fbpx
Category

Quilt

Category
In Quilt

SUMMER FREE MOTION QUILTING CHALLENGE

No Comments

As a quilter, we all know how much it costs to make a quilt. The fabrics, the batting, and the time that is taken to make it. To top that off, when you are almost done making it, comes the cost of quilting.

It can be quite a hustle to send out a quilt top for quilting every time you make one. Even the baby quilt.

One downside is that you don’t have the freedom to control the timing of the finished quilt. 

And secondly, the cost.  

Couldn’t you just finish quilting it on your own machine? That is probably the thing that runs in your mind.

Believe me, I know just how you feel!

The beginning of my Free Motion Quilting journey:

I started quilting when I was a student in Australia and I was on student allowances. I fell in love with quilting and started making a patchwork quilt top the day I bought my sewing machine. 

The fabrics together with the battings and all the other notions I needed to make a quilt was already taking quite a big chunk of my budget.

But I really wanted to start this quilting hobby, so I went ahead regardless.

However, the thing that made me cringe the most is that I found out that the cost of quilting the final quilt top is almost as much as the fabrics have costed me. 

Which means, if I finished a quilt top, I’d have to find more money to get it done.

That was when I decided to learn how to finish a quilt on my own. Using my own sewing machine.

Not just a simple regular straight line quilting, but any design I want it to be.

So that was the very beginning of my free motion quilting adventure. And I have never turned back.

And I’m glad today I never have to think about the cost of sending out a quilt to get it quilted. Cause I can easily have it done at home, on my regular sewing machine. (of course, I upgraded my machine which is still a regular domestic machine after I found out I’ll be doing more quilting)

Free motion quilting large quilt swoon quilt

Your turn to start quilting your quilts!

Now, now, you must be wondering, why am I telling you all this?

Well, if you have been wanting to finish your own quilt and learn how to free motion quilt – I want to let you know that I have all the resources for you. Free on the blog, free email courses, and even a paid step-by-step course: The Free Motion Quilting Bootcamp. Just simply pick how you want to start and just get to it. 

SUMMER FREE MOTION QUILTING CHALLENGE

Free Motion Quilting challenge

This July, to spark off the motivation to get you started or restarting your journey to conquer free motion quilting, I am hosting a SUMMER FREE MOTION QUILTING CHALLENGE beginning 13th July to 27th July. 

Prizes!!!

 Fat Quarter Shop Quilting Fabric, Kits, Notions and Patterns

Free Motion Quilting BOOTCAMP  will be sponsoring the challenge with some prizes – 2 Gift Cards from Fat Quarter Shop (Valued at $50 and $25) and Amazon Gift Card worth $25. If there are many more joining in, I’ll be sure to throw in some fabric packs from my stash too!. These prizes are just for fun. The more you share whatever progress you have during this Summer Free Motion Quilting Challenge, the higher the chances for you to win these prizes!

Now, if you are in Free Motion Quilting Bootcamp, you’ll have another chance on the closed Facebook group there too. So, are you in??

layer cake quilt cute pattern to make in the link

How to participate:

Join me over on the Facebook group HERE> and share any free motion quilting practice (videos or photos) that you are working on over the challenge period of time (13th July – 27th July)

If you don’t have a Facebook account, not to worry, you can also email me and I’ll be sure to post them up to share with the others in the group and over here on the blog. Each of the entries qualifies you for a chance to win the prizes!!!!!

If you don’t know what to practice on at all… check out the guides in these courses:

 

by
Keep Reading
In Quilt

Dear Diary Quilting Challenge Daily Log Day 1

3 Comments

This is the first of the 31 days of making blocks from the class I am currently taking over at CreativeBug called Dear Diary Quilting Challenge. I am taking advantage of the 3-months for $5 and will be going through this quilting class for a few reasons. 

  • One: I am in need of small daily creativity fix in between breaks and after work just to separate my “work from home” and breaks. 
  • Two: I love Anna Maria Horner. And to be able to take her class even virtually is definitely on my list. Thank you Creative Bug!
  • Three: since I am still picking up my sewing mojo, I believe this daily block sewing will be a great start.

 

*there are affiliate links in this post in which I may make a small commission if you take action. This supports my blog and creating content to share.

by
Keep Reading
In Quilt

Quick Quilt Top : Kids Truck Quilt

5 Comments

A quick quilt top finish is always a great project in between other quilts and when you are lost searching for that quilting mojo.

I haven’t been active here on the blog or on my other platform due to my low energy (I am pregnant with my 3rd Baby) and other focuses that seem to be taking over these days.

Things are a little better with my health, but my quilting mojo is still yet to be recovered. I am in nesting mode and have been spending my spare time decluttering everywhere around my home. Well, that is where I have been spending my time these last few days.

In this post, I am sharing with you a quick finish of my son’s truck quilt. He is already four years old and I haven’t made him any quilt before. So, I think it is about time (LOL, it could have been earlier)

Simple quick quilt _ kids quilt truck quilt

I bought the set of fat quarters set of the retro Tonka Truck from HERE.

I love the primary colors and my son seems to like the trucks too. He is in that phase of loving trucks.

 

Sew and Cut Technique – link to FREE pattern

A simple pattern was perfect for this quilt as I wanted to keep the fabric shine and be the star rather than the pattern.

Thankfully, this free quilt pattern came to the rescue.

The initial fabric cutting was of large pieces making it so much faster to get prepped.  

The quilt top was made by piecing large pieces together and cutting them, which lessens the time and hassle. 

Simple quick quilt _ kids quilt-4

Overall the quilt was a fun way to give me that little boost and sense of satisfaction. I am going to be basting the quilt soon together with my other quilt top. 

Then comes the fun part – free motion quilting them! For now, I think that one of the simple free motion quilting design would be perfect for this quilt. 

Well, till then – I’ll update here again. 

by
Keep Reading
In 52weekshotpads

Patchwork Sailboat Quilt Block Hot Pad | Week 23 of 52 Weeks of Hot Pads

No Comments

Welcome to the 23rd week post of the 52 weeks of hot pads / quilted pot holders. This week we’re making sailboat quilt block.

Here is the list of past week’s posts in this 52 Weeks of Hot Pads Challenge:

 

I thought it would be a great challenge for me to do a pot holder a.k.a hot pads every single week of 2019. (but I am currently falling way behind, maybe I’ll catch up but if not, it will just be 52 weeks but not in a single year)

I am planning on having it displayed in my kitchen. They make great decor, don’t they?

While I am at it, I am going to be sharing with you a simple tutorial on the process.

You can join in the challenge and make the same hot pads I make every week with the same design or any of your own choice.

by
Keep Reading
community sampler quilting textures free motion quilting on a regular sewing machine
In Quilt

Top 5 tools for free motion quilting

6 Comments
Do you want to quilt free-hand design on your home machine? Wonder what tools you need to do free motion quilting? You’re in the right place! In this post, I will share with you the 5 MUST-HAVE essentials tools for free motion quilting.
 
I love to free-motion quilt, and I have been loving teaching others to free-motion quilt too! 
I would say these items have helped me so much and I would not be free motion quilting without them these days!
 
Free motion quilting regular machine

What do you need to do free motion quilting on a home sewing machine?

First on the list of tools to free motion quilt on your home machine is of course,

the right free-motion quilting foot. 

by
Keep Reading
Sewing tutorial how to sew a boxy pouch
In Quilt

Boxy Pouch Tutorial

No Comments

Small projects make the best practice pieces for free motion quilting. In this post I have a tutorial on how to make a boxy pouch and get you to practice free motion quilting!

This project will not only allow you to make use of your practice sandwich but also allows you to have the option of hiding those stitches, should you feel like they’re not that pretty yet. Everyone was there before they get better. It is a practice piece after all.  

If you are interested to learn more about free motion quilting, make sure you check these related posts too:

Also check out to learn how to free motion quilt confidently

I remembered in the early times of my free motion quilting days, I used to get so frustrated with my stitches and was certainly not happy with how they turned out. But I also know that practice is necessary, so I keep making these ‘ugly’ practice sandwiches.

Practice will make it better.

That is what I keep chanting as I move along practice piece after practice piece.

I don’t feel like wasting those practice pieces, so I usually turn them into hotpads and placemats. And that makes me feel a lot better. At least even if the stitches were not as great at that time, I actually get to use the piece. 

And in this post I am sharing an even better idea!

A pouch. One can never have enough pouches, And this one is a really useful roomy one, suitable for many of your necessities and perfect for gifting too!

Boxy Pouch tutorial. How to sew zipper pouch boxy

You can also make one following the tutorial in the video below. 

Free Motion Quilting Boxy Pouch Tutorial

Start out by free motion quilting a fat quarter size quilt sandwich.

Divide them into two to make two pouches with 2 pieces of fat quarter fabrics.

The size of the rectangle to start with for each pouch is 16.5″ x 10″ and the boxy pouch will end up to be 3″x5″x9″. 


 

Watch the tutorial below on how to make the boxy pouch.

 

Let me know what you think. Want to keep on practicing now?? Let’s do this. 

If you haven’t checked out Free Motion Quilting Bootcamp, I would love to invite you to join in. I teach you how to master various designs and the exact steps on how you can free-motion quilt any design with your regular sewing machine. 

We have gotten great reviews of the program and I am sure you will be on your way to great success with free motion quilting if you joined in too!

by
Keep Reading
Quilting on instagram
In Quilt

Top 9 of the 2019 Quilting Instagram

No Comments
I ran the top 2019 over here for my quilting Instagram feed and though I have been a little quiet there as compared to the blog and newsletters, I think Instagram did catch some of my best make in the year of 2019.
 
So here it is: 
My Quilting Instagram page is Amira_littlemushroomcap
 
Quilting on instagram
There are affiliate links within this post that may earn me little commission to help cover the cost of the blog and other expenses. Please find the disclosure policy here. 
 
 

From the top nine of my quilting Instagram account,

 

what I first notice is,  

The hotpad took 3 squares out of 9 which was pretty obvious as I tried (yup, tried) to complete 52 hotpads in a year. Although I failed to follow through, I was pretty happy with the amount of hotpads I got done this year and it was such a pleasure sharing the process and tutorials with you on this blog. 
 
Currently it is at 22 hotpads and I am continuing this project in the year 2020 and hopefully, we’ll get to that 52 hotpads.
 
You can check all the tutorials for the hotpad so far in the latest post here>
 
 
 

I believe in no failures, only lessons. 

 
So what have I learned?
  • a challenge always pushes me to expand my creativity, and allow me to work my skill
  • A challenge that is pursued is always better than none. I did end up with 22 hotpads this year which could have easily been none if I did not challenge myself to do this challenge
I may have overestimated what I can do in a week. With a full-time job, two little kids, a home to care for and other ‘behind the scene of a blog’ tasks… I sometimes get exhausted and just want to chill. I love being busy, productive but there are times that I just simply need to chill a little. Do a little more gardening, a little more NetFlix and just simply enjoy the free time. 
 
Regardless, a challenge is always fun but I should want to be careful not to stress out too much if I could not get to it. 
 
 

Secondly,  

Two scrappy quilts also got the place in there in which one is fully completed (the scrappy trip is blogged here) and the other (the scrap vomit) is still lying in my unfinished object (UFO) pile. Too little as a quilt – that’s what I say to myself. 
 
 
I find it hard to finish up small quilts, I just feel like they need to be bigger before I continue to baste. I feel like I need to add a border to the quilt. But we’ll see.
 
 

Thirdly,

A glimpse of my sewing room is also there, and a photo of me. These two photos were when I joined in Quilter’s Planner photo a day in January. I feel like I want to do this again in 2020. If you are on Instagram, come and join over too. 
 
have a virtual sewing retreat in your own space.
 
My sewing setup today is still very similar, I think it is the best as of now until we get a room just for my sewing space. Right now, I share the space with my kid’s bedroom. We are planning to be renovating soon for another two or three-bedrooms extended to our current house. 
 

Lastly,

The other two photos are of the Rocket Star Quilt in which I joined a quilt along hosted by Fat Quarter Shop.
 
quilting make a quilt
 
 
Quilt-along like this is fun and always gets more engagement as compared to other posts. I also love visiting other people during the quilt-along. There’ll be many quilt-along in the coming 2020. 
 
 

What’s coming in 2020 as for my quilting plan?

While I have lots of quilting plans for 2020, I will try to focus on tying up some ends to the UFO pile before starting new quilts. 
 
I am so excited for 2020 and the crafty endeavors it will bring.
 

What are your plans?? Share them with me by commenting below. 

by
Keep Reading
In Quilt

Baby Clothes Quilt

6 Comments

This was surely a fun project. Cutting onesies and shirts and making it into a quilt was surely different. I have never made a baby clothes quilt before, but I decided to take this custom quilt request as I wanted to challenge myself and learn new things along the way. Now, I rarely EVER take quilt orders, but this one was something that I could gain from too.

I knew that it wasn’t going to be hard as I have watched how to make a T-shirt quilt before. It was not much different working with the baby clothes other than having to deal with smaller pieces. I also appliquéd the socks and hat on the quilt for extra fun.

by
Keep Reading
In Quilt

Black Friday SALE for Fabrics & Quilting and other related things

No Comments

 

NOTE : I no longer promote Craftsy as I used to due to the way the subscription is currently being carried out. I had the issue of cancelling my subscription when the company changed hand and I find that cancelling through calls is inconvenient. However, I do still stand behind these classes I promote and if you are subscribed, you can surely check these classes I recommend on the platform. If you are looking for another online platform to learn craft such as quilting, do check out CreativeBug. It is much cheaper in subscription (subscribe now 3 months for only $5). Thank you.

 

Hi there, just popping in with some current list on some of the things that you may want to check out going on sale at this moment till Black Friday. Basically, it is a list of Black Friday 2019 Fabric and Quilting SALE.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I’ll update from time to time, and maybe for Cyber Monday too. so come, check it out on the day itself too. You can also pop in the comment some of your favourite SALE this year.

by
Keep Reading