If you have a little time for a cup of coffee, check out this fabulous video by Master Quilter, Sharon Schamber. It is offered until December 15th by The Quilt Show.
Enjoy!
Lori
Free Motion Quilted Christmas Table Runner
I am stitching a few Christmas projects to give as gifts this year.
In this small quilt, I used The Holly Leaf tutorial from yesterday and added a handwritten greeting.
I love cursive handwriting on quilts…read more HERE
This is a small quilt…I think it will look great with a small vase of red berries…
The countdown to Christmas begins! (35 days left)
Are you working on any holiday gifts?
HO-HO-Holly,
Lori
The Holly Leaf-A Free Motion Quilting Tutorial
Merry Tuesday Quilters! Welcome new followers AND faithful friends! We glad you made it here in time for the Christmas whirlwind of free motion quilting tutorials and fun! With just five weeks until Christmas, we better get started on our holiday projects!
We are going to keep you busy here at The Inbox Jaunt --I’ve got more than sugarplums dancing in my head! We’ll be working on candy cane striping, pine boughs, snowflakes, ornaments and much more…
Today, we’ll start with the most iconic of Christmas motifs, The Holly Leaf.
Begin by drawing three lines, equidistant apart. In the sample below, the “rails” are one inch apart.
Begin stitching on the center rail. Stitch a curved line up and to the left rail. Make a sharp point and stitch a curved line, finishing again on the left rail.
Stitch a slightly curved line and stop on the center rail.
Stitch the right side of the Holly Leaf
Return to the starting point–but leave a small space as an “escape”–where you can later stitch out of the leaf without stitching over another line.
From the bottom of the leaf, echo back around the Holly Leaf–Do this by stitching on the INSIDE of the leaf.
When you reach the bottom of the leaf, stitch up and through the tip of the leaf to begin the next Holly Leaf in the chain.
When you have completed the entire row of Holly Leaves, stitch back through the center of the leaves and add a few berries and ribbons.
For a beautiful ribbon-effect add spirals as filler around the leaves to fill in the margins. The Spirals are reminiscent of holly berries and give it a very festive look.
A row of Holly Berries would look lovely down the center of a table runner for your Christmas feast or a few leaves would look lovely in the corner of a dinner napkin.
Whether you are stitching on a long arm or on a domestic sewing machine like I do -(I stitch on a Bernina 820 or Bernina 150.) -this pattern is easy–a Beginner Pattern. I stitched this on Kona cotton with Aurifil 50 wt in the bobbin and Sulky 45wt in the top. I used a Schmetz 80 Universal needle.
Check in tomorrow–I have a small project that includes these gorgeous leaves and on Open Line Friday this week we’ll be discussing how to squeeze in a little quilting time during this busy season!
From my workshop to yours,
Lori
PS–Please tell your friends about us! Use snail mail, telephone, e-mail, text, Pinterest, Twitter, pigeon, Bing…
Just remember this is for personal use only…all images and tutorials are the property of Lori Kennedy. Commercial use requires permission from the author.
Free Motion Quilting–Barefoot is Best!
Have you ever heard of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson? He was a famous American baseball player who doffed his cleats once because they gave him blisters–earning him his famous moniker.
What about the Barefoot Running craze? Though scientific research has yet to reach a consensus on the benefits of barefoot running–many runners have embraced this practice.
Quilters, it’s time to start our own fad–Barefoot Quilting! Sewing barefoot gives you more precise control as you free motion quilt. So the next time YOU step up to the plate, kick off those shoes and add a little more “free” to your free-motion quilting!
PS–One reader warns that if you are using an older model sewing machine with a metal foot pedal–this may not be advisable!
Lori
Silent Sunday
What Made You Laugh This Week?
My daughter sends me a little joke or funny video every day. Thanks, Olivia–for making me smile!
Did anyone tell YOU a corny joke you’d like to share?
We’d love to hear it!
Happy Saturday, Everyone!
Lori
How to Choose a Needle for Free Motion Quilting
Are you confused about the myriad of needles available today? Do you have a system for choosing your needle for each project? Or, do you use whichever needle is already in your sewing machine?
If you are confused about needle selection, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Today, on Open Line Friday, we will begin our discussion of needles. We are looking for everyone’s input on this important topic-so please tell us what works (and doesn’t work) for you!
Let’s start with two guidelines:
- Choose the size of the needle by the weight of the thread A general rule of thumb is 40 wt thread requires a size 75 needle. If your thread is heavier (smaller number), increase your needle size (larger number)–and vice versa.
- Choose the type of needle by the type of thread and the type of fabric. Here is where things get a bit more complicated.
First–What type of thread are you using? If it is a specialty thread of any kind, consider a Topstitch or Embroidery Needle-The both have larger eyes.
Second–Do you want a sharp point or a slightly rounded needle point. A slightly rounded point allows the needle to stitch between the thread fibers, and doesn’t damage the fiber. A sharp needle is necessary to penetrate fabrics with high thread counts such as batik, some hand dyed fabrics and fabrics that have any coated design on them–like white on white fabrics. The downside .. this needle penetrates the fiber causing micro-tears to the textile.
The sharp needles:
- Topstitch
- Microtex
The slightly rounded needles:
- Universal
- Embroidery
- Quilting
My Choice for FMQ and Why
When I free motion quilt, I most frequently use Aurifil 50wt and Sulky 45 wt threads and I have found the Universal 80 to work quite well most of the time. I like the rounded point of the Universal needle because it does not stitch through the fibers, but rather it stitches between them. That means the fibers are not damaged. I also like the Universal needle because it is the least expensive. (Though the needle is the least expensive part of any quilting project and we should not be penny-wise and pound-foolish!)
If I am stitching on tightly woven fabrics such as batik or hand dyed or if I am experiencing any problems, I switch to the Topstitch needle.
My two favorite needles are The Universal and The Topstitch (usually size 80).
We will be discussing a lot more about needles in the weeks ahead. There is a great deal of information available on the web about needles and needle selection. Schmetz Needles has a great deal of educational information available. I particularly like their iPhone app which has a trouble shooting guide and a needle type guide--look for that on your smartphone. Schmetz has a very succinct needle guide PDF HERE.
Also, Superior Threads offers a great YouTube Video HERE--Thank you to Melody for bringing this to my attention.
Finally, we have a reader that is really struggling with monofilament thread and needles breaking–Can anyone recommend a monofilament thread--and does anyone have trouble with the thread breaking their needles? I open this up to the group as I have little experience with this thread type.
What are YOUR favorite needles and WHY? Do you have any needle tips you’d like to share?
Stitching safely,
Lori
Embellished Wool Leaves
I know Christmas is less than six weeks away, but I’m not quite ready to give up on the gorgeous colors that Autumn so generously shares with us.
Yesterday, I did a little experimentation with materials and techniques I don’t use very often: wool, yarn and the Bernina #21 Braiding foot.
While I have a few things to work out, I think this technique has a lot of possibilities. I wish the Braiding foot moved more like free motion quilting…
I hope you have time to wander down a new path today. Never know what (or who) you’ll find!
Lori
Free Motion Quilting-Mini Christmas Quilt
After completing the sample for yesterday’s free motion quilt tutorial, The Chevron, I stitched this mini Christmas quilt using The Chevron to create the trees. The quilt is six inches square and I think I will frame it.
I’m toying with the idea of opening an Etsy shop with a few framed pieces. Does anyone have any experience selling on Etsy? I’ve bought several darling things from Etsy in the past…just wonder if I have the time…
Below, is my new BEST FRIEND — I began using them last week after I reviewed my dangerous work habits (see HERE and Cautionary Tale HERE)– I really like using the tweezers and don’t know how I ever stitched without them!
I hope you will find them to be a faithful friend as well!
For more Christmas Trees–make sure you try these trees, too! and you might also like Christmas tree quilt HERE.
On Friday, we will be talking about Needle Selection and one of our readers would like YOUR help with monofilament thread-her needles keep breaking—Love to hear what you all think of monofilament thread and how you use it!
Keep stitching. Buy yourself some tweezers. And Keep Doodling,
Lori
Free Motion Quilting Tutorial-The Chevron
It’s Tuesday–and that can mean only one thing here at The Inbox Jaunt--It’s time for another FREE free motion quilt tutorial! Today we are stitching The Chevron. The Chevron is a beginner free motion quilt motif, and whether you are stitching on a domestic sewing machine like I do ( I stitch on a Bernina 820) or on a long arm machine, you will find this lovely pattern fast and fun. When stitched in rows in looks like a herringbone pattern. Perhaps that is why I think of it as an autumn pattern??
Like the Two Triangles free motion quilt tutorial from last week, The Chevron looks fabulous on any quilt with triangles. Also, it easily morphs into a gorgeous pine tree or Christmas tree. Continue reading