FMQ Challenge February

Sooo, this months challenge is feathers! My initial thought? Are they crazy!!! I can´t do feathers!!! There is no way I can ever do feathers!!!
This challenge really scared the heck out of me, I have to admit that. But I took the pledge, so I have to try, right=) I really liked the tutorial by Diane Gaudynski, lots of pictures and really great explanations. She also gave some really good tips on how to solve common problems.

I started by drawing the design on paper. I always do that to get a feel for the design before I mess up my quilt...=)

This is NOT my first atempt...more like the 30th, and I still can´t get it to look the way I want it to. But sooner or later I had to get to the sewing. I was so intimidated by this design I forgot to pick up speed, so my stitches are about a mile long...

And it´s really wonky! An hour later it´s still wonky, but the stitches are better.

The echoing is really difficult to me, it gets wonky and uneven. And for some reason my feathers end up really long, when I want them to be compact and chubby. But I do see an improvement after just one hour, so I really feel that given enough practice I could master this too=) I´ll have to get back to this design when I have more time.

Take care,
Åsa

For charity

Last week I finally got around to donating a bunch of babyquilts to charity. They were all sewn last year, but they kind of got stuck in my closet for a while=) My plan is to donate 20 babyquilts this year, so these are the first ten.

I´m going to use this project to finish up my scraps and practice my freemotion quilting, and do some good in the process=)

Take care,

Åsa

2012 FMQ Challenge

I´ve decided to work on my FMQ skills this year, and will try to keep up with the challenge at Insights from SewCalGal. The januari challenge was a leaf design taught by Frances Moore. After practicing the design on paper a number of times, this is my first atempt at sewing:

I have to say I´m plesantly surprised! My FMQ has never looked this good on a first try...ever... There´s still the issue of stitchlength, I have a problem with speed/motion, but I feel it will work itself out given enough practice. I really enjoyed this design, and I would recomend this tutorial to anyone who wants to learn.

I decided not to do the sampler, but try to use the designs for things I´m sewing anyway. Sooo...in time this will become a couple of zippered puches...maybe I´ll find the time later this week=)



Anyway, I really enjoyed the first month of the FMQ Challenge, and I´m exited to see what February will bring=)

Take care,

Åsa

I´m joining a Finish-a-long

I´m joining the Finish-A-Long at Quilter in the Gap this quarter. What a great idea!!! Heaven knows I have enough UFOs piled around my home, so hopefully this will get me going on finishing a few=) Here is my ambition for the next quarter...

This quilt top has been waiting for 3-4 years to be finished. It needs to be basted, quilted and bound, and then it will be sent to a charity project in Africa.

Bullseye blocks from a swap - also years ago. Should make two babyquilts, and they will also find new homes in Africa.

Pinwheels - I honestly don´t remember making these at all, so either it´s a long time ago, or I´m getting old... Again for the African charity.

The fabrics for this quilt were cut about six months ago, and then I got distracted by something and didn´t get around to piecing it. I´m useing a free pattern from Moda Bake Shop, Sweet Menagerie by Roslyn Mirrington. I think it will make a great birthday present for my cousin.

Two aprons - all cut, only the sewing left=). The Emmeline Apron by Sew Liberated.

The list feels a bit overwhelming right now, but once I get started I think I can get it all done. The plan is to make a BIG dent in the UFO pile, right=)

Take care

Åsa

Starting up!

Hi!
I´m Åsa, from Linköping, Sweden. I´m honestly a bit intimidated by all the talent of the quilters out there in blogland, but I still decided to step out of my sewingnook and give bloging a go. I have a lot to learn and quite a few skills to improve, so I am taking on some challenges this year (bloging being one of them, actually=) ).
I´m taking on the FMQ Challenge at Insights from SewCalGal - I really suck at FMQ, so theres much improvement to be made. The only way is up, right=).

There´s also the Finish-A-Long at Quilter in the Gap - I have more than my share of UFOs, and I´m hoping to finish quite a few over the year.

Let´s see if I can manage to get a picture in here too...

This quilt was a christmas present for my cousin. It made a huge dent in my blue stash=). It is the Road to Tennessee, by Mary Lane Brown, a free pattern from Moda Bake Shop.

I also gifted a few potholders for christmas. Machine-embroidery on linnen.

That´s it for my very first blog post!

Take care

Åsa