2012 Free Motion Quilt Challenge-December

Our December challenge tutorial was from Patsy Thompson and was entitled FMQ Borders. And as you can see from the photo above, we did many borders!!!

So before I go into the how of this lesson, I first want to thank SewCalGal for an amazing year of fabulous Free Motion Quilting lessons. How she did this, I will never know!! I do know that it was a lot of time and effort on her part and I thank her from the bottom of my heart.  I will truly miss this in my life!!

THANK-YOU SEWCALGAL!!!


This was a fabulous lesson and it wasn't as quick and easy as I thought it would be. I have spent much time fretting over each border and I still have a bit more to do!!!

The one border I added of my "own" is the diamond one. I actually found a tutorial by Judi Madsen at the Green Fairy blog on how to do a diamond border and wanted to try it out here.

I marked out 1" lines and stitched as above. It was quite easy and came out wonderfully. Then I did a very simple scribble in the triangles between to help the diamonds pop out more.

So I started with a striped fabric thinking that it would be really easy, I then used a thread that did not have enough contrast. So I am not really happy with the way the quilt turned out. Live and learn!!!

I didn't have much fabric to work with. So when I started measuring for all the rows I would need, I realized that there wasn't going to be enough. That is how I ended up with the left and bottom borders. I pieced triangles together!!

I decided on a small stencil for the middle, and then stitched all the borders.

For the first curvy borders it was suggested on using a flexible ruler, which I do not have, yet. So I used freezer paper measured to the exact size of the border and folded. Then cut, pressed on the appropriate border and with my washable marking pen, I was able to easily transfer the design onto the fabric.

Another technique I did, which I learned from Cindy Needham, was to stitch around the border on the seam line of the binding, with water soluble thread. Genius!!! That way, when  I got to the outer borders, I knew where not to cross. But when the binding in sewn on, this thread will simply vanish when the quilt is soaked in water!! Brilliant!!

I still have more of these micro pebbles to do!! To let you in on how big they are, the two rows above are a mere 1/2 inch in size!!

The "kissing" corner!!

close ups!!

This is the last challenge for the year. Many challenges are ahead of me with using what I have learned over this last year. I am eternally grateful for this awesome opportunity and for all the wonder members of our unique quilting group. I look forward to staying in touch with them and learning from each and every one!

Thank-you Patsy Thompson for an awesome tutorial and video. I learned a lot and have become much braver in trying out different border designs!!

Take care everyone, Happy Quilting and keep those needles sharp!!! Martha

Sneak Peak! A new quilting design is in the works!!

This elephant belonged to my Nana. When you walked in her front door, there was a window with inset shelves on the right. This little elephant lived in the window!! I loved this little elephant.

Our youngest son now owns the elephant. It was the one thing he wanted to remember his grandma by. My mom had the elephant for about 28 years after Nana passed away and he remembers him living in the window in the home where I grew up.

So I am going to design a whole cloth quilt with this little elephant as the center design. I can tell you there will be feathers, but not sure what else as the design process is still going on in my mind!!!

Until later friends-Take Care, Happy Quilting and Happy Christmas, and keep those needles sharp!! Martha

Winner of the Traveling Stash Box!!!

And the winner of the Traveling Stash Box is Charlotte at GrammieQ . Congratulations!!! I will be mailing the box out to you this Friday!!! Enjoy all the goodies in it!!

If any visitors here are interested in a chance to receive a Traveling Stash Box, click on the "Click Here" to make your way to the main Headquarters of the Traveling Stash Box at Sewingly Along blog where Cherise is busy keeping track of several boxes!!!. There, you will find out where each box is, how to sign up for a chance to win, and the rules of the game!!! Good Luck and Happy Holidays!!! Martha


Click here!!!

Support Operation Homefront and A Pictorial Tutorial/Half Square Quilt Coaster

I'm participating in SewCalGal's Quilters Christmas Party fund-raiser today to help support Operation Homefront!!

We have had and continue to have family in the military. My father-in-law, Frank Briese, and my dad, Walney Wallace, both served in the Air Force during World War II. I now have two nephews serving in the military, one in the Navy and one in the Army. I am very proud of both.

SewCalGal, a friend of mine, is hosting a Christmas Party for Quilters on December 9th (Sunday-today) with sponsored prizes!  This party will take on two forms:  A virtual party and a physical party in San Diego. I am, of course, participating in the virtual party :^) There are loads of prizes you can win and the cause is heart-warming. Support our injured troops who have come home and their families. Times are so tough for them, and they have given much. This is one way to give back. 

So head on over to SewCalGal's to learn more after you've learned how to make a quilt coaster for yourself or for family and friends!!

Join the Quilters Christmas Party at SewCalGal's and support Operation Homefront!!!

Curious about all the prizes? click here to go to SewCalGals posting on the party and the list of amazing prizes!!!

And, if you'd like to learn more about Operation Homefront, please click here and you will find more information!!

So for my contribution, in addition to donating money, I am posting a simple tutorial on home-made coasters. Mine are holiday coasters, but you can use any fabrics you choose. Making them to go with the decor or personality of the receiver would be awesome!!! They make a wonderful gift for family, friends, or for yourself!!

Everyone drinks something, and having a sweet little coaster, that is washable, to put that cup/mug on to protect surfaces is a wonderful thing!! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays :^)

QUILT COASTERS

You will need for one coaster:
6- 5 inch squares-3 of one print and 3 of another
1- 5 inch square of batting

The directions will be a series of photos! I learn best when I can read and see the instructions-so here we go.

Assemble your 6 5" squares and batting

Fold 2 squares of each of your chosen colors in half on the diagonal and press.

Ready to assemble.

Place color one right side down (wrong side up)

Place batting on top.

Layer color two with wrong side down (right side up) on top of batting.

Continue layering starting with a color one-half triangle-placing the fold in the center- 90 degree corner in upper right corner, line up the edges.

Add color two half square triangle-placing folded edge in center- 90 degree corner in bottom right corner.

Add another color-one half square triangle-fold in center-90 degree corner in bottom left corner.

Add the last color-two half square triangle-fold in center-90 degree corner in the upper left corner.

Pin the right edge, bottom edge, and left edge.

Fold back the right corner of the last half-square triangle to reveal half of the bottom color-one triangle.

Fold back the bottom, color-one, half-square triangle.

Un-fold color-two, half-square triangle, laying it back down in place.

Lay the bottom, color-one, half-square triangle over color-two. Your layered coaster should look similar to this. Pin the top edge.

Your layers, all ready to sew!!

Sew a 1/4" seam all the way around. I am using a regular foot on my machine, but a walking foot would make this a lot easier as you are going through many layers!!!

 Seams sewn and corners clipped!

Be careful not to clip the sewn corners completely off-spoken with experience!!

Reach inside and turn the coaster right sides out.

Ta-Da!!! Work the corners and edges out.

Press flat.

OK, now the real Ta-Da!!!! Done :^)

Several ready for gift giving!!!

Or for me

to use while I am sewing!!!

I hope you enjoyed this simple lesson. If you have any questions, leave me a comment. I will try to get back to you as quickly as I can. We are having a Motorcycle Toy Run today, so I will be busy with that also, need to collect as many toys and we can to give to children in our area!!

Take Care everyone, Happy Quilting, and keep those scissors sharp!! Martha

And the Winner of 6 Fat Quarters and Heartfelt pattern is:

I love these colors together!!! Green/Red/White are not just for Christmas!!! They are lovely year round!!!

I offered a giveaway during the Holiday Lane Blog Hop and tonight I used a random number thingy online, and the winner is: Deb C of Ramblings of an Empty Nester!!

So congratulations Deb C!!!! I will be contacting you with an email and soon this fabulous little grouping and pattern will be on their way to their new home!! :^) Enjoy!!!

The pattern is really cute too!! More fabrics will be required to make this quilt, but how cute would this be in these colors!!

I must say, and I am being very honest, I LOVE FABRIC!!!!!! :^) Yep!!!


Well, almost time for bed, another busy day in the office tomorrow.

So until later, Take Care my friends, Happy Quilting, and keep those scissors sharp!! Martha

The Traveling Stash Box has arrived at my house!!

What is a Traveling Stash Box?  It's a box that's filled with a collection of fabrics, patterns, thread and other quilty fun! When you receive a box you take out what you like, replace it with items from your own stash, hold a giveaway and then send it to the next lucky person.       

I received the box from Quilting Babcia of Amity Quilter!! She held a drawing the other day, and I won!!!

There are oodles of quilting goodies in the box, and I am still contemplating on what I will be taking from the box. I know what I will be putting back in it!! A blue washout pen, a quilting stencil or two(I love stencils!!!), a pink retractable tape measure, and several batik fat quarters. FUN stuff!! I may find a few more things to add, but they will be surprises!!!

If you are interested in winning the box next, just leave me a comment, (you must live in the United States due to postage costs), and I will have a drawing in one week to see who the lucky winner is!!! You can find out more information by clicking on the Traveling Stash Box picture on the upper right column.

Here are most of the items from the stash, there are more!!! Now to pick what I would like to have :^)

Good Luck!!!

Take care everyone, Happy Quilting and keep those seam rippers sharp!!! Martha