Last year I said I would only make quilts for me and mine… not one was made… This year it has become a PRIORITY … our beds need quilts really bad. SO THIS YEAR … I am only going to make the quilts I want to for my immediate family … other quilts and UFOs will be worked in between the QUILTS I HAVE BEEN DREAMING ABOUT. I will not feel guilty if they do not get done… no more baby quilts for me.. unless I want to make them … .
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BLACK AND WHITE and RED all OVER
I just got this quilt back from the long armer. I had her quilt in the sashing only. I did this to stabilize the quilt so that I could FREE MOTION QUILTING in the blocks myself. I have some very specific things I want FMQ in the spaces as this is the quilt going on to the bed in the master bedroom
NURSE RETIREMENT QUILT
Blocks are completed … ready for assembly into the quilt. I plan to do the same and have the long armer just do the stitch in the ditch around the blocks so that I can do the main FMQ. I hope to really improve my FMQ. To that end I have been reviewing my FMQ classes on Craftsy and practicing on batts… I have so many placemats and pot holders right now. Gave some to my sister and to my surprise she sold them in her second hand shop. Hey a new income source…. hee hee.
BABY QUILTS:
I need to finish the last of the baby quilts that I owe to my niece’s child… more FMQ. These are actually toddler size quilts as I make them 50 x 50 for napping.
Grandson Quilt:
MY grandson is demanding a new quilt and by golly he needs one. He has been picking out fabrics that he likes…. Golden book panels, sport fabric and SUPER HEROS… how I am going to get them all into one quilt….. I HAVE NO IDEA.
Darling Daughter’s GRADUATION QUILT:
My daughter graduates from college after 7 long years…. YEAH ! ! ! She wants to move into her own home so she would like a new quilt for her bed. She has picked a RICKY TIMS KOOL KALIEDOSCOPE quilt pattern. She is waffling on the background color… Black, Navy or Charcoal Grey . This one will be started some time this summer. Yes graduation is this spring but THEMS THE BREAKS… I will not be ready to start on it til then. The medallions will be easy to work on but they do take a lot of drafting and energy with the cutting aspects of this pattern.
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“I find the favorite part of the quilting process is FMQ… I find such joy in doing the FMQ… it is my favorite part… I will continue to follow the CRAFTSY classes & DVDs to learn the technique but I am going to do more of my own… I do not see it as a chore at this time… more of a pleasure… I am not very good but I do not care … I WILL GET BETTER WITH PRACTICE.
I find I have such peace and enjoyment when I FMQ that it is the best part of quilting for me.”
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As stated in the above post I have been working on my FMQ … practice, practice, practice.
I have recently purchased a new FMQ book. I have been collection all the FMQ books I can find, especially the ones noted to be MODERN. I am enjoying JUDI MADSEN’s book, QUILTING WIDE OPEN SPACES. Added bonus is the cD of patterns that is included in the book. Judi is a long arm quilter known a GREEN FAIRY QUILTING ( links below.) I have been following her post for several months and enjoy them immensely. She has some beautiful motifs and uses fillers in an interesting manner. She has a MODERN style to her FMQ and incorporates many different patterns in one quilt. I like this style better than the entire quilt quilted in one pattern. I think it adds more movement to the quilting. Every quilt pattern shown can be done on a domestic machine. Judi has some good instructions for quilting on a long arm, but I bet new long armers would have liked it if she went into more depth. I do like some of her pictures showing DO-s and DON’T-s in FMQ. THE cD is what gave added value to this book along with the close up pictures of the quilting…. NOW to incorporate all I have read into my own quilting… WISH ME LUCK.
http://www.greenfairyquiltsblog.com ….GREEN FAIRY BLOG …
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/160460106X/ref=tmm_pap_new_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=new&sr=&qid= QUILTING WIDE OPEN SPACES, the book in amazon
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FINDING more time to do my quilting … this has been hard for me. It is usually why I only get small projects done. I make one big quilt a year as when I get home from work I am too tired to sew. I think I am going to go back to the 15 minutes a day … or as TILDE use to say … ONE THREADFUL NEEDLE … I will need to set up my sewing area really but this is something that has worked for me in the past and will work for me in the future.
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I have not had the opportunity to sew even 15 measly minutes a day. I have been able to sew in larger chunks on the weekend so I am making progress. I am currently working on two projects. The NURSE RETIREMENT QUILT, almost finished the piecing and need assembly next. I also hope to have my niece’s baby quilt assembled and ready to layer in order to FMQ.
I have a ALL DAY SEW IN this Saturday at the Guild’s Center and think I only want to do FMQ. I plan to bring two projects that require FMQ. Although I am debating this as I might bring my NURSE QUILT to start assembling… LOOK FOR A FUTURE POST WITH PICTURE.
As always, HAPPY QUILTING,
NONNIE
https://nonniequiltingdreams.wordpress.com/ Nonnie’s Blog
http://nonniesquiltingdreams.podbean.com/ Nonnie’s Quilting Dream Podcast
Links for Nonnie’s Quilting Dreams
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @NONNIE_P ….. @NONNIE_P
email me at: nonniequiltingdreams@gmail.com
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Nonnie's Quilting Dreams 
Thanks for linking up, Nonnie! I’ll have to put that book on my wish list–sounds like a great one. I’ve enjoyed following your progress on your projects!
One of my resolutions was to make friends with my Longarm. I have already quilted eight quilts this year(as compared to only six in all of last year) and I am enjoying it more!
I wish I had a long arm… but then I would have to move my DH to the dog house.