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 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!
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!
238 comments
Char Arbogast
Many quilters believe quilting is piecing the quilt top. I disagree, I believe it is the quilting. My goal has been to create a quilt with no piecing, where the quilting showcases the quilt. This class is showing me how to achieve that goal, one step at a time.
Jackie Gilbert
I’ve been following you for several years and love your designs. I am a longarm Quilter but they work well there! I echo all those who have said that doodling is so important. I don’t consider myself artistic but it is amazing how doodling makes my quilting better. We Thank you for your inspiration!
Edy
Practice, practice, practice…it does make a difference! I’m gaining enough confidence from practice pieces that I have started quilting projects that sat for years because I preferred piecing to quilting. Now I have so many more options!
Patti Scronce
The thing that has helped me the most is the doodling. Every night I pick a different motif to concentrate on and I repeat it over and over until I’m mostly satisfied with the result. The next time I’m at the machine, I give it a go and it usually looks pretty good. I still have inconsistency in stitch length, wavy lines that should be straight, etc. but most people won’t notice the flaws and with more practice I’m sure to improve. I use the Supreme Slider – it makes such a difference. I use gloves. I started with a darning foot but had to switch to an open foot so I could see where I’m going. My first real project was to finish a Hawaiian quilt block that has been a UFO for quite a while. All I did was traditional Hawaiian echo quilting. It’s far from perfect but the piece looks acceptable, and I kind of like the flaws, the unexpected oops! J.S.Bach wrote his music with unexpected twists and turns, and while I’m sure he didn’t say oops when he did it, it’s one of the qualities that makes his music so enduring. So flaws and all, I’m gonna be happy pieces are finally getting finished!
Cindy Garaas
Thank you for the great lessons and tips. I would love to win the subscription.
Vickie Younger
Thanks so much for the carefully thought out lessons! I am just getting started and have been looking for a good book to show me an approach that I can follow with success. In your 25 Days I feel quite confident to begin. Each lesson builds nicely on the last and moves along quickly enough to let me begin on some smaller projects already! I love practice on paper and then moving to the machine. Practice each day is very helpful and enjoyable. Thanks again. I look forward to more inspiration!
Rita Scott
Thank you so much for this wonderful class. I had my kids buy me a Boogie Board for my Birthday in July. I doodle constantly on it at night. Thank you for this suggestion. Currently things are on hold as we clean up in Iowa after the storm. My sister lost parts or all of 40 trees. We just had a few trees and lots of brush. Electricity is on for us but so many are still without.
Again I look forward to continue my adventure with your class.
susanwashburn
Years ago I started a quilt that was my first attempt at FMQ rather than straight-line. I never finished it or worked on it again. Thanks to your encouraging lessons I made practice sandwiches and I’m practicing and improving! I. Almost confident enough to pull out that quilt and finish it! THANK YOU,
Pamela Jeffries
No more just meandering! I now know so many new motifs I can use!
Rose Landon
I’ve always been tense when quilting. I’ve learned to relax and enjoy. Doodling has helped.
Moira
I, too, am primarily a longarm quilter. I use my domestic machine for small projects like table runners. The thing you lessons have most reinforced for me is to practice! Thank you for your work.
Susan Boutault
I am loving your lessons!
Peggy Norris
The lessons have encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and given me an organized way to improve my FMQ. It has taken me a LOT of practice on multiple quilts, including 2 full-size ones, to be feel like my quilting is acceptable. Working on real quilts keeps me humble and gives me reason to keep doing it. I’ve been enjoying the practice squares. Thank you!
Bunny
I have saved Lori’s pages out of AQ for years! Great reference material
Sandra
Thank you for starting me off on FMQ! I love flower power!
Dawn Collins
I love receiving your emails – I need to purchase your book and I will – Ive made my sandwich samples to start ! You do beautiful work!!!
lynnaehrman
I’ve embraced slowing down – and doodling in my day planner (not unlike doodles in high school),
Laura Cheng-Guajardo
I made a simple twin size quilt using a different motif in nearly every block. It allows me to look back at the motifs and see what the they look like stitched out. That has been really helpful in planning the quilting of my next project. Thanks for all of the motifs to try.
Leslie Cotter Ferrell
Though I haven’t been able to follow the lessons with the regularity I would have liked, I hope to go back and do so in future and get ever more relaxed about machine quilting! I, too, find the gloves annoying, but the idea of bits of shelf lining is great and the Super Slider is wonderful. Thank you, Lori, for the inspiration and methodical teaching.
Denise Mohler
Sadly, I have not been able to start yet, Due to working almost 60 hours a week for the past few months my time has been very limited. I did purchase the book and when work slows down, I can get started, I have seen some amazing quilting from everyone as I do look at your Facebook group. Congrats to all who have started and been able to follow along, For those not started, I wish you the best of luck and start when you can.
Thank you Lori, for all of your books, blogs, groups and most of all your time and energy that you put into helping others become confident to learn and for us to be better quilters……
Cindy P
Thank you for the fabulous motifs! I have used some in various quilts.
Darlene J Price
All of my FMQ success is due to following you since before you did your first AQ issue. I joined AQS just to get that issue. Whenever I look for a new motif, I come to your site first. Next up will be a snowflake on the quilt I am working on now. Thank you Lori.
Karen A
In July, I completed a throw sized appliqued quilt and a table runner. I also learned what threads my machine works best with. Thanks for all the great lessons.
Patricia J Williams
I love to look through American Quilter at my local library!
Lauriebee
I learned about the Scribble app which is a great way to practice doodling. It’s been helpful in clarifying my thoughts for quilting design
shoshana
thank you Lori, and mostly thank you for all the constant inspiration, i’ve finally learned that i CAN do it, i just have to start!!!!
Terri
I love these lessons because I now have several motifs under my quilting belt that I can use to fill any shape. And these different motifs allow me to tell my story…maybe large flowers, then leaves and vines and an occasional bug basking under the midday sun. And when something doesn’t turn out quite like I had planned, I don’t stop to pick out the “mistake.” Instead I allow it to become a part of my quilt story line.
Elenore Dyck
Started following you from the beginning, and working on it every day. After week two, a family medical emergency occurred, and I have had to put your program on the back burner. I am saving your blog every day, and hope to continue when things settle down, I still read it as it arrives, and wish I could be following you in real time. What a great motivator you are. Thanks.
Deb Zurawski
Thanks Lori! I LOVE that you are giving your followers FREE lessons on FMQ! I am saving them for my quilting time this fall and winter. I am excited to learn more motifs and skills to make my quilts extra special!! Thanks.
Mary Northway
My victory is that I CAN do this! For years I let so many negative thoughts about my abilities to FMQ stop me in my tracks. I find if I don’t practice everyday now, I miss it. The one piece of advice that bowled me over is that I can and love to sew barefoot. I have always been a “house shoe” person. I am so glad that I am participating in this wonderful group. Thank you Lori for your gift of time and talent.
debbie1352
Believe it or not, I have relaxed about the start and stop. I love the little swirl at the end. I haven’t been able to do too many lessons as I have been quilting quilts for a girlfriend to give her grandchildren. I have used rage scolloped flower and the square flower. Great ideas.
Barbara Brandao
I never thought of myself as artistic…shunned art classes in school. But I’ve learned to embrace, and yes, even LOVE doodling! My quilting might look like a mess….but as I practice, I’m getting better. My small victory was learning to do the square flower motif. That turned out better than I expected. Thank you so much for the lessons and especially the tips on doodling!
Terry Mathieu
I use a longarm machine but I still find all of your ideas inspiring. The doodling is so important and I’ve gotten away from it due to busy schedules but you’ve reminded and inspired me to get back into the doodling. Thanks. Terry
Susan McFarland
I’ve learned that I love to doodle on my Boogie Board! In the past, it turns out, paper and the mess I made was holding me back! Believe you me… more doodling leads to better quilting!
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