Getting bolder

A few months ago I picked up this book for some inspiration on how to easier free motion machine quilt on a DSM - I really want to expand beyond stippling/meandering and stencil markings.

I haven't read it front to back, but I absolutely love how it breaks down easy-to-do shapes, and show how to mix and match them. Over the last few evenings I have been doing some experimenting, and I have to say I think I have taken that one step to become a bit bolder in my quilting. I have become more daring to quilt without a lot of marking - mostly some little blue dots to mark centers and make sure of even spacing, and a few lines using the Hera marker.

Before studying the drawings in the book - this would have required a template or tear-away paper - not a single marking!

Nope - just a plastic lid to mark the circle - the rest is done free hand. It is soooo far from perfect, but I really like it, because I see now that I can do it!

It's far from perfect, but I can definitely see I'm improving! I love my darning foot!!! *lol*

Happy quilting weekend!

Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida

(PS! This is not a whole cloth quilt - all the pictures are of the back - can't show the front yet)

Racks and book

Elin and Lena Karen is challenging us to show our quilt racks these days. I have shown one of these before - it was a bit more tidy then.

These days both of them are covered up in works in slow progress (my Sugar Camp Quilt is on top of the rack on the left and you can glimpse my Flannel Stars underneath the Ocean Waves and Nanny Sharon's Picnic quilt - both yet to be finished...) as well as finished quilts. These are not actually quilt racks, they come from the bathroom furnishings department of IKEA, but they most certainly does service as something to display quilt on :o)

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This long awaited book arrived in the mail today!!! It's no secret I'm a big fan of the Elm Creek Quilts series, but the historical novels have so far been my favorites, and this takes part during the American Civil War.

Now here's a difficult choice - read or quilt? Read or quilt???

Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida

Playing

Just having some fun with laying out Birds in the Air blocks ;o)

Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida

Sunday Sewing

After a week of treating a stiff neck and very little sewing, I'm spending some time today playing with the HST units from my biscuit tin :o) Love the look of these Birds in the Air blocks!

Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida

Sewing a little something else

I found out this morning I needed a short break from my secret project to do a little something else (and I needed a small thing for someone...). Using squares from my 1.5" scraps box, this little purse came together

Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida

Still at it...

Guess the biscuit tin and the fabrics from my last post are recognizable :o) Making progress on my secret project, but still have a long way to go...

Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida