Looking for a sewing machine for free motion quilting? I list out 5 of my top recommended free motion quilting sewing machines in this post.

In an unprecedented act of blogging fanciness I decided to make a video documenting how I create the woodgrain texture (so thoroughly p...

Here are all the photos from the Free Motion Quilting Project published so far!

I am delighted to have Patsy Thompson as our December FMQ Expert, for the 2012 Free Motion Quilting Challenge. Whe...

It's great fun to quilt on a grid. Use the basic shapes you know to create beautiful new grid designs that will work on all your quilts!

I am thrilled to have Teri Lucas as our October FMQ Expert, for the 2012 Free Motion Quilting Challenge and delighted t...

How to sew Gingko leaves freehand. When you add some gingko leaves to your fmq samples you have beautiful presents for your family and friends. They love them in every color combination! To fmq a gingko leave you need to know something of the anatomy of this characteristic leaves. 1. The anatomy of a gingko leave 2. Freehand gingko leaves 3. Sampler-presents with gingko leaves. 4. Different shades of gingko leaves in one color. 1. The anatomy of a gingko leave The leaves of the Ginkgo are remarkable for the fan of simple, forked veins. The veins are slightly raised and give a ribbed appearance to the foliage. When you look well at the veins you see they are forked and not branched Most of the gingko leaves are notched with a deep slit in the middle. Elongated petiola as long as the foliage with a little knot at the end. 2. Freehand gingko leaves The shape of the leave and the ribbed foliage, made the gingko leave easy for freee motion quilting. Look well at the pictures of some gingko leaves. Look at the veins. the shape of the petiola and the foliage. You find much more drawings and pictures of gingko leaves here. Draw some freehand gingko leaves on paper. Draw untill you know you can easy draw the leaves. Sandwich your sampler for a fmq filler. Choose a dark, medium and light thread of the same color. Before you free motion quilt the filler on your sampler, you need to embroider the gingko leaves. Decide where you want to sew the gingko leaves on your sampler. If nescesary mark with five dots the place where you want to sew a gingko leave like in the picture below. FMQ the contour of a gingko leave with the darkest color. The slit is always right above the petiola. Sew a little knob at the end of the petiola. Sew the contour a second time. Sew with the same color veins and ends in the knob. Sew with the medium color veins. Starts at mark A and finish in A. Sew with the light color veins. Starts at mark A and finish in A. After finishing your gingko leaves: free motion quilt the filler or fillers on your sampler. Square your sampler and bind it with fabric in a color which matches your gingko leaves. 3. Presents from your samplers Sampler pebbling sampler fmq stippling, filling the space between the gingko leaves 4. Different shades of gingko leaves in one color. The sampler with blue gingko leaves has laeves in three shades of blue. To embroider these you need threads in four shades of blue: dark (D), medium dark (MD), medium (M), medium light(ML), light(L) and white (W). Use for the darkest shade of leaves: D, MD and M thread. Use for the medium shade of leaves: MD, ML and L thread. Use for the lightest shade of leaves: ML, L and W thread. It is so nice of you for stopping by, I love to hear from everyone of you, so please feel free to leave a comment. If you have a question I will try and respond via e-mail. Please make sure your blogger profile is linked to your e-mail, otherwise I wont be able to e-mail you back. If you need to reach me feel free to e-mail me at [email protected] Thanks so much for reading Keep quilting! Maartje Quilt Amsterdam

Continuing the series on free motion quilting for beginners, this week we will explore the S shape. Remember the letter S from kindergarten?

Isn’t it weird how when you get really bogged down with work, have a million important things to do, the...

I'm finally "back in the saddle" again and able to start quilting. Boy does it feel good!!! My first priority was to get back on our boutis challenge and I'm excited to share some great progress this week! Since this fragile linen is so wiggly I wanted to make sure my straight lines stayed straight so I stitched thes

I was thinking about what I can do to help all the beginners who are just taking up free-motion quilting right now. I decided to share a ...

When I was in Houston in 2016 my special exhibit was right across the aisle from the beautiful Millefiori exhibit with all the beautiful English paper pieced quilts inspired by Willyne Hammerstein and I became fascinated with English paper piecing. I did a few pieces out of fancy silks but then I began to wonder how

Приветствую всех, друзья мои! Сегодня я опять про стежку "перья". Просто влюбилась в этот рисунок стежки!

If you were asked to create a work of fiber art representing a work of a famous painter, or to make a design of your own choice in the style...

Free-motion quilting—that’s a technique that most beginner quilters wouldn't consider learning. Not so according to Sewing With Nancy guest, Molly Hanson, who

I'm finally "back in the saddle" again and able to start quilting. Boy does it feel good!!! My first priority was to get back on our boutis challenge and I'm excited to share some great progress this week! Since this fragile linen is so wiggly I wanted to make sure my straight lines stayed straight so I stitched thes

Oh this is so hard for me. Here it is....my last customer quilt. Becky's Urban Nine Patch was a gem to quilt up! I love everything about this quilt....the design...the colors...the layout. Like I said, this is my last customer quilt. I've got so many emotions going through me right now. Check out the feathers for this quilt! They worked perfectly and even if you may not be into feathers....you can't tell me they don't look fantastic on this quilt! I went back and forth as to what design to do for the open white area in Becky's quilt and after a good night sleep, settled on my feather/swirl all over design. I didn't feel it needed more that that because the scalloped border is fantastic enough!! This quilt took me about 14 hours to quilt up. A lot of stitching in the ditch but very worth it! I love how the little white square looks like an art deco tile. I may just ask Becky for this one back for Market someday. It's so beautiful! Becky's piecing was phenomenal! ...and just in case you were wondering, my quilting posts will not end here. I've got plenty of my own creations to quilt up! My Professional Lonarm Quilting Business has been an amazing experience, some good and some not so good. I've had lot's and lot's of experiences good and bad that have happened along the way. I've met some amazing quilters and have developed priceless friendships. They've taught me so much and I'm so grateful for them. I love how longarm quilting has pushed me to be creative beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I love what's to come and have been truly blessed with my career path. I hope that I can in some way or another use my longarm quilting skills to teach and inspire others somehow, someday and probably at another time. Okay...so I guess this is it! Look out for "Curves Ahead"!! ~Jenny~

I still can’t get over how wonderful and beautiful the quilts from the Home Machine Quilting Show (HMQS) were. You can see pictures from Part 1 and Part 2, and today will be my final round of…

I am FINALLY able to post a progress report on my newest star quilt. I work best on a tight deadline and I desperately want this piece ...

Welcome to my gallery Here you will find many examples of the larger wall art pieces that I have created over time. A lot of these art works have been in exhibitions and art show, some have won pri…

I'm finally "back in the saddle" again and able to start quilting. Boy does it feel good!!! My first priority was to get back on our boutis challenge and I'm excited to share some great progress this week! Since this fragile linen is so wiggly I wanted to make sure my straight lines stayed straight so I stitched thes

Oh how I love to quilt feathers. This was the perfect opportunity for me to load up a quilt with feathers. Look at the tiny 1/2 sq triangles in that one block. They were hand pieced into this top. All 36 into that one block. Wow. MH wanted either feathers or Baptist Fans, and since my BF is done with templates, not a board or a computer, I chose to free hand feathers and do curves in all the smaller triangles on this very large top.. The backing was a beautiful print, but the quilting still showed up nicely. There is a lucky guy out there getting gifted this amazing quilt. I hope he appreciates all the time that has been put into the making of this quilt. The colors and fabrics are gorgeous, one continuous background and then a variety of blues and greens. The greens are very random and really make this pop. If you want hand guided feathers on one of your quilts, please consider me for the quilting. I am quilting full time and can be contacted via my email.  I hope you get some stitching time in this weekend, Sharon

I spent the morning preparing this raffle quilt for machine quilting… 505 Spray Baste……the only way to baste for me Scrappy Binding ready to go… Extra leftover backing fabric for the hanging sleeve… Love the Glide thread! Linen for the top thread… Cream for the bobbin thread… I decided to quilt my big leaf vine on the vertical rows of the quilt with Linen color thread... After the vines are quilted, I will go back in and stitch horizontal lines between the vines. This will press down the background and make the vines pop out… Here are some Big Leaf variations from my Sketch Book: CLICK HERE to view my online Sketch Book I am always happy to share a bit of inspiration with you! CLICK HERE: to see My Quilts May Your Bobbin Always Be Full, LuAnn Kessi

Hello all, Today i am going to continue my investigation into the Provençal Costume by talking about something which may be surprising in such a warm climate, namely, quilted clothing. Quilted clothing is extremely widespread, as far as China, being a practical way to produce warm clothing. There are three garments worn as part of this costume which are sometimes quilted, the corset or bodice, the petticoat, and the skirt. Obviously these are more commonly worn in winter, but the skirt especially is sometimes worn even in warm weather for special occasions, such as weddings. There are two types of 'corset' or bodice worn in Provençe, with a lace up front, or an overlapping front which is pinned shut. The peasant class, the Paisanne, often wears a laced bodice as the sole outer garment, made of a double layer of colored or striped cloth. The Artisanne and the Bastidanne most commonly wear the bodice or corset which is pinned shut across the front. The back has a fold with lacing to adjust the corset to the body and provide support for the torso. This type of bodice/corset is worn over the chemise and under the dress or jacket 'caraco'. The corset is usually white or off-white, made of a double layer of cloth, and often finely quilted. Here is a photo of such a corset. Another similar garment is the petticoat, which in cooler weather is quilted the same way. These garments are made with minimal wadding or none at all, and often show very elaborate geometric and/or floral designs quilted into them. Here are some examples. More surprisingly, perhaps is a skirt worn by the upper class, the 'Bastidanne', which is sewn and quilted just like a comforter, and is considered to be a very formal garment. The normal skirt averages about 4.5 m around, but the quilted skirt runs about 2.6 m. The regular skirt is called 'jupe', but the quilted skirt goes by the special name of 'Cotillon'. Here is a drawing by Lucille Armstrong showing this version of the Provençal Costume. This is more or less the upper class, Bastidanne Costume, except that the sleeves on the jacket are usually longer, and the fichu is normally of whitework. Here is another photograph of a Provençal wedding, with both the bride and groom in the Bastidanne Costume. It is very refreshing to see people maintain their own traditions instead of submitting to the cookie cutter white elephant wedding gown of standard western culture. The woman standing at the left and the man kneeling at the right are both in Paisanne Costume, while the two women standing and kneeling behind the groom are both in Artisanne Costume. If you look closely, you can see that the bride is wearing a quilted 'cotillon'. If the cotillon is made of a printed material, then usually the quilting is made up of a grid of diamonds over the body of the garment, with parallel lines of quilting on the bottom edge. Here are some examples. These skirts are made in a wide variety of colors and print designs. These skirts are made by putting the lining cloth on a stretcher, then placing the wadding on top, and the outer cloth is then quilted by hand on top. The bulk of the texture of the quilting shows on the outside, and the inside is relatively flat. There is a second type of cotillon which is made, in which the surface cloth is of a solid color, often a rich silk. A band of design is inserted between the diamond grid of the body of the cotillon and the parallel pipes of the hem. Here is a photo of the Bastidanne costume including such a cotillon. The solid color of the top cloth enables the quilted design to be seen and appreciated. Those who wish to make more ambitious quilted designs choose to do this. The inserted design varies significantly in width. Here are a couple more examples. Here are some examples of the types of designs which are inserted. Each horizontal band is a separate design. There is yet one more type of cotillon which is sometimes found. Occasionally a girl makes one specifically for her wedding. While the dress for the wedding may be of any color, this particular type is often white. The added design makes a very wide band, but instead of being arranged in bands, the design consists of various images symbolic of a wedding, fruit, flowers, arches, baskets, hearts etc. scattered around the band. Usually this includes the bride-to-be's initials, and can also include inscriptions such as short prayers or 'this skirt belongs to demoiselle X'. These are obviously a lot of work and are often handed down as heirlooms within the family. Here are a couple of examples. I found this tradition of handiwork surprising, and I hope that you find it interesting and inspiring. Let us make and wear things that are not the same as everyone elses. Let us look to the traditions of the past when everyone contributed to the development of traditions. Thank you for reading. Feel free to contact me with requests for research. I hope to eventually cover all of Europe and the Former Russian Empire/Soviet Union. I also gratefully accept tips on source materials which i may not have. I also accept commissions to research/design, sew, and/or embroider costumes or other items for groups or individuals Roman K. :[email protected]. Source Material: Mary Gostelow, 'The Complete International Book of Embroidery', New York, 1977 Rode de Basso Prouvenço, 'Le Costume Populaire Provençal', Aix-en Provençe, 1990 Andre Sainsard, 'Costumes Folkloriques Provinces Françaises', Paris, 1972 Royere, Gardilanne, Moffat et al, 'Les Costumes Regionaux de la France', New York, 1929 Charles-Brun, 'Costumes des Provinces Françaises', Paris, 1937 P. Leroux, 'Costumes Regionaux', Paris, 1940 Nicolette Tennevin & Marie Texier, 'Dances of France II. Provence and Alsace' from the series 'Handbooks of European National Dances', London, 1951

Welcome to my gallery Here you will find many examples of the larger wall art pieces that I have created over time. A lot of these art works have been in exhibitions and art show, some have won pri…

I get so excited about my local guild’s show-it’s always fabulous! Enjoy a peek at this year’s Folsom Quilt and Fiber Guild show: Best of Show, Inger Blood: “A Taste of Tie&…

LuAnn Kessi

When I was in Houston in 2016 my special exhibit was right across the aisle from the beautiful Millefiori exhibit with all the beautiful English paper pieced quilts inspired by Willyne Hammerstein and I became fascinated with English paper piecing. I did a few pieces out of fancy silks but then I began to wonder how

Hello freemotion quilting friends! It is time for the second post on the Wishbone and Ribbon Candy pattern variations. Before I give you some more basic options, let’s look at the big differe…

I am happy to have Cindy Needham, as our June FMQ Expert, for the 2012 Free Motion Quilting challenge. You may recall a previou...

Here's the front of the wholecloth quilt. Not surprisingly, it's practically the same as the back; just with more colour! I love the texture created in this quilt with all the different quilting patterns, and by leaving just a few acrs deliberately unquilted. Some of the patterns are definite fillers, while others were specifically designed for their space. I tried to use as many patterns as possible, and I remember there are over fifty. I did end up repeating some designs, and others I modified ever-so-slightly, such as changing the direction of the lines. A few of the designs didn't quite go as planned, as almost designed themselves as I quilted. A few of the blocks have segments separated by narrow (about 1/4in) strips (as in the block above) and I enjoyed coming up with different fillers for these, too. This quilt was an amazing was to practice filler patterns! A lot of them I came up with myself, but I also used some from Leah Day's project, and others I adapted from existing designs. Oddly enough, in my doodlings earlier in the year, I'd come up with some designs almost identical to some Leah later showed, such as the coffee beans! It was also a good test (mostly successful) of shrinking designs I'd only before stitched on a larger scale. I'm really pleased with how the feathered corners tie the whole thing together. They were all stitched completely freehand, without any marking. Each 'block' finished at about 7.5in square - not surprisingly, the quilting resulted in a lot of shrinkage in this small quilt! It was challenging to photograph this quilt and get the zing of colour to really show. So on a whim, I took a few photos using the Pop-Art setting on my camera. While it made the orange, in particular, rather flourescent, these photos are in many ways a better representation of what the quilt actually looks like! Just indulge me through the last few photos, trying to show as many designs as possible in a small space... I had been concerned when I started planning this quilt that the colour wouldn't be enough, but I'm very pleased with how it come out. I quilted "EBDQS4" into one section of the border; unless you know it's there, it blends into the rest of the quilting pattern: I'm already planning more wholecloth quilts like this. I do take commissions, so please contact me if you are interested.