Quilting designs for the machine quilter
10-16-2011, 12:28 PM
#15
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Nevada
Posts: 1,103
Hello, and welcome from Nevada.
Before you start with stencils and other forms of quilting, why don't you just get some practice in on your machine? Try this. Make a "practice sandwich". Take two pieces of fabric, preferably something you don't mind throwing away (and if you don't have any, check out places like Good Will, Salvation Army, etc.). Cut the pieces into about 12" square blocks so you have something to work with. Larger is fine too. It doesn't have to be precise. Pick anything for the batting. Flannel, or even just a third fabric will work. The trick here is to pick a print for the top. Start with, for example a larger print of flowers. Then spray baste the layers together. Now FMQ (free motion quilt) around each flower. The idea isn't to get it perfect, which you won't on the first try. The idea is to get used to FMQ. Get the feel of your machine. See how slow or how fast you can go without puckering, or making bird's nests of the bobbin thread. Check the tension. How are you doing? Is it working? By the time you've worked your way down to the small floral prints, and can do those perfectly, with no problems in the thread or tension, and you're really happy with the stitches, you're ready to start on a real quilt. You may pick it up quickly, or like me, it may take a while. In fact, I'm still working on it, but getting better and better all the time. It does take practice. I still can't quite follow the stencils, but I've improved so much from where I started, that I know I eventually will do it. And it was so much more fun than the boring exercises I found in a book!
Happy quilting to you, however you finally choose to learn it.
Before you start with stencils and other forms of quilting, why don't you just get some practice in on your machine? Try this. Make a "practice sandwich". Take two pieces of fabric, preferably something you don't mind throwing away (and if you don't have any, check out places like Good Will, Salvation Army, etc.). Cut the pieces into about 12" square blocks so you have something to work with. Larger is fine too. It doesn't have to be precise. Pick anything for the batting. Flannel, or even just a third fabric will work. The trick here is to pick a print for the top. Start with, for example a larger print of flowers. Then spray baste the layers together. Now FMQ (free motion quilt) around each flower. The idea isn't to get it perfect, which you won't on the first try. The idea is to get used to FMQ. Get the feel of your machine. See how slow or how fast you can go without puckering, or making bird's nests of the bobbin thread. Check the tension. How are you doing? Is it working? By the time you've worked your way down to the small floral prints, and can do those perfectly, with no problems in the thread or tension, and you're really happy with the stitches, you're ready to start on a real quilt. You may pick it up quickly, or like me, it may take a while. In fact, I'm still working on it, but getting better and better all the time. It does take practice. I still can't quite follow the stencils, but I've improved so much from where I started, that I know I eventually will do it. And it was so much more fun than the boring exercises I found in a book!
Happy quilting to you, however you finally choose to learn it.
10-16-2011, 04:20 PM
#18
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Nebraska..The Good Life
Posts: 2,102
Originally Posted by marymm
I have a friend who prints out simple designs on a thin paper (she uses thin newsprint drawing paper for children), pins it in place and then sews right over the paper.
You can also use stencils with pounce powder. I use a foam paint brush instead of the pouncing pad though. You can buy the powder separate from the pouncing pad.
Stencils can also be used with chalk pencils, marking pens for fabric that can be removed later with water, or that will evaporate with air exposure. There are also Pilot Frixon pens that will disappear completely with washing or will disappear with the application of heat from an iron, however the ink will reappear if the markings get really cold again. Frixon pens are my favorite choice because I always wash my quilts when I finish them anyway so the ink washes right out. They make a finer line than most of the fabric marking pens. Make sure the fabric pens you choose have removable ink because there are some that have permanent ink and you don't want that. Good Luck!
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kacklebird
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12-08-2011 08:39 PM
