Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad

Two of the strips are quilted, one more to go and I think I have an idea of what is supposed to be happening. Only I am not there yet as my stitch quality could be better.

And, no doubt, I am breaking all sorts of other quilting rules – some I know about and some I have yet to discover. It doesn’t matter…the mismatched colors, patterns, and off-grain pieces tickle me.

Known rules broken:

• Total disregard for color and print harmony in chosen fabrics
• No pre-shrinking of the cotton batting yet the cotton fabrics went through the washer and dryer (by the way, this was a conscious decision)
• Not utilizing a stitch regulator for the FMQ (does one even exist for the Bernina 930 Record? I would use one if I had one…)
• Stitching with 100% cotton machine quilting thread vs. a polyester or polyester/cotton machine quilting thread (polyester = superior strength)

Oh, well…I love how this quilt is turning out!

FMQ Started

Pinmoors engaged (I love these things!):

Backing fabric:

The Bernina - ready with feed dogs down and stitch length set to zero:

Progress:

Detail:

I’m loving this free motion quilting thing. In fact, I think I’m addicted. Once I got started, I didn’t want to stop! The first panel is almost finished.

The slider, gloves, pin anchors and the Teflon bobbin insert all worked as hoped. Me? Well, I need more practice with my stitching. Notice the small and large stitches – they should all be the same size. Go fast and produce huge stitches. Move slowly and get teeny tiny stitches.

There are two panels left so I’m looking forward to more consistent stitches…