Monday, December 5, 2011

Finally a few finishes

They aren’t big finishes, but they are UFO’s from the summer so I’m feeling like I accomplished something.
IMG_5298Here’s a runner made with leftover units (plus a few extra) from the table runner and placemats I made for Mom.  I have now officially used up all these fabrics.
I practiced a bit of freemotion quilting in the white areas, stitching along a tear-away paper template.  Oddly enough, the earliest bits had the tidiest design.  As I kept quilting the stitch length became more regular (yay!) but the design got more wobbly…go figure.  The rest of the runner has straight line quilting because all the FMQ designs I tried looked messy against those bold prints.  I decided that just because I can FMQ a bit, it doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for every piece.
IMG_5300
IMG_5283A second set of placemats and runners, which I actually started first, stalled out in June but is now almost done I just have to finish stitching the binding to the back of 3 of the placemats.  The runners – one wide and one skinny – are finished. I couldn’t get a good photo of the whole length, but you get the idea.
The feathers are hooked feathers with no backtracking.  This was my first effort and not at all as regular as I wanted, but overall I like the texture it gives the runner.  I hesitated before trying these feathers on an actual piece instead of a practice sandwich, but I can only do so many practice sandwiches before I get bored.  I had to start “for real” sometime!
IMG_5311Again, I freemotioned the white bits and stitched straight lines elsewhere.  Of course I only came to that decision after I had covered one placemat in an all-over pattern and stepped back.  I solicited other opinions, let it sit for a few days to see if it would improve with age, then used up a couple of hours of my life unpicking all those stitches.  The triple diagonal lines in a single direction look much tidier. 



Next up, tackling Whimsy’s wavy borders.  I will finish that quilt yet!  Somewhere along the way I’ll also finish hand quilting the leaf quilt you see in my banner.  I thought I’d have that done by the end of October, or November at the latest.  Hmm, yes, well, that would have required me to consistently quilt one leaf block most evenings, and I have not been even close to consistent.  Ah well, this quilt is for me, with no deadlines, so it will get done when it gets done.

6 comments:

  1. Gorgeous runners! I really like the fabric/colour combinations. Your FMQ looks good too. I'm just starting to try out feathers - they're a bit daunting. ann :-)

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  2. Your free motion looks great to me! Wish I could do half that well! I'm too fearful to even try very much, but I guess if I want to learn, I'll have to make the effort! All those runners are very pretty. I'm having quilting withdrawal symptoms! Christmas is interrupting everything! Oh, but I love it! So---until January, no quilting for me! ---"Love"

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  3. What great finishes! The motifs in the first table runner are amazing and I love the feathers in the second.

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  4. Had to chuckle while reading your post. Sounded just like me, I have challenged myself to finish 4 quilting projects. One has be sandwiched for almost 2 years, yikes!! You did a fantastic job on all the quilting, inspired me. Thank you:) Take care.

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  5. Very pretty table runners.Your FMQ looks great. I like the hooked feathers. I bought the book a few months ago but haven't been able to pluck up the courage to do it for real. Seeing how nice they look on your table runner I'm inspired to give them a go after Christmas!

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  6. Your free motion quilting is beautiful!! I'm always so daunted by it. Nice work! :)

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