Sew Happy about Lori Kennedy's new Craftsy Class Divide & Conquer Creative Quilting for Any Space

If you all have been following my blog for a while you will remember Lori Kennedy of the Inbox Jaunt blog.  She is a fantastic free motion quilter, and she reviewed my book Free Motion Quilting for Beginners when it came out.  She is also a fellow BERNINA ambassador- and has become a friend of mine as well.  She really has a fabulous take on free motion quilting, especially if you are like me and love to use free motion quilting to enhance a theme of your quilt.  It's funny, but the question I am most often asked by others is "how do you choose your quilting designs".  I, like Lori, really like to go for a theme when I can and use that to help me pick a design that enhances that and makes it all more fun and whimsical.  It goes back to adding that extra layer of art to your quilt or project with FMQ.  When Lori asked me to review her Craftsy class Divide and Conquer Creative Quilting for Any Space I jumped at the chance.  I am a big fan of her work and was excited to learn more about her process.

Lori's class is outstanding.  A true gem for any free motion quilter, this class is a very different look at FMQ.  She is a big proponent of using minimal marking to make her quilting designs.  It is a different approach then I typically take, but certainly fun to learn and try.  If you love to learn new techniques and lots of fun theme-y quilting designs then this class is a must.  I will say that for beginners much of it is very do-able... it may challenge the brand new beginner, but her encouraging tone and "messy is okay" approach makes it all seem very possible for quilters of all levels to take away something or many great things. 

After watching her class I was inspired to make my own little mini- quilt like she uses for all her teaching, and it was SEW MUCH FUN.  I chose her Thread Spool design and combined it with my handwriting quilting and I had a ball quilting it.  It was the perfect quick fix for a quilting session that was relaxing and enjoyable.  I think if you take the class you will certainly be inspired to start making little quilts like this too, as well as finding places on your quilt tops that are just perfect for her designs.  I couldn't recommend it more, she is fantastic, her blog is fantastic and the class was fantastic as well...  Let me know if you do take it and share pictures of your quilting on my facebook page- I would love to see what you all come up with.

I worked out my design on paper first, something both Lori and I highly recommend

Here is my little mini quilt on the machine... if I had it to do over I would pick a more contrasting thread... but that is the great thing about small little quilts like this 10" square... easily re-made, and perfect for practice.

and here it is all finished... Grandma Pat this little quilt is coming your way... love you!