Book covers with Free Motion Mavericks

Welcome to the Free Motion Mavericks (week 248) link up.

New book covers to be FMQ

These aren't fabric covers for books, but rather two foundation paper-pieced book blocks with FMQ covers 😊

I was able to piece these two Tall Tales book blocks during my holidays. Next comes the appliqué on one of them and some Free Motion Quilted (FMQ) flowers on the other. I'm sure that both will end up being heavily quilted by the time I'm finished!

Book cover to be appliqued to make a whimsical forest

Book cover to be FMQ with flowers

Summer Book Club QAL
with Kate Basti of Quilt with Kate

I made these blocks through the Summer Book Club Quilt-Along. I've only finished two books to date but you may want to take a look at the awesome quilts that are being done in the Quilt-Along (see the Instagram link is Related links).

Bambi book 

The Earth is not flat book

What I learned

• Making these two blocks was much easier and smoother than making the first batch - practice does help!
• I only remembered to use the Extended-Border Binding technique for the second book. I'll be doing a traditional binding for the first one. I'm looking forward to comparing the results of the two.

Related links

• Summer Book Club QAL on Intragram with Quilt with Kate (quiltwithkate.com)
• Tall Tales pattern
• Relaxing & playing, July 1, 2019
• Extended-border binding technique and tutorial

Linking parties
I'll be linking this post to many linky parties. Why not check them out? And remember to link up to Free Motion Mavericks - it doesn't have to be FMQ. Midweek Makers, Tuesday Colour Linky Party, Moving It Forward, Main Crush Monday,Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down,

Free Motion Mavericks

Thanks to everyone who linked up last time. I want to highlight Dione's lovely Crazed Diamond quilt. If you didn't see it last time, do check out her award winning FMQ.

Crazed Diamonds by Dione of the Clever Chameleon

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Break time with improv piecing

It's DrEAMi! (Drop Everything And Make It!) or Squirrel time again with Sandra at mmm quilts.

Policeman and black squirrel in High Park, [Toronto, Ont.], 10 Nov., 1917
Photographer: Boyd, John, 1865-1941
Library and Archives Canada (see Related links below)

Improv piecing

When I'm up against a deadline, I usually need some serious procrastination time! Maybe it's to let my brain peculate while I distract myself, but what ever the reason, it happens almost every time.

To procrastinate, I've read 3 books in a series (I suspect that they were short but who knows when it's an ebook!) and did a little bit of improv piecing. A little bit as in a 10 inch square that finishes to an 8 inch pocket. You read right....a pocket!

My husband gave me this gorgeous bag that he got at a conference. The front is really stunning, but the back, not so much.

The front of the bag

So now, the bag has a new back, and an extra pocket.

The bag's new back and pocket

To make the improv piece, I used batik fabrics in colours that went with the front. There was no way that I could possibly make anything that could match the front, so I made my piece to blend in, in a way that it's obvious that it wasn't part of the original design.

Once again, I used the Extended-border binding technique. I treated the outside strip of the block as a border and made it about an inch wider than necessary. I then turned it over and pressed it as if it was a binding.

Making the border of the improv piece wider so that it can be used as a binding

I then cut the batting and backing to the finished size of the block and then slipped it inside the "binding".

The backing and batting are now inside the "binding".

I flipped it over and did my free motion quilting (FMQ) thing! I started by quilting in the ditch around the border, then quilted the design in the middle. Since I wanted the "binding" to be securely attached, I FMQ inside the border.  

Playing with FMQ

Here's the back. You can see where I stitched in the ditch. The quilting inside the border ensured that the binding is securely attached.

The back of the FMQ piece, ready to be attached to the bag.

I very carefully sewed the finished block to the bag. I left the top open so that it can be used as a pocket and therefore reinforced the top sides and the edge of the top so that it won't come apart.

Attaching the pocket to the bag

 If you want more details on the Extended-border binding technique, see Related links below.

What I learned

• As I mentioned, this small project was a great way to productively procrastinate! I got to play with fabric but not get too wrapped up in a new project.
• If the FMQ design looks familiar, it because I featured it in the last Free Motion Maverick's post.
• Isn't the image of the squirrel and the policeman great? It's from Library and Archives Canada's wonderful collection of old images. See Related links.
• I'm really happy that this bag is now ready to use. I'm going to try it as a purse, but I tend to like the ones with a long strap, so we'll see. At the very least it will make a great project bag (because we can't have too many of those!)

Related links

• Policeman and black squirrel in High Park, [Toronto, Ont.], 10 Nov., 1917. Photographer: Boyd, John, 1865-1941. Library and Archives Canada
• Extended-border binding technique from A loon, a bear and a binding tutorial, November 25, 2018
• Free Motion Mavericks and an art quilt in the making, April 25, 2019

Linking parties
This post will be linked to DrEAMi! party with Sandra of mmm quilts!, Free Motion Mavericks with Muv, and many other link-ups. Let's go see what's happening in quilt land. Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, Moving It Forward, What I Made Monday, Tuesday Colour Linky Party, Midweek Makers, Let's Bee Social, Needle & Thread Thursday, Finished or Not Friday, Friday Foto Finish, Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?, TGIFF,

For To-Do Tuesday, I'd better get back to working on my art quilt!

One Monthly Goal Link-up

My art quilt is my May OMG. I learned that it doesn't have to be quite finished by mid-May, just finished enough to supply a description etc. for the show. Yeah!!! But it will get done by the end of the month.

This is my latest picture, but it's mostly for my reference. There are too many things all jumbled together, but it gives me an idea of what does look good together and shows me that I probably have enough pieces cut to finish it.

The next step is to pull it all off and work on the background. I'll keep posting my progress as it happens 😊

Moose Cubicle Mini Quilt

It's a cubicle mini - a little late because I didn't finish on time for the March One Monthly Goal (OMG) but not too late since my son is still working in his cubicle 😊

Moose Cubicle Mini

I've made a few foundation paper pieced minis using Made by Marney's patterns. This is the latest.

A Moose for you

Since I added a border to the mini, I actually remembered to used the Extended-border binding technique. It really worked out well. I stitched in the ditch around the border and then free motion quilted (FMQ) the mini, up to the border. I then flipped the border towards the mini and cut the batting and backing about one inch from the sewn edge of the border.

Cutting the batting and backing

I had ironed the binding so that I knew where to trim the batting and backing. At the bottom of the image below, you can see that the batting reaches to the border (if it's laid flat). Once the batting and backing were trimmed, I flipped the mini over and hand-stitched the border to the back, as if it was a binding. For more details see the link to the tutorial in the Related links below.

The border will cover the back, as if it was a binding.

Here is the mini from the back. The backing and batting have been cut and it's now time to fold the borders over them.

Getting ready to sew down the border

A moose for you

What I learned

• I used a different fabric for the bottom of the mini since I wanted it to look like vegetation. Next time, I think that I'll just add an extra piece between the sky and the bottom so that the vegetation doesn't go all the way up to the antlers.
• After trimming the batting and backing, I realised that the moose's antlers were not very visible, so I added some FMQ.
• Preparing the extended-border was much easier this time than the last.
• I used a quilting marking pencil that turned out to not be erasable! I got rid of it, but not before making a mark that won't go away!
• I could have made it on time for the March OMG (barely) except that I didn't have two small matching buttons in all of my button stash!
• As much as I love linking up to OMG, I'm going to give myself a break this month - I really need to just go with the flow for a while :-)

Related links

• Extended-border binding technique
• A loon, a bear and a binding tutorial, November 25, 2018
• Made by Marney website and her patterns on Craftsy and Etsy

Linking parties
I am linking up with Muv at Free Motion Mavericks as well as many of the fun link-up parties in the neighbourhood. Let's go see what's on! Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?, TGIFF, Finished or Not Friday, Friday Foto Fun, Brag About Your Beauties, Oh Scrap!, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, Moving It Forward, What I Made Monday, Tuesday Color Linky Party, and Meadow Mist's April Favorite Finish Monthly Linkup.

Project details

A Moose for you
8¾ " x 9"
Materials: cotton and buttons
Techniques: Foundation paper pieced, free motion quilting, extended-border binding technique

I Heart Free Motion Mavericks

Welcome to Free Motion Mavericks (Week 216) link-up. As a tribute to Valentine's day, I have a  💗 themed project and some Free Motion Quilting (FMQ) designs.

Planting Seeds Mini

Planting Seeds is a foundation paper pieced pattern that came into my inbox from Stephanie of Patch + Dot. Since I knew that I would be hosting Free Motion Mavericks on Valentine`s day,  it seemed like the perfect opportunity to make something quick to FMQ.

Planting Seeds top

Foundation paper pieced

Both halves of the heart

The fabric for the background is not typical but I think it works.

Some FMQ hearts inside the heart

Planted Seeds Mini - pattern by Patch + Dot

Free Motion Mavericks and FMQ Heart Designs
This week I went through the book, FMQ 180 Doodle Quilting Designs that was compiled by Karen M. Burns. The pattern that I played with was Spiral Heart designed by Lori Kennedy.

Here are some of my doodles. The hardest part was making the designs connect.














Here are some of the results.

This is a variation of Spiral Heart but with an echoed heart in the middle.

Spiral Heart with echoed hearts

More Spiral Hearts and LOVE right from the 70's

Hearts are one of the shapes that I can draw fairly well. These are clusters of them. They tend to be easier to link together.

Clusters of hearts

 This is my favourite heart cluster with a couple of curls

Heart cluster with curls

 Another Spiral Heart with an echoed heart and to the left, a heart flower.

Spiral Heart and a small heart flower

What I learned

• As I mentioned, the hardest part was making the designs connect. The second hardest part was getting both sides of the spiral to match!
• I really should have chosen thread that didn't quite match so well. The truth is that I'm a chicken....I don't want all of my mistakes to be too noticeable. 
• However, when I ran out of the matching thread, I used a light gray thread that was a little more visible. I'll keep working on my courage - maybe a thread that is just a little too dark to match?
• To the right is an image of Patch + Dot's pattern since her mini is so different from mine 😊 
• As I was sewing on the binding, I remembered that I could have used my extended-border binding technique. It would have been perfect for this situation, but of course, I would have had to plan it!

Related links

• Patch + Dot's Free PDF Quilts Patterns page
• FMQ 180 Doodle Quilting Designs, compiled by Karen M. Burns
• Extended-border binding technique in the post: 
• A loon, a bear and a binding tutorial, November 25, 2018

Linking parties

I will be linking this post to several parties. Let's see what's going on!
Tuesday Colour Linky Party, Midweek Makers, Linky Tuesday, Design Wall Monday, Moving it Forward, What I Made Monday, Silly Mama Quilts WIPs, TGIFF, Needle & Thread Thursday, Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?, Friday Foto Fun, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Monday Making, Oh Scrap!, 

A big thank you to Muv for linking up her River Thames lap quilt. It's really lovely. You can see her finished quilt here. I just love her coffee mug background (even if they drink tea, but it could be for hot chocolate or even better, a hot toddy!

Thames River lap quilt - quilted by Muv

Inlinkz Link Party

A loon, a bear and a binding tutorial

Finished loon

The loon mini is quilted in-the-ditch.

I found some fabulous foundation paper pieced patterns for making woodland animals blocks. Here's how it started.

My October DrEAMi! (something that catches your fancy and you just have to Drop Everything And Make It!) was a foundation paper pieced block that I gave my brother for his birthday instead of a card. Since he loves the outdoors, I made him a loon.

This is the first of several minis that I'll be making using Made by Marney's patterns. The finishing of the loon mini and the making of the bear mini are my November DrEAMi!

A bear mini

My next mini was a bear - well actually two bears because I'm making a second one for my husband. The first one I made has a pretty obvious mistake so I'm keeping it for myself and using it in the binding tutorial below.

Extended-border binding technique

These minis are perfect for trying out new techniques. I tried this binding technique on the loon block and then took pictures of the process using the first bear mini for this short tutorial.

Challenge: I didn't want to add a binding to this block. I've tried binding the quilt from the back but didn't really like the results since my corners are not always very good. So I essentially made a wider border and used it to bind the quilt. Here is the tutorial.

Measurement: Decide how wide you want your border, then add ¼" for your seam allowance and add 1" for the binding.
In this case, the border fabric was made from 2¼" strips. (¼" seam allowance + 1" border + 1" binding.) * You can adjust how wide you want your border as well as how much fabric you want to use for your binding.

Attach the border
Attach the border fabric to the top and bottom of the block.

Adding the top and bottom border

 Attached the side borders to the block.

Adding the side borders

Sandwich the quilt with the batting and backing fabric and quilt the piece except for the border.

Quilting in-the-ditch with the "Shorty" ruler

Cut the batting and backing
Once the quilting is finished, flip over the border fabric away from the edge. Then, one side at a time, trim the excess batting and backing. 
(In this case, I cut the batting and backing 1" from the edge of the border.)

Trimming the batting and backing

Trimming the batting and backing from all sides

The front border extends past the backing once each side has been trimmed.

The front border extends past the backing

Finish Quilting 

If you want to quilt your border, this is the time to do it!

Press the border

Fold the extended part of the border in half and press. 

Pressing the extended fabric in half

Flip the pressed extended border over the back of the quilt. (I use small metal paper clips to keep my border in place.) Stitch the extended border to the back.

Using paper clips to keep the border in place while stitching

This is what the back of the pieces looks like with the border used as the binding.

The back of the bear min when the border is used as binding

The back of the loon mini 

Label

I made a label using some great retro duck fabric and used neutral fabric to write on. As I learned previously, I ironed freezer paper to the back to ensure that the fabric wouldn't shifting around when I wrote on it.

Using freezer paper to stabilise the fabric to create a label

Happy Thanksgiving to all those who are celebrating today!

What I learned

• Minis are great to try different techniques. There isn't the investment of time, material and effort that you might have with a larger or more complex quilt.
• One of the tricky things about foundation paper piecing is that the finished product is the reverse of the pattern. Since I didn't print up the pattern in colour, I mixed up one of the pieces. You can see that the bear block looks like it has a broken leg with a cast instead of the shadow of the leg. I haven't finished quilting the second bear, but it doesn't have a broken leg! 
• Making the bear pattern a second time was much easier since I knew what to do - and not do! I rarely make something twice but it is a good learning experience. The second time it usually is easier and faster and probably better. I think that I sometimes miss out on the learning aspect of that type of repetition. Since I was so intent on getting the second bear mini right, I wasn't bored 😊
• I used Angela Walter's "Shorty" ruler to quilt in-the-ditch. This is the second time I use it and I'm very impressed.
• I've never come across this method of binding a quilt, but if it's out there somewhere under another name, please let me know.
• I hope you were able to follow the tutorial (it's my first one). If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave me a message in the comment section, or email me at quiltingandlearning (at) gmail.com

Related links

• Travelling vicariously and DrEAMi!, October 29, 2018
• Made by Marney website and her patterns on Craftsy and Etsy
• Angela Walter's "Shorty" ruler

Linking Parties
I'll be linking this post to Sandra's DrEAMi! party as well as other linkies. Check them out and see what others are doing! Free Motion Mavericks, TGIFF!, Slow Sunday Stitching, Oh Scrap!, Monday Making, Main Crush Monday, Design Wall Monday, Moving It Forward, What I Made Monday, Linky Tuesday, Tuesday Colour Linky Party, Let's Bee Social, Midweek Makers, Needle & Thread Thursday, Wondering Camera, Finished or Not Friday, Friday Foto Fun, Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?, TGIFF,

Project Details



Loon Mini, pattern by Made By Marney
8½" X 8¾"
Materials: commercial and hand-dyed cotton, embroidery floss
Techniques: foundation paper piecing and free motion quilting, embroidery