8/27/12

August FMQ Challenge

The month-end madness has set in where I'm trying to get all my monthly projects done...not that anyone's paying any attention aside from me.  It just makes me feel important if I think I'm under the gun somehow.  Force of habit from my working days, I guess.


August's Free Motion Quilting Challenge was created by Wendy Sheppard whose tutorial showed us how to make a motif resembling the hat a court jester would wear.  I'm not sure if I did it just the way I was supposed to, but it's a fairly good likeness.  


For me, the most challenging part of free motion quilting is not painting myself into a corner.  I sometimes end up in some little space with no way out except to sort of squeeeeeeze by somehow.  Either that or I end up making a point where I intended to make a curve.  It's always good practice trying these challenges each month, though, and this one was no different.  Thank you, Wendy, for a great challenge.  I can see using this motif in my future projects.

When I had that finished, I made the August block for the Block Lotto.  This month's block was a Jacob's Ladder done in cream and cool colors.


And I didn't have enough time to start another project today, and so I decided to finish making the label for the Daisies & Dots quilt.  I'm just about to round the fourth corner on the binding, and so I'll be ready to sew the label on soon.  Then it will be off to my cousin who lives in Austin, TX.  Even when we were kids, we never lived close.  Nevertheless, we saw one another relatively often, given the distance between us.  I haven't seen her in years, but I hope to get to Austin one of these days for a face-to-face reunion.  

I made this label using Printed Treasures.  And while I'm talking about this, does anybody else have trouble peeling the back paper off once you've printed the label?  I've doused the thing in lighter fluid to get it off, and then rinsed it out and pressed it dry.  It works, but I wonder why the paper is so effing hard to get off!


Can you guess what I'll be doing tomorrow?  I misspoke when I last wrote that I needed 16 pounds for my small batch of pasta sauce.  Actually, I only need 8 pounds, which is what you see here.  That will make 3-4 quarts of sauce.


And there are still more coming, my friends.  Many more.  It's the stuff nightmares are made of.

I'm hoping to get in at least one more batch before we leave on our trip.  Have I told you where we're going yet?  We're going first to Glacier National Park in Montana, then to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.  We've been both places before, but only to drive through.  This time, we have three weeks, and so we're going to spend a few days in each place hiking and seeing the sights.  After that, we'll head back home via Stanley Basin, Idaho, and then to the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Eastern Oregon if we have time.  Although we've lived in Oregon since 1978, we haven't spent very much time in the southeastern part of the state.  It's high time, I would say.  We always have so much fun when we travel in our RV, and so both of us are looking forward to it.

My Monday was pretty easy and relaxing.  I didn't have to go anywhere, and so I puttered around most of the morning.  How was your day?

13 comments:

Kate said...

Very pretty quilting and I love the Jacob's ladder block, very elegant.

Yes I have problems pealing off the paper backing, I usually have to have My Guy who has real fingernails work on it for a bit.

Dirt Road Quilter said...

Your FMQ looks amazing! That looks like a great pattern! I love the Jacob's Ladder block - it's one of my favorites. And your label is darling! I need to make a few - I don't know why I procrastinate about making labels. I am envious of your tomato crop and if I were closer, I would pick them while you were gone. :)

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

I like your FMQ piece...great job!

Teresa in Music City said...

I just love the jester's hat motif. Wendy is a very talented lady, and you did a great job with that motif. I find myself with the same problem of getting stuck with no "out" when FMQ'ing. Practice makes perfect they say, but I don't get enough of that in. I need to perhaps makes some changes to my sewing setup so that I will have what I need available for quick practice sessions.

Your label is just adorable! As cute as the quilt itself. I am sure your cousin will be charmed by it and love it! And YES I have trouble getting the ^&*)@%$ paper off the back of that Printed Treasures fabric!!! I lose my religion every time!!! Never tried lighter fluid though....

Your tomatoes are simply gorgeous! I know that will make some delicious sauce :*) Who will watch the tomatoes while you are gone? The trip sounds amazing - looking forward to the pictures of course!

NancyA said...

I hate to tell you this, but be sure you check before you go through the Stanley area of Idaho--a massive forest fire is burning and it is so smoky that you may not see much in the way of scenery. They say it won't be out until the snow flies.

Diane Wild said...

Glad you reminded me about the FMQ Challenge. Yipes, with all that's been happening, I haven't been in the sewing room much. Your trip sounds wonderful. And the tomatoes look good. Who gets to pick when you're gone? As for how my Monday went? I wish we could have a cuppa and I'd tell you all about it.

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Well, you way better than I with the FMQ challenge! Luckily my toms are only a handful a day (8 plants).

Dana Gaffney said...

Today's my day to do the FMQ challenge, time has really gotten out of control around here. Your's looks really good though, I've been reading a few people having trouble with it. For some reason I now want to watch Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.

Snoodles said...

Incredible FMQ work - you sure do a great job on that; Smitty must be helping you out tremendously to get those stellar results when you are just practicing! :)
Oh, what a dream come true...three whole weeks? Wow! We were just hoping to scrape together a day trip to the coast! LOL Sometimes being self employed is a problem! :)

Kate Brown said...

Wow, your tomatos are beautiful! I can imagine how wonderful they smell after coming in from the sun. I really miss my gardens :( Your fmq is really good!! I wish I had the patience to actually practice,for some strange reason I am thinking I will magically learn it :)

Anonymous said...

Your quilting looks very good to me! Jester's hat seems a great description. I just finished all my salsa for the year, so have fun with that!

quiltzyx said...

The FMQ looks fantastic! And you are not the only one that gets *almost* stuck into the corners! Wait! I meant to do that....

The oblong tomatoes at the bottom of the bowl look like they were squished into that shape!

LethargicLass said...

I love your FMQ, looks like a fun pattern! And no saying the tomatoes are a nightmare after all those years of having none LOL