Doodling ain’t easy and neither is Free Motion Quilting, but I have heard that doodling is a great segue to FMQ. That’s all fine and good, but what if you don’t even know how to doodle?! This is me. Or rather, this was me. Thanks to Christina Cameli, I am becoming a Doodler! And guess what, it really does help with Free Motion Quilting!
Let me back up a little. Since I developed this passion for quilting in 2011 I’ve wanted to do FMQ, but it requires A LOT of practice. Honestly I wasn’t willing to put in the practice, especially not on a domestic machine. So…most of my quilting over the years has been simple organic wavy lines done w/my walking foot.
I told myself I would learn FMQ from using Pantos when I got a longarm. Well, I recently acquired a longarm and I planned on becoming the Panto Queen! I ordered a few, watched some videos, and dove in. I didn’t do too bad.
However, there is a pretty steep learning curve to pantos too. That steep curve along w/the realization that I’d have to switch the handles ( to the front of the machine to baste the edges each time I advanced my rows caused the novelty to wear off rather quickly. Which brought me begrudgingly back to FMQ. I have since gotten a couple of REALLY good ideas on how to circumvent having to switch the handles.
I almost resigned myself to organic wavy lines. But I told myself how ridiculous that is. I have a longarm now!
So I attempted to do some things I’d seen, (I cannot even say “learned” because I was so terrible at it), at a Quilting Is My Therapy Quilting Clinic last summer. I allowed myself a few rows of this atrocity before I found my groove w/a largish meander.
After quilting almost an entire king size quilt w/this meander I’m chalking it up as mastered!
But I want to be good at more than just organic wavy lines and meander. So I prayed about it and soon after, I started watching Christina Cameli’s videos on IGTV @afewscraps. She’s also on YouTube under the same name, afewscraps. And I finally, finally started doodling!
At first I was really bad.
But the more I doodled, the better I got.
Which gave me the boost I needed to keep doodling!
After practicing this Flourish pattern for awhile, (several pages) I worked up the nerve to try it on a quilt.
I quilted this entire lap quilt w/it and now I’m chalking this up as mastered too!
The next doodle I plan to turn into FMQ is Echoed Swirls. And as you can see, I have been doodling it quite a bit. I’ve thrown in some Flourish as well. Another great thing about doodling is I can do it while I’m on conference calls!
And…I’m super excited about having finally got this book! I’m completely smitten w/edge to edge, organic style quilting.
When it’s all said and done, I may not even want to use Pantographs! How about y’all? Are there any other doodlers out there?
Linking up at:
Finished or Not Finished Friday
A Thread for Life
Who am I that the highest King would welcome me?
I was lost but He brought me in, oh His love for me
Free at last, He has ransomed me, His grace runs deep
While I was a slave to sin Jesus died for me, Yes He died for me
I am chosen not forsaken, I am who You say I am
You are for me not against me, I am who You say I am
Who the Son sets free, oh is free indeed
I’m a child of God, yes I am
In my Father’s house there’s a place for me
I’m a child of God, yes I am – Who You Say I Am – Hillsong Worship
A Quilted Passion 