Free Motion Ruler Work: Midnight Snowflakes

I am having a great time with my new Janome 8200 and quilting with rulers. This machine is so quiet, plus the visibility and ability to work behind the foot with standard 1/4 inch thick rulers is so much improved over my 6600.

Free Motion Quilting with Ruler Work

Not that the Janome 6600 isn't a great machine, it's only when it came to ruler work behind the foot that I had any issues. In fact, the 6600 is no longer mine. It sold yesterday at the shop. I showed it the day before to a young mother and I hope it was her husband who returned the next day and bought it for his wife. I didn't get her name, but I gave her my card so I'd love to hear from her. (I want to let her know that there are some customized settings on the machine that I should have returned to the defaults before it sold.)
 
Isn't this a cool batik to free motion quilt?
I'm working feverishly on a sample quilt for the Top Anchor Quiting Tools both at the Lancaster AQS show in less than two weeks. All of these snow days have slowed my quilting down. The kids have been having plenty of fun; sledding and drinking hot chocolate. I've been doing more laundry than ever since giving up cloth diapers a few years ago.

The batik motifs are based on 8 points and most of the rulers I'm using are based on 6 points, so it doesn't line up well, but I think it's still pretty! You can see the anchor post in the middle of this design.
For the ruler work motifs on this quilt, I'm using Yenmet Metallic thread. It's a blend of turquoise blue thread and silver metallic. It's working beautifully! I'm using a 90/14 universal needle in the machine and Glide thread in the bobbin. I did take the tension off of auto so I could use a very low tension on the top.

I'll work on getting a few in process shots soon, maybe even a video if I can get the kids to be quiet long enough.

What have you been quilting on? Are you doing any ruler work? Anybody else longing for spring like I am?

11 comments:

  1. My Westalee foot and rulers just FINALLY came in the mail! I was waiting so long I was sure that the Australian post office shipped them to me via swimming kangaroos. I'm fitting the foot to my Bernina 750 and getting ready to test out the foot on my machine. Thanks so much for sharing about this resource!

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  2. I am also waiting for my Westalee ruler foot due to come tomorrow I am so excited thanks Amy for such wonderful information !! Love the quilt you are working on, I am going to order some of the rulers from Top Anchor today..

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  3. It is a very quiet machine isn't it? I didn't realise until I went to my first beginners FMQ class (I can only dream of using rulers at the stage!) and the instructor kept commenting on how quiet it was. I had a listen of all the other machines in the room and they were definitely louder. I'm enjoying watching you quilt on this machine - it gives me something to aim for :)

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  4. Amy I can hardly wait for spring....in fact, I just started a cross stitch piece that is an herb in a teacup because it looked so much like spring! I'm slowly teaching myself how to use the ruler you sent me and I do love it. It will be a long process because I'm not doing much quilting right now (having some back issues) but I know it will come in time. blessings, marlene

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  5. I have not yet tried ruler work with my fmq. It really intimidates me in terms of my domestic machine! Your snowflakes are so pretty, and they look nice with that 12-point "starring" around them!

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  6. I see that you are using the Top Anchor quilting templates with the anchor pin. Have you tried them all on a sit down machine? I have an HQ16 sit down machine and I'm very interested in these templates, but their videos only show them being used on a long arm. I realize you are very busy, but a video using one of their templates on a sit down machine would be extremely nice. I belong to the Yahoo HQ16 group and I know everyone there would love a video also. These templates have been discussed, but no one as of yet has tried using them on a sit down machine. The cost prevents me from buying unless I know they work on a sit down machine.

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    1. I have used all of the Top Anchor rulers with my domestic machine and a few that they haven’t released yet. As a disclaimer, let me say that I have received all of their rulers for free in order to play with them and see if they can be used well on a domestic machine. I do have one video of the Dahlia ruler here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvJBtn_vE8E&index=8&list=PLAla5TFridJd3rqaASZYvnE9LI8VkkvRy I am making more of these videos and playing with the rulers more since getting my new machine. On my previous machine, Janome 6600, the accufeed system got in the way of working with rulers behind the foot. They do work! The Baptist Fan ruler would probably be the hardest to use with a domestic or sit down long arm, as it requires movement as you quilt to make the arc, but I have used it also.

      In fact, I will be at the Lancaster AQS show in March demonstrating these rulers at the Top Anchor booth on my Janome 8200. I hope to get some videos out within the next few weeks also.

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  7. Thanks for the information I am getting ready to place an order with Top Anchor today for the 8" Feather Wreath, I am looking forward to more of your wonderful video's Amy!!!

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    1. LOL! I used the 8" feather wreath on this quilt last night! Shot a video too. Fun! Make sure to use the handy markings on the ruler to make sure there's not too much slippage as you work around the wreath. I got a little too deep into "the zone" and quilted all the way around to find that I was at the last plume spot all of a sudden and didn't have quite enough room to fit it in. Redid a couple of the plumes, and then it was perfect.

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  8. Thanks Amy for the information, I am new to ruler work and I will be doing it on either my Janome 6600 or Bernina Artista 730 depending on what ruler foot comes in first I ordered the low shank from Westalee and the Janome from AllBrands. Your work is Awesome, you have inspired me to take the jump and try it!!

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