Ongoing Quilt Projects, Continued from the "No Appreciation...." Thread

[speckledhen]

I decided to try a design I've never tried. I have never been able to master feathers, but this one is a paisley feather from Angela Walters. Though I need more practice, it seems fairly easy to do. I just took some fabric I can't find a use for and some bright pink thread so it might show up a little better. I think this one I can master! But is it okay for large areas? Guess you could make the designs much larger and it would be less dense, of course.
I find it odd, after all those decades hand quilting, that folks quilt their quilts so densely. Is that weird or normal? If I tried to hand quilt them that way, I'd be working on one for eternity!
This is my first try at this design so I could probably get pretty good at it, ya think? Geez, that pink thread is a Coats & Clark serger thread, much thicker than the Maxi Lock and seems to just slog through the machine! I like the Maxi Lock so much better. The Coats brand breaks and shreds way too often. They say the Maxi Lock is equivalent to a 40w. I ordered some Aurifil to try it along with my SewSlip mat.

 

[DuckLady]

You inspired me to try that paisley on my machine using the free motion foot. It didn't take long to get them smooth. I am going to try it on the long arm with my next quilt.

 

[speckledhen]

You inspired me to try that paisley on my machine using the free motion foot. It didn't take long to get them smooth. I am going to try it on the long arm with my next quilt.

Cool! I am slow learning new patterns, for sure, but as I gain ability to do general shapes smoothly, I am just building on those more with different directions to make new motifs. If only YouTube had been around when I first began quilting!

 

[sfgwife]

When i jad lessons on the LA.... the lady said think of a feather as if you are makin tons of half hearts. Also. If i made a bunch of connected hearts then went back up the work or down ever how i ended and from point to point i had really pretty feathers. Lol!

 

[speckledhen]

When i jad lessons on the LA.... the lady said think of a feather as if you are makin tons of half hearts. Also. If i made a bunch of connected hearts then went back up the work or down ever how i ended and from point to point i had really pretty feathers. Lol!

Yes! I just watched Rob Apell on Man Sewing doing his hearts that way, the half hearts. That helps if I think of it that way. I did a second try on the paisley feather and it's improving some.

 

[speckledhen]

Did some more. Done for the day. I can see how doing this in a large motif would fill a quilt fairly quickly.

 

[jeria]

I decided to try a design I've never tried. I have never been able to master feathers, but this one is a paisley feather from Angela Walters. Though I need more practice, it seems fairly easy to do. I just took some fabric I can't find a use for and some bright pink thread so it might show up a little better. I think this one I can master! But is it okay for large areas? Guess you could make the designs much larger and it would be less dense, of course.
I find it odd, after all those decades hand quilting, that folks quilt their quilts so densely. Is that weird or normal? If I tried to hand quilt them that way, I'd be working on one for eternity!
This is my first try at this design so I could probably get pretty good at it, ya think? Geez, that pink thread is a Coats & Clark serger thread, much thicker than the Maxi Lock and seems to just slog through the machine! I like the Maxi Lock so much better. The Coats brand breaks and shreds way too often. They say the Maxi Lock is equivalent to a 40w. I ordered some Aurifil to try it along with my SewSlip mat.
View attachment 1297060

Love your quilting!! Then I'm a dense quilting person. I would never be able to do that on a domestic machine!! Well done!! I have avoided Coats and clark since the 70"s for that reason. Signature quilting thread is made by them and I don't like that either.

 

[speckledhen]

Love your quilting!! Then I'm a dense quilting person. I would never be able to do that on a domestic machine!! Well done!! I have avoided Coats and clark since the 70"s for that reason. Signature quilting thread is made by them and I don't like that either.

Thank you, jeria! I am happy I was able to do it. I remember trying to do a feather ages ago and it was a disaster. Maybe I'm just getting better overall to be able to do this now. I hope so!

 

[sfgwife]

Did some more. Done for the day. I can see how doing this in a large motif would fill a quilt fairly quickly.
View attachment 1297789

They look good! I see em up top there! Keep goin! You can do it!

 

[jeria]

I LOVE feathers!!!! I have taken class after class with big shot teachers @ machine quilting showcase when it was here in KC metro. Irena Bluhm has some really neat books--one of my favs is funky feathers. Speckledhen, you might have fun with that one for some ideas. Remember free motion quilting is your interpretation so no one can ever say you did it wrong. You can even make fun pointy feathers, lots of chicken feathers are pointy. Just make sure you do the same "mistake" numerous times in the quilt, no one will ever know. Ripping is horrible, so tedious and not fun at all. I want to draw out a quilting pattern from the feathers on one of my Easter Eggers. She has beautiful feathers all in shades of gray.