Butterflies in the FMQ garden and pond

Welcome to Free Motion Mavericks link-up (Week 232) - If you're looking for Throw Back Thursday, click here!

Free Motion Mavericks Link-up

I think that I'm finished! What do you think? Is there anything else that I should add to this free motion quilted (FMQ) practice piece?

FMQ garden and pond

I think that it has done quite well, considering its very humble beginnings as a gray FMQ piece three months ago!

Original FMQ piece

Here are a few details. I used the Kimono Silk Thread that I've been working with on my Gaïa's Garden.

A few butterflies

 I was thinking that I could add more colour to the butterflies and especially the dragon fly.

A butterfly and a dragonfly

I'm going to keep it short and sweet - so please link up and let me know what you think I should do. Is it finished or does it need a few minor touches?

What I learned

• I copied the butterflies from a colouring book onto freezer paper. I then cut the freezer paper and drew around the shape onto the fabric with a Frixion pen. This is certainly better than trying to draw from a picture since I can never get both sides the same. If you're wondering, that's what happened to the dragonfly. 😊
• 🎈BTW, this is my 🎈 300th post over 7 years. Wow, time flies...🎈

Related links

• Spring is in the air with Free Motion Mavericks, March 13, 2019 
• Adding Color and Free Motion Mavericks, April 10, 2019
• FMQ garden and pond, May 8, 2019
• Gaïa's Garden is coming along, June 2, 2019

Linking parties
I'll be linking up to several fun linking parties. Let's spread the word about Free Motion Mavericks! Monday Making, Moving It Forward, What I Made Monday, Tuesday Colour Linky Party, Midweek Makers, Let's Bee Social, Needle & Thread Thursday, Wondering Camera, Off the Wall Friday, Finished or Not Friday, Friday Foto Fun, Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?,

Free Motion Mavericks
Thanks to everyone who linked up two weeks ago. It's great to see quilts at all stages of production - from a few basic but important lines, to finished quilt tops, and fancy quilting! This week I really enjoyed Sandra's wonderful Harry Potter fabric pillow for her daughter. It's a really lovely project, so if you haven't seen it yet, here's the link.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Gaïa's Garden is coming along

I'm still at it! I've almost finished piecing Gaïa's Garden. It's not really piecing in the conventional sense, but more in the appliqué/collage sense.

Gaïa's Garden

This is Gaïa's Garden so far. I would say that the piecing is about 80% finished.

Gaïa's Garden so far

I finally added the swamp part. There is still work to be done to incorporate it within the rest of the piece but I'm hoping that it won't be too difficult.

The swamp or pond section

I've been stitching down the fabric pieces using Kimono Silk Thread. I love it. The difficult part is to not get carried away since I want to free motion quilt it rather than thread paint it. So as soon as I add the batting, then I'll be able to use what ever type of thread each section calls for.

I also know that parts of the quilt, like the sun, will look much better once it's quilted. I'm really looking forward to the FMQ.

What I learned

• I really over extended myself with all of these pieces for this summer's show. It's going to be great but I hope that I remember not to do this again 😊 (those sound like "famous last words...")
• As much as I've been wanting to make this piece for over a year (since I made Morning has Broken), I'm glad that I'm doing it but I'm now really tired of it. It's not because I don't like it, just because I would rather be doing something else right now. I am really looking forward to just playing for a while.
• Quilt Canada is in 2 weeks, so after I finish this piece by next weekend, I'll be taking a few days off and really taking advantage of having Quilt Canada in Ottawa this year. I'll be sure to blog about my course and lectures there as well as the show itself.

Related links

Remember to come back on
Thursday to link up!

• Making Gaïa's Garden, May 20, 2019
• Free Motion Quilting and Planning, April 20, 2019
• Morning has broken - Art with Fabric Spring 2018, May 21, 2018

June's One Monthly Goal
This is the second time that this project is my OMG. Didn't quite make it for May, but it will be given to the show organisers to hang on the 16th, so it will get done! 😊

Linking parties
I'll be linking this post to a few linking parties. Why not see what's happening out there? Free Motion Mavericks, Oh Scrap!, Wandering Camera, Off The Wall Friday, 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, June's One Monthly Goal Link-up and To-Do Tuesday

Free Motion Mavericks link up

Welcome to Free Motion Mavericks (week 230).

I've only written one post since the last time I hosted Free Motion Mavericks - I've been really busy at work and sick with some kind of bug. Nothing serious but I feel like I've been hit with a ton of bricks! So this is going to be a very short post.

Here is a mini that I made three years ago when I was learning to write again. I followed a video by Joanne Sharpe, read her books and practiced writing my letters for a while.

Be Here Now - a reminder 

This mini is on the wall behind my sewing machine. It's important to be in the present and focus, especially when I FMQ.

Related links

• Learning to write - again, April 17, 2016
• Whimsical Writing with Joanne Sharpe

Linking parties
I'll be linking this post to several linking parties. Let's see what's going on 😊 Monday Making, Main Crush Monday, Moving It Forward, What I Made Monday, Tuesday Colour Linky Party, Midweek Makers, Finished or Not Friday and Friday Foto Fun, Design Wall Monday

Free Motion Mavericks
There were seven great link-ups two weeks ago. Thanks everyone who linked up and visited! It's  always lovely to have virtual visitors. Afton Warrick of Quilting Mod finished her tasty Perfect Treats quilt. The FMQ of those great ice cream treats was done by Tisha Cavanaugh of Quilt Icing. If you haven't seen it, it's well worth the click!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Making Gaïa's Garden

After a bit of productive procrastination, I'm back to working on my art quilt.

Gaïa's Garden

It's always a long process, so I thought that I would share some of it with you. Here's a recap (see Related links below).

My model for Gaïa

Choosing a colour palette

My model for Gaïa is this picture of a reproduction statuette of a beautiful Pre-Columbian female figure from Colombia, South America.

I used photo transfer medium to make the fabric image.

Gradients Multi
33366 11D Moda

It took me a long time to start because I was looking for the right fabric, which I found in the Gradients by Moda line.

Fussy cutting and trying out possibilities

Next I went through my stash and fussy cut fabric, including the background. I just placed them on the design board to get the general effect and to ensure that I had enough fabric.

That's where I was in my last post, with lots of work left and many possibilities.

The next part is the one I find most intimidating - taking everything off the design board and creating the background.

I attached the sky (including my hand-dyed yellow and pink cotton), the green background and the river. Then it was time to play with the colours. I took out my box of gauze, tulle, and silk.

It's difficult to see in the photo but the sky and river really shimmer. I separated the river into 3 sections - the reflection of the sky, a more turbulent riven and then a calmer lake.

Knowing what to keep

Creating the background and adding shimmer

From the many versions on my design board, there were a few things that I knew that I would keep.

These were the leaves beside Gaïa and the large plant, flowers and bird in this photo.








It took several tries to get the other side of Gaïa finished. My original thought was to use the light leaves. I also tried out some yellow/orange leaves but they just blended into the reflecting water. Finally I choose the darker blue leaves to create more contrast. Since the image of Gaïa is light, she needs a little help to stand out.

Should I use the light coloured leaves?

What about the yellow/orange leaves?

Finally choosing the darker blue leaves

Below you can see that I added a couple of leaves on top to create a curve.

My next two challenges can be seen in this image. The first one is by the river where I want to create a quiet space with a bit of a swamp or pond. The second one is the lotus flower at the foot of Gaïa. This is where I'm at, although I can still change my mind since the challenging pieces haven't been attached yet.

What it looks like so far

I'm working mostly from my design board which is on my ironing board. When I like something, I just pin them into place and go to the sewing machine next to it. I've been using Superior Threads' Kimono Silk thread to attach all of these pieces. I'm trying not to add too much detail at this point since once everything is attached, I'll be free motion quilting the piece. At that point, I may use heavier thread, depending on the effect that I want.

Working on my design board

Using Kimono Silk thread

What I learned

• Deadlines have their usefulness (I guess) but since I got a bit of a reprieve, it's taking that much longer to make. Turns out that the description was due in mid-May but the final product is only due in mid-June. I'm afraid that I'll be using every last minute of that extra time - to make it and to productively procrastinate 😉 
• There is still a ways to go, although it usually goes a little faster once things fall into place.
• As I've been writing this post, I realise that I'll be placing the swamp in the lake part of the piece. It make more sense, although reality is not especially important here! 
• As for the lotus flower, I think that if I add more fabric around it, I'll get a better sense of how it will look.
• My background has a few puckers in it. Since I'm making this up as I go along, I'll probably cut around the river and adjust the fabric.

Related links

• Free Motion Quilting and Planning, April 20, 2019
• Free Motion Mavericks and an art quilt in the making, April 25, 2019
• Gradients Multi 33366 11D Moda
• Superior Threads Kimono Silk Thread
• This is the exhibit that I'm getting ready for: Summer Fibrations at the Mississippi Mills Textile Museum in Almonte, Ontario

Linking parties

Although I haven't started quilting yet, I've sure been using my FMQ skills to stitch all of this fabric down. I'll be joining Muv at last week's Free Motion Mavericks, as well as many other great link-ups. Let's see what's going on this lovely Victoria Day weekend. Oh Scrap!, Monday Making, Main Crush Monday, Design Wall Monday, Moving It Forward, Tuesday Colour Linky Party, Midweek Makers, Finished or Not Friday and Friday Foto Fun, Off the Wall Friday, Favorite Finish Monthly Linkup, 

Remember to link up any quilting projects on Thursday when I'll be hosting Free Motion Mavericks! See you then 😊

FMQ garden and pond

Welcome to the Free Motion Mavericks link-up (Week 228).

FMQ garden and pond

You may have been watching this free motion quilted (FMQ) practice piece progress in the last couple of months.

Latest of the FMQ garden and pond

It started off as a quick FMQ drawing in grey thread.

FMQ garden and pond in grey thread

Adding colour to the FMQ garden and pond

Since this "practice piece" has so much potential, I've continued adding to it. I made a list of things that could be added:

Last night's results

• more flowers ✔
• shrub
• grass ✔
• butterfly
• bird
• rocks ✔
• frog
• turtle ✔
• fish
• cattails
• other pond vegetation ✔

Although the list is long, realistically it is limited by my drawing skills. I may be able to eventually draw something with practice, but at this point, I only had one more evening to finish this post!

Last night I added the Rudbeckia flowers based on Muv's great tutorial (the link is in Related links). I also added grass in front of the pond and the grey outline for a rock and more water.

Tonight I added some water, more vegetation in front of the pond, a rock with a turtle sunning herself and a few more plants in the garden. I also added some lines with a Frixion pen in order to square it so that I know how far I need to FMQ.

The pond now has a turtle sunning herself on a rock

There is more vegetation in front of the pond

There is more grass and flowers in the garden

What I learned

• Last night I Googled "how to draw..." many of the things on my list above. I wasn't in a good learning space so my attempts to draw butterflies and fish were not successful. I know that I can do this, eventually and these don't have to be in the piece yet.
• I didn't add a frog (one of my favourite animals) in this piece but the turtle got in without too much effort. 
• I was worried that the Rudbeckia would dominate but they look fine in the photo of the whole piece.
• I really am doing this backwards because the background should have been done first....that's what happens when you don't plan...but it's a wonderful use of my ability to adapt!
• I really debated about using the grey thread to outline new features since I know that I'm now using colour, and I did outline with grey last night in order to be consistent. However tonight I just skipped it. I'm not sure that it makes a huge difference.
• I'm really not sure what I want to add in the background. What do you think - would a couple of butterflies and/or a bird be enough, or should I add a shrub and plants to make it denser? I would love your opinion if you want to share it😊

Related links

• Adding Color and Free Motion Mavericks, April 10, 2019
• Spring is in the air with Free Motion Mavericks, March 13, 2019
• Muv's tutorial for the Rudbeckia Design at Lizzie Lenard Vintage Sewing

Linking parties
I will be linking up to many fun linking parties. Join me to see what else is going around Quilting Blog Land and don't forget to link up to Free Motion Mavericks below! Design Wall Monday, Moving It Forward, What I Made Monday, Tuesday Colour Linky Party, Midweek Maker, Let's Bee Social, Needle & Thread Thursday, Off the Wall Friday, Finished or Not Friday, Friday Foto Fun, Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?, Monday Making,

Free Motion Mavericks
I am so thrilled with your continued support of this link-up. Two weeks ago we had TEN link-ups. Yeah!!!!! I really hope that this is the beginning of a trend. The emphasis may be on FMQ but we had a few link ups with hand quilting and others made on longarm machines. If you're wondering about the difference between free motion quilting and longarm quilting, check out Leah Day's post: Quilting on a Home Machine Versus Longarm Machine. I'm happy to have all quilters join us!

The hardest part of co-hosting this blog is choosing just one project to highlight! You are all amazing quilters! Here is Vasudha of Storied Quilts who designed and free motion quilted Diamond Showers on her longarm. Wow! Here's the link to her post, in case you haven't seen it yet.

Diamond Showers

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 😊

Free Motion Mavericks and an art quilt in the making

Welcome to Free Motion Mavericks (week 226).

Since I didn't get a chance to do any free motion quilting (FMQ) in the last couple of days, I'm going to just share my last practice piece from the weekend. You can read about it in my last post (see Related links below)

Practicing my FMQ

Progress on the art quilt 

This piece is due in less than a month. It will be part of an Out of the Box Fibre Artists exhibition, Summer Fibrations, at the Mississippi Mills Textile Museum this summer. On the weekend I was auditioning fabrics. The main fabric that I'm using is Gradients by Moda. It's just absolutely beautiful.

On Tuesday I went through my stash to find other fabrics that I will be fussy cutting from. As I was playing with them this morning, I realised that I will have to keep going through my stash for more.

This is just the beginning but I think that the layout will probably stay. I'm sure that the flowers and details will get revised many times.

The start of the piece

Working on my design board from my ironing board

As I mentioned in my last post, I took the week off and will spend most of it working on this baby.

Unfortunately it hasn't been as peaceful as I would have liked. Below is the view from my window, which is why I'm working on the ironing board instead of my desk. I think that the bulldozing is finished so at least the ground should stop shaking!

I've also joined Amy's challenge on Instagram, #onethingwithamy
We set a goal for the week on Monday and report our progress on Friday. This is perfect for the next couple of weeks since I'll actually get things done during the week instead of being in a vegetative state when I get home. 😊

If you want to read more about this project, see the Related links below. That's also where you'll find "What I learned" so far on this project.

Related links

• FMQ practice and planning, April 20, 2019
• Summer Fibrations at the Mississippi Mills Textile Museum in Almonte, Ontario
• Gradients by Moda Fabrics
• #onethingwithamy with Amy Ellis of Amy's Creative Side

Linking parties

I will be linking up this post to many great link-ups. Let's see what's happening! Design Wall Monday, Moving It Forward, What I Made Monday, To-Do Tuesday, Tuesday Colour Linky Party, Midweek Makers, Needle & Thread Thursday, Off the Wall Friday, Finished or Not Friday, Friday Foto Fun, Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?,  

Free Motion Mavericks

Thank you to everyone who linked up two weeks ago. As always there was some lovely projects linked up. This week's highlight is Gretchen's Wiggly Whimsy Quilt with its 'organic wavy line' quilting. Don't you love her glamour shot? If you didn't see it, check it out.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter