Please join me in February for my tuturial for the Free Motion Quilting Challenge that SewCalGal is presenting on her blog. Our hope is to get everyone quilting, not just "topping"!
My tutorial will be the feathered plume, above. Later in the year you will learn backgrounds and fills, or you may already know some that can be used to fill in around the plume. I explain how to quilt one plume, give you options on branching it or adding smaller plumes around it to fill your space, an 8" square.
Once you get the hang of this very forgiving design, you can do all sorts of original feather designs, or use stencil designs with this "echo" technique if you do not enjoy freehand work.
Anita Shackleford's "Infinite Feathers" Template of various sizes of the feather shape is available at www.thimbleworks.com and works very well. It also gives you curved lines to trace for the center of the plume if you need that as well or want them all to be the same.
A set of various sized feather shapes to trace by June Tailor is also available at fabric, quilt, and craft stores. They come on a key ring.
My tutorial will be available online for one month, so please print it if you need it for future reference.
Don't put it off. Start quilting now and by the end of the year your expertise will have increased and you will be able to finish those beautiful tops with quilting that measures up.
My thanks and kudos to SewCalGal for this project. I hope all of you enjoy it and get beautiful plumes by the end of the month, and better quilting by the end of the year! Each one of us who is giving you a tutorial will provide you with different information, insights, point of view, and all of that variety and richness will give you great input for your own work.
Click on the link below for all the information, and keep quilting, your work gets better every day.
Diane
Quilter Blogs & Store Search
22 comments:
I am so looking forward to your tutorial and all the rest to come this year - yay!
Can't wait! I admire your work so much.
So looking forward to your tutorial. I have been a devout follower of yours for some years now...you have already helped me no end...
Thanks WCN and Linda! I hope the entire challenge will be great for you. It was fun to participate.
I hope even if you are experienced in feathers, some of the tips I give in this tutuorial will be helpful. Beginners can do this, more experienced plumers will zip right through and make something in their own style.
Diane, I've long admired your quilting style (though I have to admit my color taste is quite different ), and I can hardly wait for your tutorial. I see that we'll need a sampler pack of Aurifil threads; can you tell me which sampler pack that might be?
Thanks so much!
I am not sure what SewCalGal recommended for you, but I prefer for machine quilting and bobbins the Aurifil #50 long staple Egyptian cottons, on orange cones/spindles. They work great and you will USE these forever.
One of the most important things is to quilt, even PRACTICE, on color/with color that YOU love. Pick your favorites for this. Muslin is great for that first try, to get the hang of it, but go directly to real fabric, in colors you die for. Really.
It would be a very dull world if we all preferred the same colors!
Ooooh....I can't wait to see that!
I look forward to the February presentation, I like to be a very pen stapling machine like shape
February can't come soon enough! I fell in love with feathers after seeing your work. Your books have been very helpful - this tutorial will be the icing on the cake!
My ambition in quilting is to be able to make feathers like yours I know that almost impossible but it won't be for the lack of trying, I am so looking forward to next week.
Yaaaaaaay! I can't wait until Feb!
I think you will all do great, and thanks for your nice comments. There are definitely tricks to make feathers look their best, and I'll be adding to my blog post here on this blog to help everyone fine tune them. Can't wait to see how you all do..... :-)
Ooooo, I'm finding it very hard to contain my excitement! Thank you for this, Diane! I am looking forward to next month sew very much!!
Thanks in advance for taking the time to teach so many of us. Your tutorial on feathers is just what many of us had been wishing for in this FMQ Challenge. We're looking forward to this!
Pat - just east of the Coast Range
Thank you!!
Диана, у вас замечательные работы, очень хочется поскорее заглянуть в ваш учебник и научиться такой великолепной стежке перьями!
С уважением, Елена
I am also looking forward to learning and practicing feathers. I have a UFO that needs them, and I wanted to thank you for your upcoming lessons and insight. I'm so glad SewCal Gal is organizing this, and that so many outstanding quilters have offered to share their skills. Thanks!!!
Your FMQ pictures are exquisite. I am so looking forward to your tutorial. With each tutorial that is given on the FMQ challenge, I know that I will gain increasing knowledge and confidence. Thank you for contributing of your time and expertise.
Oh feathers! So excited.
Am really excited about this month,s challenge . Looking so forward to your feathers. I am awestruck by the Beaty of your quilting. Thanks for taking the time. Mary Ann
I made the mistake of viewing your tutorial before going to work. Now I want to skip work and get busy practicing. Feathers are my downfall but I will prevail.
Thank you for a great lesson.
Post a Comment