 of Free Motion Mavericks! It was a productive two weeks! Thanks for linking up while I was away. Here are the projects from the last two weeks that included FMQ, ruler work or walking foot quilting. 

Pat of Scrapbox Quilts finished two Bear Hug quilts. # 5 is blue and yellow and quilted using a Natalia Bonners orange peel template while #2 is pink and brown FMQ with very large swirls. They are so gorgeous😊

Pat's blue and yellow quilt with orange peel quilting

 

Kat's pink and brown quilt with large swirls

Sharon from Ms. P Designs shared with us a colourful Star Party Sampler quilt. If you go on their website, you can see how each block was FMQ. 

Sharon's Star Party Sampler quilt

Next we have Kat of Scrapbox Quilts who re-did the binding after trying a new technique that didn't quite work out. She originally FMQ her Mod Flower quilt and also used rulers.  

Kat's Mod Flower quilt 

Here is Melva's finished Hanna-land quilt for her grandchildren. It's a wonderful quilt and a mat for playing a game. That should be well loved!

Melva's Hanna-land quilt

Preeti linked up with her Miracle Fish quilt which she made as part of the Sunlit Garden Blog Hop. The quilt looks wonderful in the kids' playground!

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Preeti's Miracle Fish quilt in the playground

It's now your turn.