FREEING!

I have always been terrified of quilting, the actually quilting of the top, batting, and backing together. I used to have access to a gigantic quilting machine, but I no longer have access to it. I’ve used a walking foot, but it stresses me out so much. I’m not good with it. I find it hard to not have the layers go crazy. I hate juggling the size of the quilts – it’s so awkward!

I’d always assumed that free motion quilting would be SO difficult -but I decided to get a foot and give it a go. My first try with the foot was the centre heart of the Rainbow Monkeys quilt.

I have the modern Japanese fabric quilt top finished, so decided to use it to practice. I need practice in order to learn, so decided to use it. I decided to just go for it and scribble to get the feel of the free motion foot.
I can see progress
It was kinda awful, but I was getting the feel of it. I was also using some thread that was AWFUL. So much FLUFF in my machine – and I think in cleaning it out I messed up the tension somehow. It was kinda awful. This was the 2nd time I’d cleaned out the machine that day:
I cleaned this yesterday. This thread is TERRIBLE.
Hell. Cleaning the machine has killed the tension.
However I was getting a feel for stippling. It was actually coming along well!

I mentioned what I’d been doing at my favourite fabric shop, Frangipani Fabrics, and Cath mentioned that there was a free motion quilting class coming up. I signed up immediately. It was great, but I need to do a lot of practice!
More sand - and bad spirals and echoes
More practice at home”
Practicing
And more:
Free motion quilting practice

I enjoyed the class a lot, and then I looked at the teacher’s website. I’ve looked at it before, but this time I was not just looking at the free motion quilting enviously but also looking at the skill. Suddenly it hit me how not just silly it was for me to be frustrated that I wasn’t immediately good at it but it was also insulting of me. She’s a professional. She took time to learn how to do her work.

I’m trying to remember this. I’m trying not to bad-mouth my efforts (I’m not succeeding but being aware even when I don’t succeed is a first step!). I’m trying to do a bit every day; to learn this. I’m trying to enjoy doing this, because if I’m stressing out about something that’s a hobby what is the point?!

This entry was posted in Quilting. Bookmark the permalink.