2013 SewCalGal FMQ Border Challenge

I can easily say that this challenge hosted by SewCalGal given by Patsy Thompson (click here to read about it) has utilized the most of my Free Motion Quilting learned skills and other techniques learned through this journey and the most exciting. SewCalGal thank you, without your challenge last year and continuing this year I do not believe my machine quilting abilities would have improved to this degree.

When first reading about the challenge. I was about to quilt my Churn Dash meets Nine Patch, I decided to do something with each border. I did quite a bit of drawing.

When doing the actual quilting I changed a few things. This quilt ended up with 8 borders. Picture is of the back.

 

I also practised a small amount of borders on a post card.

 

 

So with this challenge I decided I wanted curvy borders. I wasn't sure how I was going to do this until I watched Sharon Schamber's cd on Designing For The Quilting Process. I learned how to draw my triangle and make my curves (borders) using French Curves.

 

 

 

However, I didn't want to copy and my design 8 times and tape them together. I remembered watching a show on The Quilt Show where Ricky Tims showed how to fold your sheet of paper into eighths and draft you design with pencil using this technique I drew out my curves on my eighth triangle, but again not wanting to trace all my line I decided to trace my curves with my sewing machine needle (no thread).

 

 

Back of my paper to show the needle trace.

I then traced all my needle lines.

 

 

Then using my homemade light box,

 

 

I began to trace my design on to my prepared (starched) fabric.

 

 

 

Next I marked my grid lines and diagonals and began to baste my layers.

 

 

basting completed

 

I then stitched out my curves on the quilt.

 

 

Now I drew out my basic design on the freezer paper.

 

 

This was fun.

and then more fun stitching out the design.  Stitching away and I forgot to take any more pictures until I was through with the grid work and had started the checker board.

 

 

 

Completed!!!!

 

 

Woo Hoo!

 

Threads used ~ rayon, cotton, polyester and variegated

Batting ~ Hobbs 80/20

Fabric ~ cotton

 

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19 KJV