American Quilter Subscription Giveaway!

August 14, 2020

Today’s Topic: American Quilter Subscription Giveaway!

Welcome to Week Nine of The Better Machine Quilt-a-long based on my book 25 Days to Better Machine Quilting.

Find all of the previous Lessons HERE.

Sign up for emails of the class HERE.

Good Morning, Quilters!

Let’s celebrate!  We are heading into our tenth week of quilting already!–We’ve come so far already–and most of the technical stuff is behind us. Now we can dive into the fun design aspects of machine quilting.

Speaking of good design…

American Quilter Magazine

For more that six years, I have written the “My Line” column in American Quilter Magazine.  (Thank you to Ann Hammel, editor-in-chief who was an early follower of The Inbox Jaunt!)

American Quilter Magazine is one of the perks of being a member of the American Quilter Society.  Membership also includes early access to shows and workshops and discounts on products and classes.

The magazine is chock full of great patterns, product reviews, award-winning quilt inspiration….It is a must-have in YOUR quilt library.  (Not to mention an exciting prize in your mailbox!)

The Square Flower Table Runner
The Giveaway

To enter the American Quilter subscription giveaway please leave a comment today here at Lori Kennedy Quilts.

Please share a small quilting victory.  

We would LOVE to hear about what you’ve learned over the past weeks.  Perhaps you’ve discovered you work better with a hoop than with gloves. Or you’ve overcome your fear of adjusting tension.  Maybe you’ve discovered the joy of doodling…

Everything you’ve learned is a small victory!

Have you finished quilt or project, or learned a  new motif…Victory!

 

Lesson Ten Project--The Sunny Day Quilt
Lesson Ten Project–The Sunny Day Quilt
Sneak Preview

We will announce the winner (drawn at random) on Friday, August 21, 2020.

(Winners outside of the US will receive the digital subscription.)

The Lesson next week is on directional stitching and we will create the Sunny Day Quilt!  It’s fast and easy and sure to add a little sunshine to YOUR week!

Note About Seamstresses in Fine Art

For the past five years, LKQ Saturdays have been dedicated to “Seamstresses in Fine Art”.  While I’m sure I can find another five years worth of Seamstresses (they were a very popular subject) I would like to change things up a bit…For the next several months, I plan to highlight art by museum.  In August and September, I will share highlights from the collection at The Art Institute of Chicago.  I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago so it was my introduction to fine art, and I suppose will always be my favorite museum. Last Saturday, we started with Georges Seurat’s  A Sunday on LaGrande Jatte.  

I hope you will continue to be inspired by and enjoy Fine Art Saturdays--one museum at a time!

What are YOUR Little Victories

What lesson has been most helpful to you?

Is there a small insight that has made quilting easier?

Have YOU tried the Fast/Slow Exercise?

Did YOU try the spray starch smooth glide experiment?

Have YOU created any of your own experiments?

What’s YOUR quilting super power?

We’d LOVE to hear!

Your Proud American Quilter,

Lori

PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy Quilts and are intended for personal use only.  Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to LKQ.  For all other purposes, please contact me at Lori@LoriKennedyQuilts.com.  Thank you!

Visit my Etsy shop: LoriKennedyShop for all of my books!  They are ALL bestsellers!

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238 comments

  • Norma Tarter

    I have had such fun doodling. Never took the time before. I’ve learned flexibility and freedom .

  • Mayela

    Thank you Lori for all the help. I was not a doodler, but I am getting better at and my quilting is also improving. I have learned so much from you. Thank you for sharing your talents.

  • Mary K Schmidt

    Free motion was so difficult at first, then I watched how you broke it down into easy segments and now most designs clicked in my brain, I do practice doodling before starting a new design and practice it on a dry erase board left over from my sons third grade class.

  • Michelle Young

    I have learned that:
    – I can FMQ and it doesn’t have to be stippling, which I am frankly not great at.
    – I can pull up the starter thread if I stitch once, but it is even easier if I take a second stitch and it will catch the tail in a knot even if I used the thread cutter. But making 5 stitches just knots it severely and probably will not work 🙂
    – Adding the words “coloring page” to a search engine search helps me discover new possibilities for fmq patterns.
    – quilting can be done on even the simplist of machines using stitch length 0, although the throuat size might become and issue as the quilt size grows (but Quilt as You Go – QAYG can help with that – warning – 7 or more variations!)
    – my quilting foot has a pressure adjustment on it. It was initially set to put a great deal of pressure on the fabric. Once I fixed that, my “sandwich” flowed MUCH better. I am surprised I have NEVER seen anyone mention that as a “setup” item to adjust before starting FMQ.
    – I do better with gloves. But they are so good that threads stick to them too, so I take one off to cut threads.
    – Doodling first helps my progress
    – erasable pens work GREAT on fabric, you can erase even on fabric, and they wash out.
    – test on sample sandwich when starting a new needle/thread combination to verify tension.
    – that “clunking” sound means I probably have a “situation” on the back side of the fabric. Stop immediately and rethread!
    – I need to be patient and keep working on speed/stitch length.
    – Traveling can hide mistakes 🙂
    – echoing can hide mistakes and enhance a pattern.
    – It may look bad/messy/choppy to me close up, but if I put it aside and look at it later farther away, I might be amazed at how much better it looks.
    – Straight lines can be overrated. Adding a little flow on purpose can look even better.
    – Cotton 50wt and jeans needles are the magic combination for me to avoid thread breaking…ususally. It may be expensive, but Aurifil is so worth it for me. I tried learning with the thread I had, but was so much happier when I switched.
    – some day I would like to try connecting threads version of Cotton, and IsoCord.
    – FMQ does not really show up if the thread matches the fabric. If I am proud of the pattern, I will be disappointed I cannot share because it will not show up in a picture, and will even be difficult to see in person. However, it will hide patterns that are not as successful.
    – more stitiching means the blanket will have a heavier feel.
    – The internet is a wonderful treasure trove of resources. Unfortunately, I can also burn an entire day cruising through resources. But my confidence has improved with all the learning.
    – and finally, I have learned that I still have alot to learn!

  • Josie

    I’m a complete noob at quilting, and am really just getting started. My first “dip of the toe” into machine quilting is that I bought a walking foot and learned to use it. Baby steps, I know, but I have to start someplace!
    Lori, I enjoy reading your blog, and hope to try a lot of your designs. Would love to get the American Quilter subscription for inspiration and instruction.

  • Lyndalee Korn

    I’ve enjoyed following your blog. Tried some of your designs.

  • Connie Wells

    Lori, Thank you for sharing your time, your expertise, and encouragement with us. I appreciate being able to go back and catch up on the posts for learning free motion, as I am not able to keep up, even while staying home. Seems like the garden and home care require attention before I can quilt, perhaps it’s the lessons I learned growing up; we had to complete our chores before we could play. Guess I will have to alter my thought process to include quilting and practice to “work” rather than play…..Again, thanks for the opportunity to grow our skills, share with others and be motivated during this unheard of time of isolation. Connie

  • Denise Strueber

    Doodling has made a huge difference in my learning new motifs!

  • Before I would never have thought to quilt with any motifs. But over the weeks, I’ve gained enough confidence and I will be quilting a throw size quilt with a flower motif using the skills I acquired during this QAL. Thanks Lori.

  • Paula

    Hi Lori,

    I finally overcame my trepidation and used my new long arm to quilt the Fancy Forest quilt top I made for my granddaughter. I quilted a wood pattern and it came out so much nicer than I expected!

    I grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago and we live in the far western burbs now. I too love the Art Institute and enjoyed taking my boys there when they were young.

    Thank you for generously sharing all of your lovely patterns with us and giving us the confidence we need to quilt our own quilts. For me, quilting them myself is essential since I want my quilts to made completely by me, filled with love, from my hands to theirs.

    Paula

  • Lori, I have enjoyed your latest book and between the book and the lessons I have learned to doodle and enjoy it. At times some motifs are challenging for me. My machine doodling is improving and I have learned more about my machine, thread, needles and tools! …. yeah! I am behind on the lessons but always take time to review, even if I don’t accomplish the practice. I am following along, just at a slower pace.

    Please enter me for consideration for the magazine subscription.

    I have been one of your followers ever since a new quilting friend told me about you a few years ago. Keep up the great work, you inspire many!

    Thank you!

    Joanne Houpt

  • I took a break from quilting sandwiches to finish a quilt for my brother. I am so grateful for everything I have learned so far, as between the doodling and practice, I feel that my finished quilt was much better than any I had quilted before. I am excited to send it out as a gift to my brother and SIL… the first quilt I have every made for them. Thank you for the increased confidence. Thank you for the prod to get going. Thank you for new skills and new pattern ideas.

  • Barbara Beernink

    In the past couple months,I have paper pieced a quilt square for the very first time ever!! And yes, I will be doing more of these in the future!

  • Laura P Lane

    I’m working on developing a rhythm-coordinating the machine speed with movement. Small victory, but much more practice to go!

  • Bridget Balthrop Morton

    You know what? I’d say — perhaps aptly this particular year — my greatest victory is a free motion quilter is that I keep trying. I’m a lifelong perfectionist, not particularly good at drawing, even doodling, but I love playing with fabric and I like quilting my own small pieces. So I keep trying, and Lori’s posts are my go-to guide, and biggest inspiration.

    Recently I did a small art quilt for The Sticky Steve Project, and I wanted a bee motif for the borders. I used Lori’s, and if it wasn’t perfect, it was good enough! You can take a look here, if you’re interested. https://thestickysteveshow.weebly.com/timeline.html My piece is toward the bottom of the webpage. Thanks, Lori!

  • Mary L Pate

    I learned how easy it is to quilt words!

  • Barbara London

    I happened upon your website late for the QAL but I ordered a new foot for my Juki and your book. I will start when they arrive and have read all of the lessons. I always spray basted my quilt sandwiches so now I will save a lot of time with just ironing.

  • I have found I do better quilting with the one plastic foot that the spring one
    Has made it easier and more productive ,,doodling and lots of practice and thanks to you Lori for sharing your passion,,would love toy win that magazine

  • Marvel

    I have always loved to Doodle filling whole pages with swirls that I have now learned looked a lot like quilting. I am doing something I loved and finishing the quilting I loved but was afraid to try. Thank-you for giving me the freedom to do so;

  • Joanne L Wilson

    Thank you Lori for all your wonderful ideas. I think doodling on paper or maybe a white board is my favorite idea.

  • Becky Reeve

    The importance of doodling is one of the big takeaways for me. I have started doodling. I just finished quilting for a zipper pouch (small project!) and the leafy meander looks so awesome! I can’t wait to use my skills on my next bigger quilting project. Love your books with design step by steps. Thanks so much!

  • Sue Schwabauer

    I have embraced doodling…i doodle on napkins on my lunch break at work or in a notebook at home. I have noticed huge improvement in my machine quilting by embracing the doodle habit.I have also begun to free motion quilt without gloves and find it is not so hard to do. Do this quilt along has definitely pushed me to new horizons in free motion quilting. Thank you so much for doing this, Lori!!

  • Diane Obernesser

    Even though I have yet to stitch out the designs I have been doodling regularly & have noticed that right after doodling my penmanship is improved. And my writing was pretty good to begin with. Hoping to get on to stitching soon (power was out due to tropical storm last week).

  • kate b

    Lori…you are my inspiration. I appreciate your generosity and your new book is used every day. Thank you and please enter me in your AQS contest. I look forward to your Saturday picks from the Art Institute…will be fun to see if yours are the same as mine.

  • DIANNE THOMPSON

    I am having a great time learning and trying all the techniques of FMQ! Love learning new designs.. thank you.

  • Karen Rackliffe

    I’ve had such trouble with starting and stopping the stitching line. Sounds silly but I didn’t even know my machine had these buttons. IT’s so cool! I’m not only learning about your techniques and tips, but learning more about my Bernina machine.

  • Carol Hungerford

    I just tried (successfully) the Squared Flower. What a fun motif. Thank you for your encouragement.

  • Cynthia Wood

    Whenever I get stuck for inspiration for quilting ideas I always go to your books first. I always find just what I was needing for that space. You have pulled me through many times.

  • I am not the least bit artistic, but have been practicing the doodling and can see a little improvement on paper. But it will be a while before I am brave enough to risk wasting fabric and thread 🙂 I follow your posting regularly and have the first one of your books. Never would dream of even thinking I might be able to FMQ without your lessons and good humor.

  • Mary A Appel

    I have learned the wisdom and importance of pretesting thread, tension and fabric choices before I start quilting, everytime I sit down to sew. I am excited to get going on my project but thank you for giving me a better approach.

  • Kathie Banks

    A give away…How Fun!!! I normally don’t like doodling in advance of quilting, but I do like to have something to do while sitting in an airplane, so on a recent trip, I took paper and pencil and practiced some of the motifs that you’ve been sharing in this series. I’ve always had a hard time with copying a motif in both directions. That’s what I worked on while traveling, and I’m happy to report that as time “flew” by, I began to grow more comfortable with doodling the motifs in both directions. Viva La Doodle!!!

  • Martha

    I am getting better at coordinating speed with fabric movement. I have used some of your motifs on previous quilts. Great ideas!

  • Mary Ann Rohrer

    There has been soooo many things I have learned from Lori Kennedy Quilts Free Motion Quilting free online class that it is hard to choose just one thing I’ve learned! I purchased a new Bernina just before starting this class. I have learned how to sandwich practice pieces, how to doodle (so fun!), improved my rhythm in free motion work, Learned a rhythm in attending to my new machine daily, learned how to wirj with improving tension. Those are just a few of my new skills. The best part is the Facebook online community that always supports my attempts! Thank you, Lori!

  • Linda

    Spray starch is now my best friend. Has really helped me with the latest quilt.

  • Renee

    I have so many quilt tops made that need quilting. Your class and your new book has inspired me to get busy and finish them. Have been so busy making masks, lost my mojo for quilting. Thank you. The doodling tips and suggestions for patterns are my favorite, but the reminders of how to set up area to hold quilt was helpful. So on to doodling this weekend and quilting Monday!! Thank you

  • Wendy Wish

    Had my first fmq win finishing some long procrastinated over items. I’m loving the daily email link and the warm inspiration of the Facebook group!

  • I love all the tips in this series. i bought a supreme slider and i am going to starch the back of my quilt.

  • Time after time, my inability to hold the top thread and the fabric under the needle to start a seam was driving me mad! After 50 years of sewing, I finally had a flash! I cut a piece of double-sided tape and put it to the right and behind the needle. Now, before I start a new seam, I make sure my top thread is stuck to the tape and I don’t have to re-thread my machine again and again. When the thread doesn’t stick anymore, I replace the tape.

  • Kathy Clark

    I have learned that I didn’t move my hands when I should have while fmq. Also, doodling a lot before quilting really helps non-artists like me to sew a better design!

  • Susan N.

    I have not done any FMQ prior to this nor did I doodle specifically with quilting in mind. Now I find myself (especially during meetings:-)) trying different simple designs without having to stop because I have blocked myself in.

  • Maureen Welch

    I just starting quilting this year. I love the the process from beginning to end. I made my first quilt for my great granddaughter and I just finished my first HST quilt for my second great granddaughter.

  • Terry

    Leanring all is all better than just quilting in the ditch!

  • Willa Jessee

    Nine weeks ago I had never done one stitch of FMQ. I’m so amazed and proud of my progress. I’ve a long long way to go, but it’s going to be a fun journey!

  • Trisha Lediard

    I would love to read this magazine during this time of quarantine. Your instructions are always so helpful. ✂️✂️✂️

  • Barb Applegate

    I can’t say any one thing, they have all helped me overcome my fear of just do it and see what happens. I have improved over the weeks and am really enjoying seeing the changes. I have a Christmas quilt top that I am just about done with and want to put my new skill put to use.

  • Shelley Kaurin

    I am a novice, the pace of the lessons and progress is spot on. Loving it all and gaining confidence. Boogie board fantastic. Perfectly timed as I am learning how to use my new 770qe at the same time. I love the facebook page to see everyone’s efforts and ideas. It is wonderful to have a community to learn with. Lori is an amazing teacher. So glad to be part of this all.

  • Becky A Himle

    I have followed you faithfully I have been working very hard on my stitch consistancy. I look at sampler that acame with your book. I am getting better.

  • I like doodling and improving my memory with these designs it makes it easier to sew. More confidence in using FMQ taking this class. Thanks

  • Debby Timson

    I have been quilting for 50+ years. With the exception of the last 15 years, it has been all self taught. As I started in free motion quilting, I would practice on paper different designs. With the internet, I see it is called doodling. I have kept a notebook of all the practice sketches/doodling that I’ve drawn. As I have followed your blog, I continue to learn new patterns and techniques.

  • Hello Lori. I’ve learned that every expert was once a beginner! This gives me hope! Thanks for sharing your expertise with all of us!

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