Spring has Sprung

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It has been an amazingly beautiful day today and I couldn't resist sharing some of the highlights of my garden at the moment.
While I was out I took these pictures of my Stitching for Texture project, as promised.

Country Roads Quilters had a wonderfully inspiring workshop with Angela Daymond last week.  We looked at using machine and hand stitching to quilt projects and worked towards creating a fabric book of sample designs using a variety of techniques.  Angela managed to make FMQ easy and so my squiggles appear as my cover, I was even brave enough to add a few daisies.  Angela discussed scale for effect, using combinations of the same pattern in different sizes, such as on my cover, and also scaling up the designs for a full size quilt.  Not all of my pages are finished, as you can see, but I feel I have done enough on these designs and been inspired to make further books.  My next one will be a selection of "water" designs I think (but not until A.J., after Japan!)  Several members of Country Roads Quilters agreed that the quilting of a project is the part that provokes the most terror.  I think we now feel a lot more confident and willing to have more fun with our quilting too, so a big thank you to Angela.
A thank you to Tina too.  She gave me this book:

Some wonderful examples of a range of Japanese textile styles to enjoy, thank you Tina.  (Do pop over to Tina's blog for some wonderful textile creations).
If you were at the Quilters' Guild AGM and Conference in Dundee this past weekend I'm sure you had a wonderful time, and, if you listened carefully, you might have heard my name mentioned.  I have some very good news to share with you another day but now I'm going back into the sunshine.

Added 29 March:  I've just read the post Angela wrote about her workshop.  She has a photograph of me.  I was concentrating on my FMQ so hard that I didn't know she'd taken a picture!

FMQ

 I've just been given a link to this blog by Brenda on BQL and it's fantastic.  25 year old US quilter, Leah Day is posting a new FMQ design each day for a whole year, she's on Day 41 so there's plenty to see already and plenty to look forward to.  She has full details, including the inspiration for the design, and tutorial videos.  It's an impressive undertaking and a great resource.  Thanks Leah.
http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com

Machine Quilting

I went on a wonderful workshop on Friday and just want to share some of the day with you, dear reader!
The enthusiastic and very knowledgeable and skilled tutor was Ruth Jarman and the workshop was held at Sew Creative at Wroxham Barns in Norfolk http://www.sewcreativequilts.co.uk/ my "local" quilt shop.
Ruth started by showing us a range of her work, and then it was down to work for the ten of us on the course. What a pace she set, we achieved more than I thought possible in six hours (with a quick 20 minutes for lunch) and any single thing I learned would have been worth the day's fee!
Our aim was to create sample pieces of machine quilting and Ruth showed us how to work with just the top layer and wadding, adding the backing later. This made the process easier with less likelihood of nips and tucks! Layers were pinned, then machined. We started with straight stitch, then zigzag and then explored the more decorative stitches on our machines. It was interesting to have a peek at the other machines, Ruth is a Berninaphile but others had Pfaff and Janome machines and I was pleased with how my Silver performed.
We learned how a grid of 2" squares can be used in many different ways to mark up cloth for quilting and I got quite carried away with marking up diamonds - well, they are a girl's best friend! Ruth recommended some marking tools but also showed us how well a sliver of soap worked, even on white fabric - just remember to wash any marking off your fabric before you iron it!
On to more complex quilting, involving the use of twin needles and changing our feet!! I loved the results from a simple wavy line with two differently coloured threads but my favourite stitch had to be the Italian style quilting. No stuffing with a bodkin, just a wide twin needle and an embroidery foot, beautiful. Then it was time for FMQ - the dread of most ladies on the course! Free motion quilting made easy - relax, remove the shoulders from around the ears, remember you can stop sewing so no need for panic, go with the flow.... Even though this was the last part of a busy day, not the best time for a "difficult" skill, I have to say everybody produced a sample that they were proud of and everybody was promising to go home and do more - practice, practice, practice. I even feel confident about tackling the Trapunto challenge set by Kandy at BQL this month.
As soon as Sylvia at Sew Creative publishes the next list of workshops I'll be booking up for another with Ruth - she does a lovely one on Heirloom Quilting I understand, and I highly recommend her to you.
http://www.ruthjarmantuition.co.uk/JarmanTuition/Home.html