The Wooly Mittens-A Free Motion Quilt Tutorial
“When the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful…
As long as you love to sew…
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…!”
Good Morning Quilters and Quilt-Lovers!
Welcome to the 2015 Edition of Tuesday Tutorials! Another 50 Tutorials already in the works….
Just to get you warmed up, we’ll start with a pair of mittens-The Wooly Mittens.
This motif could be stitched in a border OR use the connecting stitches to travel to create an allover motif to cover an entire quilt.
Pair The Wooly Mittens with Snowflakes and Spirals–(Reminiscent of Snowballs)– and you have a gorgeous, complex quilting pattern.
So let’s get started:
THE WOOLY MITTEN FREE MOTION QUILT TUTORIAL
Begin by drawing three lines or “rails” (NOTE–Rails are guidelines to help keep stitching straight or to help maintain proportions.)
Draw the top and bottom lines, two inches apart.
Draw the middle line 3/4″ above the bottom line.
Begin stitching on the middle line. Stitch a rounded petal shape and stop before reaching the middle line.
Stitch the thumb by stitching a small petal shape. End ON the middle line.
Stitch ON the middle line – connecting up to the beginning of The Mitten.
Stitch down one stitch and echo stitch this line.
Stitch the cuff of the mitten by stitching several long petal shapes.
Then outline the cuff and end near the thumb.
Stitch a loop-de-loop..and begin the right Wooly Mitten.
Add a Snowflake…and begin again.
Now YOU’RE ready for a snowball fight, to build a snowman, make a snow angel, go skiing, snowshoeing…
One thing I’ve learned in my ten years here…Minnesotans don’t stop for a little snow…
They go ice fishing, sledding…
But then again, some of us stay INSIDE…
and QUILT!
Warm Wishes,
Lori
PS…Don’t forget to tune in tomorrow for the First Installment of our Free Motion MYSTERY Quilt-a-Long….It’s going to be fun, fun, fun! (and educational!)
PPS…All tutorials, images, and information are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin and tweet with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com. Thanks!
love it!
Super cute…even here in Florida I will find a way to incorporate this sweet design, that’s how we MN transplants roll!
Lucky you!
Oh no you didn’t!!!!!!!! YOU DID!!! I love mitten things…YAY! They are so cute and the little snow flake inbetween…darling! So easy and sweet! Thank you. I’m so tickled you used red…my Grandma Helga made me a pair of red mittens when I was little…preschool age. I must of loved them cuz I remember them with warm fuzzies inside. Childhhood was good in Minnesota. 🙂
My daughters and their hubbies have been ice fishing in WY too…LOL! I’ll stick to the cocoa and quilting!
You’ll have to make a pair for Charlie–keep his little digits warm!
Hello Lori, I have just found your blog a few days ago….and have decided to learn and hopefully become proficient at FMQ, as I have a lot of quilts that need to be quilted! So, with all of your amazing information and tutorials, I hope to achieve this New Years resolution!! It seems weird to be looking at mittens when it was 44.4deg Celsius here just yesterday!! Very hot indeed. I think your willingness to share is fantastic, and I applaud you. Warmest Regards from Raelene in Western Australia
It’s hard to imagine being warm again! All the schools in the state were closed today because of extreme temperatures! The good news: I got a lot of quilting done!
🙂 – what else is there to say?
Just too adorable Lori!
“Stay inside”……my choice for sure!!!!!
I love winter! Not for the cold but I get to stay inside and do what I love best. Quilting!
Thanks so much for the lessons!
I second that ! ! !
I am really drawn to red and white this year- don’t know what that means- maybe just starved for color- and I just finished making red and white mittens and hat for my daughter—I’ll have her send you a selfie! So this tutorial really speaks to me 🙂
Yeah for red and white.
Pat
Always classic!
I always enjoy your creativity and simple steps that help even those of us who don’t feel very artistic! I’m excited to see what fun motifs you will bring us in 2015!
Love them…the mittens are adorable!! Thanks for the tutorial 🙂
Another 50 tutorials???? What a wonderful gift to all of us. Thank you in advance
I found your blog a couple weeks ago and I’ll be back frequently. My future FMQ is going to be much more creative, with all the ideas you have to share. I’ve seen and admired your work in The Quilter magazine but didn’t connect those articles with your blog till I stitched square flowers in a recent quilt, and your identity clicked in my head. Senior Moment, I’m sure. Thanks for all the wonderful info you share with us. I’ve mentioned you on my blog, with credit to you for the square flowers design.
Not leaving the house today (Minnesota) and am going to practice that pair of mittens! Thank you.
BrrrRR! I have to go out this afternoon!
Love the mittens design! Being from Iowa, I have endured a life-long adversarial relationship with cold weather. This winter especially I have been misplacing gloves and mittens so I am excited to quilt some mittens that I won’t loose! I just began doing free motion quilting on the new Brother Dream Weaver machine I just got and am so sad that I didn’t start it years ago. I love it so much that I ordered a long arm machine and am so excited to see what I can do on it. But until it comes I will continue on my DSM. I love all your designs. Thanks for sharing them.
I am so excited for the Free Motion MYSTERY Quilt-a-Long…. I know it’s going to be awesome! ! !
Just discovered you and am super excited. Love the mittens.
Vous faites du free motion merveilleux j,adore ‘!
Elise
Looking forward to the mystery. I am going 2 make a resolution 2 do it every day.
I can hardly wait until tomorrow….yippee!
Good Chilly Evening from Illinois
I have a one huge block (Log Cabin) and don’t know what type of quilting to do on it can you suggest anything?? Thanks Lori
It’s too hot in New Caledonia for mitten but design on fabric this is very comfortable!
thank’s
LOL! I can’t even imagine being warm right now! All the schools in the state of Minnesota were closed yesterday due to extreme cold and today it’s only slightly warmer with high winds and snow!! WE NEED our Mittens!
I really like these mittens–you make it look so easy! THANK you for sharing your talents w/ other quilters! I was born & raised in Minnesota–later relocated to OH–winter doesn’t “set in” here like in MN! However, I dress according to the weather but see so many people here who have “no respect” for the cold weather!
Q/ Have you designed a tutorial for a pair of ladies ice skates?
If so, I couldn’t find it…I found the cutest fabric w/ little girls ice skating that I’ve pieced together a quilt top with…I definitely want to use the mittens design, and of course skating “swirls!”
Thanks again for these great tutorials!