Baby snoopy quilt - FMQ

My great nephew Errol was born in March 2013 in Toronto. His baby snoopy quilt was the ideal place to practice the quilting designs learned in Sew Cal Gal's 2012 FMQ challenge.

The large centre rectangles are the jesters' hats design.

 The yellow slashing is a feather plume with a spriral end.

 The two inch square blue and green four patches are a free hand spiral.

 I used yellow thread for the feathers, blue for the Jesters' hats and spirals.

The backing is 100% cotton baby blue sheeting that is sixty inches wide.

 

The feathers' centre line was marked using a sewline ceramic pencil and a flexiruler.

 

 

 When I make feathers, I stitch the centre line first, then one side of feather plume. 

Next I stitch back down the centre line, make the spiral end of the stem and stitch up the remaining side of the feather.  There are other ways to do feathers, but this method works well for me.

 

 

 

 The inside white border is heart shaped leaves.

 These are quick, easy and fun to stitch.

 

 

The outside blue border is a running spiral design.

 

 

 

I completed the binding, embroidering baby's name, my initials and the year.  Now, I'm off to make a matching toy bag to pack the quilt in before mailing it Toronto.  Happy quilting all.

SewCalGal FMQ Challenge Nov. 2012

Wow, is this late!  It's 10:31 p.m. on 11/30/2012 and I'm just now posting my www.SewCalGal.blogspot.com November results:

Lots of practice first with pencil and paper, though...plus I do have more practice squares waiting (getting ready for the holidays simply got in the way this time!)

Thanks to both SewCalGal and Sarah Vedeler, the November FMQ Expert and her wonderful tutorial. 

I loved the swirls and realized that if I trusted myself to relax and go quickly, it would go well...and it did!

Thanks to all those who tried and advised, too!

All the Best,

@

Seth's Zoo Animals Quilt is finished!

This quilt measures 62.5 inches by 55 inches, large enough for a toddler bed.

The white slashing is quilted with heart shaped leaves using Marathon polyester thread that looks and feels like quilting cotton thread.

The binding is 100% polyester rip stop nylon.

Instead of handing stitching the binding in place, I used a three stitch zig zag with variegated thread which gives the binding a lovely texture. 

 My initials and year.

The zoo animal print in the middle was stitched with 100% polyester variegated thread using the jesters' hats design.

 The back side is pieced lime green, red and yellow.

For more photos and details please check out my Seth's quilt on my blog. November's challenge is spirals..my next quilting project.

Happy stitching all.

SewCalGal 2012 FMQ Challenge Bonus #3 Diane Loomis

I am so very pleased with how this turned out.  Thank you to SewCalGal for hosting the 2012 FMQ Challenge and to Diane Loomis, who so graciously provided every single step to ensure near perfection.  What a fantastic teacher!  Never before have I been able to create such a beautiful piece - if I never make anything nicer in my entire life, I'll be satisfied.  :-)

Steps to Success:

1.  Purchased Hari Walner's book "Exploring Machine Trapunto:  New Dimensions" upon Diane Loomis' recommendation:

2.  Used a Frixion pen for the first time - the ability for fine detail was very important here for the sometimes tiny feathers:

3.  Used a light box to trace onto the fabric with my new Frixion pen 

4.  Read Hari Walner's informative book and along with Diane's instructions, also followed Hari's:

5.  Utilized "Vanish Extra" wash-away thread in the top, but used Guettermann cotton thread in the bobbin:

6.  Set my tension to 2.2 for the fine wash-away thread:

7.  Used a small scissors very carefully to clear away the excess wool batting:

8.  Switched to Guettermann embroidery thread in top and cotton bobbin thread once I prepared the quilt sandwich:

9.  And here 'she' is!

This time, I quilted very slowly...much more so than I ever had before.  

Do you like it?

Keep working on your goal - it took me two full years of summers and weekends to get this far!  

Best Wishes,