Sunday, June 12, 2016

92 FINISHED-51 TO GO!



I know one thing....I have given up goal setting!  Talk about something that gets in the way and can alienate your life!  Here is a for instance:

You know by now that I am pretty terrified by free motion quilting.  I think the terror lurks because I have devoted so many hours of my love and life to a hand appliqued quilt or wall hanging.   The possibility of ruining my heart's work with inept quilting is an unbearable thought.  

You might wonder what this had to do with goal setting but I will tell you.  I was getting so wrapped up in making 25 blocks for June that I almost discarded the opportunity to work on the thing that gives me nightmares.   The facebook group The Sit Down Free Motion Quilters is offering a fmq sampler for members to work along side each other to see how everyone is progressing and learning from each other and showing our contributions.  My goal mind set said "no you cannot do that-you don't have time-you have 25 blocks to finish". That is when I drew the line on this goal process-it was getting in the way of progress!

The Sit Down Free Motion Quilters is such a nice group.  They have provided lots of good info and instructions for the sampler which I have downloaded and printed (so I can lug them around with me).  I was meticulous in making my quilt sandwich even though this is a sampler and not the "real thing".  


Look how snug my quilt sandwich is.  I marked the top before I made the sandwich as I thought that would be easier. I used blue painter's tape to hold down the backing.  That stuff really sticks!  I follow Cindy Needham"s instructions for making a quilt sandwich and always end up with excellent results.

This is the stabilized sandwich.  I am quilting the top with shades of rose/purple and the bobbin will be orange.  Now that it is stabilized, I took the pins out.

Here is a question for anyone:    I know why quilters who use a quilting frame leave large margins beyond where the quilt will end.  That is so they can clamp and pull these edges for good tension.  However, for a sit down fmq is it necessary to leave such large margins? Sometimes these large margins get in the way and can flop around accidentally getting sewn into the quilting.  What are people's opinion on this?  I left about 2.5 inches for this quilt and basted the edges together.  This gives me enough if I need to hold the quilt for the fmq process.

Here is another reason to abandon goals:
I was beginning to get a production line going for my blocks in order to reach 25 for June and making blocks because 25 needed to be made.  I have always been a self motivated person and never had a problem finishing a project. Loving what I do finishes projects.


These are my blocks for this post.  I don't know what the source of the first block is-maybe I made it up-it is a logical block. The second two are variations on blocks from the Stonefields pattern.  I added the broderie perse and the butterfly to the third block as it seemed kind of stark and alone.  Here is a close up of the middle block : 




That's all for now.  We have been having a heat wave with 98 degrees and high humidity.  Right now there is a wonderful thunderstorm with cracks of lightening and buckets of rain.  Maybe this will bring in some cooler weather.

Happy Quilting

Linking up with:
Slow Stitching Sunday (good day for slow stitching!)
Main Crush Monday
Making Monday
Whats Your WOW?
Moving it Forward Monday
BOMs Away Monday
Let's Bee Social

   


15 comments:

  1. I think goals are great when they help us move forward to a specific end but sometimes we have to readjust, redefine, or change the goal depending on the circumstance. It sounds like you are really self-motivated, Pam, so maybe stated goals will help you much less than others who need to formally declare a goal.

    Your blocks are beautiful. Each one has so much detail, and the layers add to interest. When you hand applique do you find that the background fabric sometimes stretches -- or is that just my experience because I have so little experience?

    --Nancy. (ndmessier @ aol.com, joyforgrace.blogspot.com

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  2. I absolutely adore that last block!!! Just gorgeous.

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  3. Hi Pam , I have just done a block similar to your mystery block for Dear Jane.
    http://fabadashery.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/dear-jane-quilt-block-d8-dee-dees.html

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  4. Your sampler quilt is going to be beautiful but that last block you shared is absolutely stunning. Thanks for linking up with Oh Scrap!

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  5. Your sampler is beautiful already: you must be very patient. I agree with you about goals - they are useful up to a point but the trick is in knowing when to disregard them too.

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  6. Love seeing your latest blocks and handwork ! :)

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  7. Such pretty pastels and lovely designs.

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  8. Your applique is wonderful. I am in awe. It seems to me that you have just set aside one goal to work on another for a while...and that's just fine !

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  9. Oh, wow! Thanks for linking this to BOMs Away, Pam. Your sampler project is absolutely gorgeous in your fabrics. I hear you on the goals frustration! I do benefit from setting myself a very fluid goal skeleton, but letting it get changing and displaced as things get crazy in Life, or a special gift need arises, or blocks or projects turn out to be more time consuming than I'd realized they would be. I've learned to embrace the skeleton goals and not get the least bit stressed if something doesn't get met. I think it's taught me a lot about being a more relaxed person overall, too, which makes life so much nicer for me than it was before. Now I need to go surfing back on your blog, because I'm seeing snippets of some really neat things peeking at me around this post. :)

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  10. Very pretty blocks Pam, almost there. Wow your fmq looks interesting looking forward to seeing more.

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  11. Your sampler is just gorgeous; love those hand appliqued blocks! When I put my quilt sandwich together I usually leave a 2 to 3" margin. My last quilt I accidentally had the backing a bit wonky and since I use Sharon Schamber's method of using boards and hand basting the quilt sandwich I didn't notice that my batting was off until the very last row where I only had a half inch margin! That was cutting it way too close, and I had to carefully quilt that section due to shrinkage. Frankly, I think 2" is more than enough if you're quilting on a domestic machine.

    Thanks for linking up to To-Do Tuesday that Myra of Busy Hands Quilt hosted this week. I appreciate it!

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  12. Your hand work is wonderful! I'm taking a look at the FMQ link. Good luck with your FMQing!

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  13. Your hand stitching is so wonderful and detailed... amazing!

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  14. Oh!! I'm following you. Your work is amazing!
    I have a few more projects to do and I'm going to start applique. Glad I found you. Have a Blessed day

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