You always hear “Practice Makes Perfect” well after practicing FMQ flowers all day on Saturday I decided that Perfect is BORING! It is the little variations that make each flower special!
I started trying to just make a flower and not having a clue what I was doing and finally I decided I was making this too difficult and there was no reason to re-invent the wheel. I remembered a friend telling me she watches Leah Day videos and then uses the techniques in her quilts, so I headed to The Free Motion Quilting Project and found a flower pattern that I liked and looked totally doable for my beginner set of FMQ skills. I chose the Sunflower pattern and then scaled it back a bit because I was working with much smaller squares.
Here’s where I started – the fabric is muslin with batting in between. I always have muslin on hand because I like to use it as a quilt back, the scraps work great for FMQ practice!
I decided I was finally getting the hang of it, no, they were not perfect, but they were pretty, and after all, perfect is boring. I just went for it! On Sunday I quilted the Chemo Quilt for my mom. I plan to give it to her for Mother’s Day, she will be up here 2 weeks after which means I get to give it to her in person. Here’s how a few of the flowers turned out! (The yellow and orange fabric is the backing.)
I’m so happy I took the plunge and went for it. No two flowers in nature are exactly the same and I love how these turned out. Do you practice before you start quilting?
I do a practice run to make sure my tension is good and then I take the plunge with both feet and try not too look back. :o)
These are great! I have always admired people who can free-motion quilt. I’m pretty much a straight-lines kind of girl, and frankly, even they don’t look so hot on the back… Those flowers are really cool 🙂
Perfect IS boring because I love your flowers! I’m going to keep this in mind.
I have done a lot of FMQ flowers. It is very good to remember that no two are a like. I love making each one have its own personality.
Love what you did, Melissa! Your work has character, I totally agree, perfect is boring! XXX
Great Looking flowers!!
The are amazing! I love them! 🙂
your flowers are wonderful. I have not done FMQ yet. Havent had time yet for quilting this month. Hope to soon.
LOL I never practice, just wing it. I guess I should practice tho and get better…. 🙂
Looks beautiful and sure she will be delighted,
Here we celebrate Mother`s Day the first Sunday of May.
Guess what? They aren’t all exactly the same in nature, either! I think you did a great job. I have to admit, I didn’t practice much after the first month of longarm ownership. I used that month to work on sheets, and afterward I worked on charity projects. I heard a lot of people talk about having a warm-up piece pinned on the frame next to the quilt, but I never did. If I wanted to try a new design, I generally just did another charity quilt. =) I know someone who practices on a lot of dog pillows, though.
I need to go check out the FMQ Project. There is no such thing as perfect & beauty is in the eye of the beholder! And this beholder thinks your flowers are pretty as the real thing! I should know,since I grow them every year 😉
Just did some meandering FMQ on my row quilt last night,didn’t practice,just jumped in pedal to the metal 🙂
Thank you! I was wanting to quilt my niece’s quilt with daisies and this close to what I was thinking of doing.
I love it! I’ve checked out Leah Day’s FMQ project before, but then I chicken out. Yours look great, and you’ve inspired me to give it a try. Thanks 🙂
BEAUTIFUL!!!! 🙂
Yes, I sure do warm up. Some days I don’t get past ‘warming up’.
You did an amazing job. Good for you. Your Mom will love it.
Beautiful flowers and I agree…..perfect is boring! Sometimes I practice….just depends on what I’m working on. Your mom is going to love this!
Practice?! Now there’s a thought lol I just charge on in, and only if it’s really, really bad do I get the seam ripper out. In fact I’ve only once ripped quilting out, and that was because it just wasn’t right for what I was doing!
Your flowers looks amazing! I’ve never tried free motion… (never tried quilting too) and your flowers make me wanna try 🙂
Tx for sharing,
MammaNene
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