Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Chain Piecing with my new favorite thing! and welcome BERNINA friends!

 A big hello and welcome to all of you who are stopping by my blog after seeing my post on the We All Sew BERNINA blog.  I had the pleasure of sharing the story of how I won my very first BERNINA Activa 210 and how it brought me to be an Ambassador for them now with my new BERNINA 750 QE machine.  I won the 210 machine by designing and making an apron, and I share a tutorial of how I made it with a very minimal amount of fabric and a very cute modern result.  I hope you will stop by the We All Sew blog to check it out if you haven't already seen the post and tutorial. 
this is one of the many aprons I made with my BERNINA Activa 210

I got a little sewing time this morning and decided to pull out a new toy I have been dying to get my hands on and finally scored at Quilt Market last month.  My good friends Jamie Mueller and Jill Rimes of Sunflower Quilts have designed the most genius little tool- specifically for the chain piecer- which is me!  I (in true free motion quilting addict fashion) am usually so excited to get to the free motion quilting stage that I want to piece my quilt very quickly- like instant gratification.  I can and have done some very complex blocks and feel confident in my skills, but I really enjoy the quilting so much I just find myself favoring time saving methods and simple quilts that allow my quilting to shine... enter the wonderful thread cutter!  Such a great little tool- if you love to chain piece your blocks and find yourself with tons of long chains of fabric held together by thread this thing will be your best friend.  I had fun piecing together some holiday fabrics for a set of holiday pillows I am planning to make for us.  I took a picture so you could see it in action.  My friends who designed this are a mother and daughter team and Jill (the mom) owned a quilt shop for years and Jamie (the daughter) grew up under sewing machines and amongst the bolts of fabric... they are the greatest gals and such a fun team- and this is a great little product that really does the job and saves lots of time- even better, they designed it so little fingers cannot cut themselves, it is a thread only cutter, no fingers were harmed in the making of my pillows!  Stop by and check out their website for lots more info on the thread cutter.



In honor of my BERNINA blog post going live and me actually having copies of my book in hand I am going to give away a signed copy of my book Free Motion Quilting for Beginners (and those who think they can't)  to a randomly picked commenter below.  Tell me if you have ever tried free motion quilting before and what your experience has been in the comments and I will pick a winner on the last day of my blog hop which is Saturday November 21st.  Thanks for stopping by!


19 comments:

  1. I have tried FMQ on and off for several years with no no luck. Not smooth and curvy but jig jaggidy instead. Have 4 quilt tops waiting to be completed and I am scared to start.

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  2. I am new to fmq I keep trying. I sometimes freak my self out so I am afraid to try. I know if I just relax and breathe it will be OK. But it's getting to that part that is difficult for me.

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  3. Saw your blog mentioned on the Inbox Jaunt this morning. I'm with you--so much more fun fmq'ing than piecing. Looking forward to exploring your blog a bit.

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  4. I tried FMQ on a cot bed quilt for the first time this week. I unpicked quite a bit and need lots more practise! I enjoyed myself

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  5. I have been "dabbling" in free motion quilting on my home machine. I have taken 4classes and read everything I can get my hands on. What I neglect is practice, practice, practice, and confidence. Anxious to read your book!

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  6. I've tried FMQ before, but wasn't pleased. I know I need some hints and some practice to get better.

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  7. I am a beginner FMQer and am having such fun learning!! Your book would be a big asset for me. I dabbled a little on my older domestic machine, enjoyed it so much, this summer I purchased a Janome Horizon. We bonded immediately!!

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  8. Am a verrrry new FMQ Beginner...tried on few scrap blocks..which became potholders for my kitchen..yipes! lol (they ae pretty scary! But work hard! giggle) Have only done Stitch in the Ditch to quilt the few quilts I have made (soooo far...)

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  9. I've done FMQ on a few quilts. But I'd like to understand the technique more and get better at it. I think your book will really help me out.

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  10. I have tried FMQ on a few projects but only ended up stippling. Need more practice practice practice and hints would be most welcome. Your book sounds perfect and contemporary.

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  11. I hate practicing the basics but it really does make a difference in the long run and I can say it's finally paying off. I agree the thread cutter is awesome and makes chain piecing even quicker not having to use scissors.

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  12. I have been free motion quilting seriously for a year now-there are some that are good enough to sell and some end up in a give away pile (I am have been told by those that love me that I am too harsh on my work). I am looking to buy a different machine with stitch regulator. Your book sounds like a great reference!

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  13. I have only tried free motion quilting once or twice in classes. I'm currently working on making a stash of practice blocks and planning to spend some serious time working on FMQ in the near future.

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  14. I would love to read your bookand practice free motion quilting.

    Maggiecolorado@gmail.com

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  15. I have tried it but I need a lot more practice. I aspire to producing beautiful FMQ some day.

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  16. Have quilted several small quilts but mostly stitch in the ditch but lack the confidence to try fmq and I am never sure what to stitch where.

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  17. Have FMQ once. And only stippling. It really did turn out quite well; enough so that I felt joy in gifting the quilt, but lack of confidence and fear of inflicting injury and battle scars to a beautiful quilt keep me sending tops to the LQS for long arm quilting. Would love to "own" the complete quilting process and not just piecing!

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  18. Hi:) I am new to quilting and haven't tried fmq. But I am always looking for new crafts!!

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  19. I love my old Bernina and I LOVE to FMQ. I use a longarm that I got used. I would enjoy reading your book. Practice, practice, practice is the key.

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