When in doubt, skinny strip

Well another month and another bee block and a coaster - that's all I have to offer.  Not much, is it?  I could show you a photo of my first ever attempts at Free Motion Quilting but you'd fall off your chair laughing and I don't want any injuries arising from someone reading this blog.  I let my kids have a go too at the FMQ and they were way better than me which is weird because I've been sewing for 30 odd years and they haven't even been sewing at all.  They even came up with new designs I hadn't seen before.  Maybe I should submit them to Leah Day and she'd think I was some kind of FMQ genius - mmm - maybe not.

So all I can show you is one sad little bee block (oh and one sad little coaster - not even a set of coasters).  Actually, it's not so much sad as stiff as a board.  Viv, whose month it is, sent us linen and warned us to starch starch starch so I was sewing with some kind of reinforced cardboard - I hope it washes out OK also because of the smell - phooey.  Anyway, here it is and, as almost always, I've ended up doing skinny strips because I think they're pretty.  I was aiming for a kind of map of the states block but with skinny strips.
Fresh Modern Bee Block for Viv
And here is the coaster.  Now this is a plan of Ayumi's where a gang of super-cool quilters and me are all making coasters which spell out "We love Suzuko Koseki!" and Ayumi is going to hand these to the lady herself at the Tokyo quilt show and we are hoping the lady will gasp in delight and love us all forever although I do think there must be a slight risk that she gives Ayumi that look that famous people reserve for fans - a kind of an anxious smile.  We've all seen it in the pictures everyone bandies about on the internet of them standing next to Kaffe Fassett - they're smiling like a loon and he's looking either slightly anxious or slightly baffled or just a bit bored.  Anyway, I wasn't part of the cool hang because I don't have a cool stash of cool Suzuko Koseki fabrics like the others do so the exclamation mark was only added as an afterthought and my coaster is only really an afterthought to the whole project but, since Ayumi asked so nicely and since I can't resist trying to be in with the in crowd, I agreed and made a union jack as that is one thing I have made twenty trillion times before and can make upside down and backwards with my hands tied behind my back in my sleep.  So here are the front and back of my coaster (and credit should be given here to Kerry's new single binding tutorial which will revolutionise the way you bind small items like coasters).
bikkuri marku coaster


OK I am now going to return to my sewing room and get back to the real job of free motion quilting a whole quilt - yup my first FMQ on an actual quilt.  Up until now I was too scared to try in case I messed up the quilts I was making so I just wimped out and stuck to straight lines.  But now I'm fearless, this one poor quilt has a trillion different types of FMQ on it, every time I turn a corner I try something new.  It's a secret Moda Bake Shop project - I'm not sure exactly how the Moda Bake Shop secrecy rules apply so I don't even know if I was supposed to say that much but there we are, I've blurted it out.  So anyway, if my first ever Moda Bake Shop project comes online at some point in the future and there's a photograph of it way off at the end of a field and you can only see it through binoculars, you'll know why.

Oh and one more thing, if you haven't already applied to join the newest round of the Doll Quilt Swap, applications close soon (10th I think) so get your form submitted.

Comments

  1. I LOVE the orange block! It's great!

    And I can't wait to see your FMQing! I'm where you were...fearful to ruin a nice quilt top! Maybe you'll be just the encouragement I need!

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  2. You are a honey! FMQ is not my finest skill- I go for straight and wobbly lines but hey- Bake Shop- you are mixing with the big girls now!

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  3. This made me laugh - perhaps we should have a Flikr group for FMQ failures! You should see mine!! No, you really shouldn't. Love the orange block and the coaster x

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  4. I've tried FMQ but I've chickened out again under the pretence that I need a new sewing machine first ;p
    Congrats on your first Moda Bakeshop!!! That's brilliant Lynne, can't wait to see it. You're so in with the big girls now we'll all be trying to get in with you.

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  5. Hark at you with your Moda Bake Shop! Woop woop!

    congratulations and just do the FMQ, it'll be fine I'm sure!!!

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  6. Well the nice thing about FMQ is once you have it washed you really cant tell there are mistakes so dont worry!!!
    Congrats on the MBS

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  7. You're so brave!! I've been practicing FMQ but have never had the nerve to just go for it on a quilt.

    p.s. LOVE the skinny strips

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  8. Funny and fantabulous!! Don't forget us poor hanger-ons when you get all famous!;) I find wearing woolly gloves help with FMQ, weird but true! With gloves FMQ heaven without jittery, jerky mess.

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  9. There's nothing sad about that block or coaster!!You do skinny strips like no one else! That ticket fabric is really cool. I loved your comment about that look famous people get, it's so true about photos of Kaffe!!Moda project sounds exciting. Dont talk to me about FMQ, thats why my sewing machine has been sent to be serviced.

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  10. I love those skinny strips. Great block. Regarding FMQ I get a headache when I see people stuffing a huge quilt in a regular machine. Some swear by it, just yesterday the sales clerk at my local quilt store says she is so good at it she doesn't even want a long arm....who in their right mind doesn't want a long arm. May answer is free motion the quilt in smaller sections and join later or break the bank and get a long arm. That's my story and I'm sticking to it,

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  11. Awesome block! I love that orange, and the skinny strips are genius! And I like your coaster, too. Great work!!

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  12. Love the block, I am going to have to start using skinny strips in my blocks, yours always look so great.
    The coaster is gorgeous too. SO true about the Kaffe photos, I had a big chuckle at that!!!!!
    The Moda project sounds exciting and I'll have my binoculars at the ready but I'm sure I won't need them.

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  13. Love it, and, as the magician Teller once said," "

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  14. Oh you are funny! How does it feel to be an 'after thought'?? LOL! FMQ- I can hardly work out what that means , let alone do! I was going to practice everyday but it scares the s..t out of me!!!

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  15. Hey, you didn't ask my permission to talk about me on your blog. For the record, it was Kaffe who was starstruck to be photographed beside ME! (right after he asked "who are you?"). btw, your coaster photo is showing up as unavailable? I would love to see your fabulous union jack!

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  16. ...got the coaster photo - it's a beaut and I think perfect for the project!

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  17. I have also never done FMQ because its something I did not learn. Thank you for the pics.

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  18. Nothing is sad that comes from your sewing room Lynne. I'm so looking forwrd to seeing my block in real life and putting it together with some others.

    Here's hoping I get into DQS10, I've done it twice before, it's so much fun.

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  19. You have a great sense of humor! I'm laughing out loud. Thankfully, no one else is around to hear me. :-)

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