Free Motion Monday Quilting Adventure: Grid-based Designs #2

It's week 2 and I'm doing some stitching of grid-based designs and I hope you are too. I started with a picture from a copyright-free Dover book and drew my own version of a floral design on my quilt sandwich.


I simplified the drawing to suit a wholecloth quilt design. Then I stitched the outline of the drawing, and followed up with some tiny McTavishing. Micro-McTavishing? Mini-McTavishing? Anyway, it was fun!


I've gotten better at this fabulous design, I think due to the McTavish-along, which was the first Free Motion Monday Quilting Adventure series. At first glance, you'd think that this was tiny, painstaking work. But since the scale is so small and the thread matches the fabric, it's quite forgiving.


Then it was time to mark the grid and begin my grid-based design. I wanted to do it at a 45 degree angle, so I lined up the 45 degree marking on my stencil (www.quiltingstencils.com) with the straight edge of my fabric and began marking with my disappearing marker.


I was having trouble marking these lines at first and then realized my marker was on its last legs and switched to a new one. It made a big difference! These are half-inch squares and make a great filler design in a checkerboard pattern. I shot another video of my stitching.


I ended up stitching two different grid-based designs, but am only covering this first one here. Speaking of designs, Karin at the Quilt Yarn linked up to last week's post and she had a great resource to share. Charlotte Warr Andersen has a book all about geometric and grid-based designs! (One Line at a Time ) In fact she's got a second book with more designs and her no-mark methods to make them are definitely worth checking out. Bonnie McCaffery has a video interview with her on youtube:


 Marking with stickers and/or tape! Brilliant!

free motion quilting with a flower wholecloth

I love the texture of this design and can't wait to fill in around the rest of my flower with more grid-based designs.


Don't forget to comment or link up to this post, if you didn't do so with last week's post, so you can be entered to win two stencils from www.quiltingstencils.com. The lucky winners win be drawn next week.

I love seeing what everyone is doing during these Monday link-ups!

If you've missed any of the Free Motion Monday posts, you can find them on the Free Motion Mondays page.

Here's the guidelines for the link party:

For the linky this week, link up a post of  grid-based designs you've done, if any. If you haven't done any, now's the time to draw some out, start a new practice piece or even try them out on a quilt!

Some quick rules:
  • Keep your post relevant to this quilt along please. Spammy posts will be deleted.
  • Make sure you link up to the individual post, not your home page as nobody wants to have to search around for the post if they're a little late to the party.
  • Reciprocate! Link back to this post somewhere in your post. You've got to dance with the one who took you to the party, so make sure you link back.
  • Don't be a wall-flower. (Talking to myself here too. In person I am so stinking shy!) Visit the other links, be sociable, and leave comments.
  • Please make sure you leave me a way to contact you if you are a no-reply commenter, especially if you ask a question. 
Don't forget to bookmark this blog, follow, or sign it up in your favorite feed reader. Like the blog's facebook page (I do post some short things on it pretty regularly), or even check out my Pinterest boards.  I'll be visiting you too!




17 comments:

  1. Wow Amy! That's really something special. Can't wait to see where you go with it!

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  2. Gorgeous quilting! That looks a bit out of my league, but I'm going to save this post for future inspiration :-)

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  3. Love what you're doing here, Amy! I was going to mention Charlotte Warr Anderson's book, but someone else beat me to it. ;)

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  4. I am just beginning FMQ and simply ADORE your patterns!

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  5. Love the gird work. I did gird pattern in the center of a feather motif on a triple irish chain. When fill in every other one it gives such a great impact. Love it.

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  6. WOW!! Love the grid I have a BOM that I'm thinking would look great with that.

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  7. Love the grid work. You make it look so easy that I think I will give it a try. Thanks.

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  8. I'm doing a simple cross hatch on one of the small borders on my quilt. I'm using the handiquilter versa tool ruler. Love the small mctavishing you did on your quilt.

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  9. Thanks for sharing your creative inspiration Amy! Your work is simply awesome. I would love to have the chance to win the stencils! Drawing line by line with my ruler does not always keep the lines straight!

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  10. I love how the unquilted tiny squares really pop!

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  11. I love grid work and yours is gorgeous. Your quilting is exquisite. Thank you for the inspiration and amazing instruction.

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  12. Wow! Beautiful work! Maybe one day I'll get that good!

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  13. It is such fun to watch you do your magic! I dream of someday being able to do a bit of what you do. :)

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  14. I love what you are doing! I would love to win the stencils as I do all of my own quilting and am continuing to learn from quilters like you who are generous enough to share their expertise! Thanks!

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  15. I have learned so much on this blog,now I just need to find the confidence to tackle a project.

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