Free Motion Quilting Play

November 10, 2021
Large Scale, Free Motion Quilting Large flower LoriKennedyQuilts Blog, 640 x 427, 3

Today’s Topic: Free Motion Quilting Play

Good Morning, Quilters!

Today we have a serious topic: play time!

When learning a new skill or honing an old one, play time is essential to developing new ideas and innovating.

Play is the time spent working on technique-without an end goal in mind. The only goal is pure experimentation.

Free Motion Quilting Play Time

For me, play time is a chance to answer questions things I’ve wondered about.

For example, “I wonder how this doodled motif will stitch out?”

or “I wonder how this thread will look on this fabric?”

Maybe it’s something like, “I wonder how this motif will look next to that motif?”

Thread Play Time

For a recent “play date” with myself, I started with a basic composition and a few spools of thread–and just started quilting and changing threads.

I usually choose white thread on medium color fabrics, so I wondered how variegated thread and low-contrast threads would look….

Extended Play Time

Usually I keep play time short, but sometimes I just don’t want to quit…

This quilt is approximately 24 x  30 inches.

I jammed a lot of stitching in the small space, mostly because I didn’t want to stop.  I admit I went a little overboard and the design is a bit cluttered looking as a result.

But that’s the nature of play.  It doesn’t really matter.  The quilt is only an experiment.

Playing with Scale

When I was finished with the original layout, I still had a few inch margin I couldn’t resist!

And I wondered if my scale was just too small.  Maybe I should have quilted a little larger….

Yes!  I love the scale of this!

 

But I’m out of playtime for now ….

And out of space on my fabric…

Still it was time well spent:

I found some new thread/fabric combos I like.

Played with a large scale motif that has merit and

I decided we can actually have too much of a good thing (FMQ)

When Was YOUR Last FMQ Play Time?

Do YOU allow yourself FMQ play time?

Have YOU experimented with a new thread lately?

Is scale of motif ever a challenge for YOU?

Do YOU allow yourself play time to innovate in other areas of work or life?

We’d LOVE to hear!

Your Kindergarten Quilter,

Mrs. Kennedy

Room 7- 2nd Floor North Wing

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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