And so it begins, sometimes: the vast expanse of a quilt be
fore us, the anxiety of figuring out where to start and what to do feels overwhelming and freezes us in place. We stare at it, wander away, and get a cup of tea, wander back, stare some more. Sound familiar? We’ve all been there. As a teacher of quilting, one of the most frequent questions I get asked is how to get started and how to make the quilting look cohesive. While I can help in class, it is often the “homework” where people get stuck.
There’s a new book out by Amanda Murphy that I think can help. I had the good fortune to meet Amanda at Quilt Market this year and talk about the Free-Motion Quilting Idea Book with her, and think this is a good entry for people looking for help as they “go solo”. Her book (and there’s a Facebook group that is working through the sampler and book together, which you request to join) provides a variety of blocks and a framework of designs that can be adapted and used for them all. After working through it with the sampler add-on, I think it’s a pretty great way to grow in your skills and confidence. The idea is to be able to riff off a core element, like music, growing and adapting that to the quilt blocks before you. I dig it.
The sampler companion quilt, available in addition.
This is guided quilting in the comfort of your own home, which is a pretty great thing! The designs can be as simple or complex as you choose, and are easy to find in two different indices in the back of the book. one other nice thing? It’s spiral bound!
To win a copy, leave a comment below telling me what the scariest quilting project is you’ve tackled (and if you finished it!). For me, the scariest projects are the ones I care the most about. I’ll pick a winner November 12! If you want more chances to win, be sure to follow the other hoppers:
Free-Motion Quilting Idea Book Blog Hop
Happy quilting, y’all!
Quilting a really big quilt with multiple borders and different blocks scares me to death. I’d love to win the book! Thank you.
The scariest quilting I have begun is the project I’m right in the middle of. I did trapunto in an outside border in my embroidery hoop and now it’s on my Grace frame with my Bernina 830 and using the BSR foot to tiny stippling around the trapunto. I’ve seen photos of this, but this is the first time I’ve tried it. Thanks for the offer of a free book!
The scariest was my very first quilt. I used a MSQ design and “It’s a Bug’s Life” fabric, then went wild with really wide borders. It resulted in a HUGE quilt. It’s pin basted, and I’ve stitched in the ditch around the blocks, as well as some FMQ in a few other blocks. Otherwise, it isn’t finished. I used it to learn a few quilting skills, then moved on to the baby quilts I really wanted to do for my anticipated grand-niece & grand-nephew. In the meantime, that quilt remains folded, waiting for me to come back to it someday. (Along with several other quilt tops. I seem to finish a quilt top & lose interest in finishing. Can you say SQUIRREL!?!)
The scariest project I worked on was a 50th anniversary wall hanging for my in-laws. It was appliqued with a heart wreath with was fun and easy, but the scary part was deciding how to free motion quilt the wall hanging. I finally decided on what to do and it turned out beautifully, just in time for their party!
I think they are all scary! I never know for sure what to do, and too often I end up with a boring stipple because I don’t have the time to practice new techniques. Would love to win this book and get inspiration!
I quilted a queen size quilt for my mother0-in-law’s 80th birthday. It was a bear and I only did the simplest stitch in the ditch.
Honestly I’m scared whenever it comes time to quilt! All of the time and effort into the piecing and I’m terrified I’ll quilt it all wrong and ruin a top.
All quilting scares me! I feel that I am just beginning my quilting journey but I have started to tackle Ricky Tims’ Lady of Shalott. My FMQ is just not up-to-par and even though Ricky has great ideas and help, I’m still struggling. I may just have to ‘do’ what will comfortable to me.
I’m in the process of learning FMQ…still on the meander. I am terrified that I’m going to ruin my tops that I have slaved over with cruddy quilting. What do I do???? Buy this book!
I’m making a quilt for a special four-year old and what is scary for me is that I’ll be quilting it myself. There is a lot of open space and so my quilting will really show up and I so want to do a good job.
I sure wish I could say “nuthin” scares me, but it’s when I’m working with expensive, designer fabrics that give me the heebie-jeebies. I’m so afraid of messing up, and then it takes me twice as long to complete the project. Its’ certainly been a learning curve!
Scariest thing is time to quilt any quilt…have only done Stitch in the Ditch, or Outlining a big print…small bit of Stipple stitching…but am new at it …and such a chicken! :/
Thanks for chance to win this AWESOME book!! Know it would sure be a help for me! 🙂
Hi I recently did a Diamond Block Quilt, as a beginner this was a first! It was a little scary but turned out well. Thanks for the Hop and sharing a neat book giveaway !
I think my scariest was my first large quilt: a twin size one for my daughter. It was probably more ambitious than I should have started with, but I finally finished it!! There was lots of echo quilting around the motifs in the fabric and it seemed to take forever to finish!! 🙂
I made a quilt for a friend’s 60th birthday last year. It was the biggest quilt I’ve made, and yes I finished it.
My scariest project was making a wall quilt to hand in the sanctuary of our church. Knowing it would be there to be looked at for years made me nervous about doing it well. Thanks for the chance to win this great book. I certainly need to improve my skills!
Carol Doak’s 50 paper pieced stars. I did it twice, it was easier the second time.
The scariest one for me is the one I haven’t done yet, a hand-pieced Quilted Diamonds that I began 11 years ago and haven’t had the courage to sandwich and quilt yet! I no longer do hand piecing or hand quilting, and the tiny little blocks that I spent so much time piecing just terrify me! What to do in each of them? And of course, they can’t all be quilted with a simple all-over pattern – it just wouldn’t do them justice. So I’m hoping this book can help. Thanks for the chance to win it!
I think the scariest things are the things I plan and create without a pattern, or things that I really alter from the original.
I am still on pot holders. I am afraid of a full sized quilt.
Hi, I recently was given a “first quilt” to complete. It was a hand-pieced, Lone Star with a very poufy middle (“Double D Cup”) and borders that were all different sizes. My longarm group recommended extra batting in the center, a circular design in the middle, slowing down my quilting and prayer! I was able to employ all 4 suggestions and it turned out beautifully. The piecer was pleased.
My scariest quilt was a king size quilt that was a BOM style quilt that had been sitting for 2 years while I tried to get good enough on my used HQ16 that I purchased to feel confident enough to even attempt it. It really needed a true custom style design and it was so difficult determining how to quilt each block. I finally finished it a few weeks ago and I’m amazed at how well it turned out. It’s not perfect but, it’s mine and completed completely by me. I always need inspiration and ideas and would love this book.
My scariest quilting project was a small quilt for a national contest – my first foray into a large contest. I did finish it and won second place, so that was an incentive to keep quilting! Each quilt is a new challenge, and I would love to have Amanda’s book for new ideas.
I decided to make a friends wife a quilt, by the time colors got told to me, the quilt became bigger and I was scared of it getting out of my abilities.
Quilts with curves scare me – I’ve started one but I haven’t finished it!!
My scariest quilt was a quilt for a young friend. I wanted to custom quilt each block and I wasn’t sure what to quilt. But, I finally just started quilting and when I finished it, I was very happy. This book looks like a great reference book.
I have started free motion quilting and love it.the big quilts are the scariest
I think you’re right about the scariest thing being the ones you care the most about. I always hesitate to even start quilting a quilt sometimes as I don’t want to mess it up, and worst of all, I don’t want to have to unsew!
So far my scariest project has been working with curved piecing, but that went well. Now I want to try a medallion quilt with a paper pieced center.
I started a block of the month using a lot of templates and with virtually no extra fabric in case of mistakes. Don’t remember the name of the quilt, but it was complicated for me and I was paralyzed by the thought of making a mis-cut and not having enough fabric. It isn’t finished. Maybe some day.
My scariest was a Halloween quilt! 😉 But approaching any quilting is always apprehensive for me!
The scariest quilting project I ever started was one for my husband. I was a newly wed when I started it and I was hand quilting a king size quilt with a lot of open spaces and of course I was very new to quilting. It was my third quilt and the other two were small baby quilts. I got about a quarter of the way done and had to put it a side in order to learn machine quilting. I am fair at machine quilting, I just need to practice more frequently. I have been happily married now for twenty two years and my very patience husband is still waiting for his quilt. I do have intentions to finish his quilt. Thanks
Volunteering to quilt a raffle quilt for the ladies of a local Woman’s Club. They put so much into the piecing and the proceeds will go towards college scholarships … and they trusted me to finish it. Yikes! (Fortunately, it turned out well and they loved it!)
The most scary quilt was the one I made for my grandmother. I am not in my twenties… so my grandmother is really old lady. I’ve never had made a quilt for her, and all the time I was sewing and quilting I was afraid I would not be fast enouhg to give it to her. Luckilly I gave it and she still can enjoy using it
My scariest quilt is one of my first – a fly-by-the-seat-of the-pants-design done in corduroy and it is huge. Haven’t yet started the quilting but need to get it done as the recipient is getting up there in years too! The book looks like a great way to learn some basics.
My scariest quilt was the biggest quilt that I’ve ever quilted on my Bernina. It was tough to get all that fabric bunched up and through the arm of the machine but I did it. Some of the curves weren’t very smooth but I did get it done!
The scariest quilt is whichever one I’m working on. 😉 The reason this book appeals to me is that it breaks the blocks down into manageable pieces. I’d love to read it and put things into action.
I think that sometimes I’m not scared of things I probably should be. I’ll bite off more than I can chew sometimes, but always with the attitude that I’ll figure it out or I’ll figure out MY own way to do something. As a kid, I used to take things apart with no idea of how to put them back together. Quilting at least involves putting things together. I must admist FMQ is kind of scary to me. But not as scary as my first effort at hand quilting was — a baby whole cloth quilt, which still remains unfinished!
The scariest quilt is the one I finished last month. It had appliques on it–a first for me. Even though they were raw-edge, machine applique, I was frightened over how to quilt them. In the end, I think the quilt turned out beautifully. thanks for the opportunity. I hope I win this great book.
What I find most scary is when I am in the middle of a project that has been going on well. Trouble free piecing, beautiful quilting so far… I fear that the ‘smoothness’ of the project will end suddenly .
Sandra
My first quilt is my scariest. I have the top done, but I’m getting up my nerve to try FMQ! Thanks for the chance to win
The scariest quilt I made was one for my grandson. It was a double Irish Chain and was supposed to be lap sized. It turned out to be full sized with the borders. I quilted it on my sewing machine, using echo quilting on the main part of the quilt and a rope like chain on each of the 3 borders. I still need to bind it.
Free motion quilt a bed size quilt .
The scariest was A snowman wool applique quilt. I used a loop de loop around the snowmen and was so afraid I would ruin the quilt. Thanks for the chance!
The scariest project I’ve done was many years ago when I decided to make a wall hanging that was all needleturn applique and had lots of small pieces. I hadn’t done much needleturn at that time. Once I convinced myself to use the “how do you eat an elephant?” method (one bite at a time) it worked out fine and I learned a lot. Nowadays I don’t get intimidated by too many projects — I have a seam ripper and more fabric so I can re-do things that don’t work out.
For me, the scariest was when I decided to make a double wedding ring quilt for my niece’s wedding. I started making all the little pieces of the rings with a template, but when I went to put it together, nothing fit right! Then I saw the quick curve ruler and the patterns I could make with it. I’ve made two different ones with it, and they came out beautiful!
I tried to make a double wedding ring and finally gave up.
My scariest projects have been the ones I’ve made for someone else, the most recent was a wedding gift for my sister-in-law. It had y-seams and borders which were firsts for me.
I don’t know if I would call it scary, but I am in the middle of quilting the Moda Modern Building Blocks quilt (expanded with extra 6 inch blocks) on my Bernina 750. It is definitely the most intimidating and daunting quilt I’ve done. I made the quilt in solids specifically to push my FMQ skills and make the quilting a major design element of the quilt. For me that means trying out different quilting styles and contrasting thread colors. There is definitely a lot of “just look at it for a bit” time involved and more than a few reminders of “No guts, no glory!”.
You’re right, the scariest ar the ones that mean so much, as gifts
One of the hardest tops was from Thimble Creek with lots of little pieces. Beautiful when done. I think I did mostly in the ditch quilting as the piecing was the star. Working more on expanding the quilting lately
Six months after taking a beginner quilting class, I began working on a king size for my daughter’s wedding. Looking back, it was a good thing I didn’t know more or I probably wouldn’t have attempted it! I machine appliquéd for the first time, enlarged a throw size pattern to a king, FMQed (for the first time!) each block, and then used Leah Day’s method to join the quilted blocks. It still wasn’t big enough so I added a piano key border. I finished stitching the binding 2 days before we drove from Houston to California for the wedding. My daughter cried when she saw it so it was all worthwhile! Now I realize that was the scariest thing I’ve done so I can do anything now! Would love to win this book to help me on the way to my next daughters wedding this July!
My scariest quilt was one I finished for my daughter last year. It was full size and had lots of solids that really showed my quilting. Took quite awhile to figure out how I was going to quilt it. She loves it and that is the best part!
As a beginner, I find most quilts pretty intimidating. I’ve decided to stick to small things–I’ve been seeing a lot of mini minis, but maybe they’re too small for me 🙂
My scariest project was one we needed to put together with blocks from my sister’s 6th grade students.
It wasn’t the hardest but I made a quilt that hung at Quilt Market. Every stitch was a worry. I felt everything had to be perfect and it wasn’t. But, I think I’m the only one who noticed. At least I hope so. Thanks.
I am currently tackling quilting a t-shirt quilt for a work friend. It’s using jerseys and t-shirts from her son’s baseball teams in little league and high school. I am so afraid I’ll mess it up or she won’t like it!
Not sure this is the scariest, but a memory art quilt for my mother. I actually have the tops together, but set it aside, as I felt my free-motion quilting skills and threadplay skills were not where I wanted to finish it. So, it is an UFO waiting for FMQ.I really do just need to go for it.
QuiltShopGal
http://www.quiltshopgal.com
The bigger, the scarier! I also struggle with really intricate designs, or quilts with lots of different blocks. I quilted a king sized storm at sea/snail trails quilt for my parents once. Whew! It was definitely a labor of love!
I once made a quilt with large hexagons. All my prior FMQ experience had been on shapes based fundamentally on quadrilaterals. I was stumped until I saw the design on a Kleenex box – there was a perfect diamond-based design that I could adapt to my hexagons! Yes, I completed the quilt and donated it to my local quilt guild’s charity project to provide teens about to graduate out of foster care with a bed quilt of their own. It was in reds, golds, blacks, rusts, olive greens …. hopefully some young man feels warmth & love when he snuggles in bed under it.
My scariest project is the one I have yet to tackle. It’s a very traditional pinwheel pattern quilt. I know I want feathers in the borders but beyond that, I’m stumped. My style is more modern and I really want to the quilting to reflect the more traditional pattern of the quilt.
I’m working on a quilt for my daughter and her new husband. It’s for Christmas and I’m no where near done. If you pray say one for me finishing this on time.
i have a hand appliqued, 30’s fabrics hearts with a blue daisy sashing. i love the quilt and i am afraid to quilt it and can’t afford to have it quilted. It is just one of my MANY UFO’s!!
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