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Friday, November 13, 2015

A Christmas Starlet

Little Joys Christmas Starlet Pillow by Heidi Staples from Sew Organized for the Busy Girl

Eleanor Roosevelt is credited with that famous quote, "Do one thing every day that scares you." I'm not sure if that would be wise -- or even manageable -- on a daily basis, but once in a while, it's probably not a bad idea. So this week, I decided to finally tackle one of my greatest creative fears: free-motion quilting.

I've been saving a bundle of Little Joys by Elea Lutz for a Christmas project this year, and I thought it would be fun to downsize the Starlet mini quilt pattern from my book for a 18" square pillow. After figuring out how to use the darning foot on my machine, studying the pages of Free-Motion Quilting by Angela Walters, and practicing some basic patterns on a few leftover fabric strips, I took a deep breath and plunged ahead.

Little Joys Christmas Starlet Pillow by Heidi Staples from Sew Organized for the Busy Girl

Christmas is a time for pulling out memories from the past, and I think this pillow is going to fit in well with that crowd. Every year, I'll be able to look at this pillow cover and smile over my first attempt at free-motion quilting -- not awful, but definitely with lots of room for improvement. I attempted a whole range of patterns on this project, including flowers, loops, and wishbones, with varying levels of success. Practice will do me good, and I'm looking forward to trying again in the months to come.

Little Joys Christmas Starlet Pillow by Heidi Staples from Sew Organized for the Busy Girl

But for today I'm pretty happy because, hey...finished a Christmas project? Check. Faced a fear? Check. Participated in Finish It Up Friday for the first time in months? Check.

Yep, it's all good.
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7 comments:

  1. Beth @ Cooking Up QuiltsNovember 13, 2015 at 2:59 PM

    How exciting! FMQ is so addictive - each time I finish a project I can't wait to start my next. Your pillow is beautiful and I love that you'll have it to remember your first time doing FMQ. I think your stitching looks great. There are a ton of videos on YouTube that are helpful to watch, and of course all those Craftsy classes. Have fun!

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  2. Cynthia Brunz DesignsNovember 13, 2015 at 3:52 PM

    Good for you for overcoming those fears and playing with lots of quilting designs. You sure did a great job for your first time! The pillow looks great.

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  3. Judy @ Sew Some SunshineNovember 13, 2015 at 5:03 PM

    I love the motifs you quilted, they look great on the pillow. I'm still working at FMQ also, it is scary...but it feels great when you finally get up the courage to do it!

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  4. Sue @ Quilting the Green StarNovember 13, 2015 at 5:48 PM

    Lovely quilting, I'm a great fan of Angela Walters too. Thanks for visiting my blog,
    Sue

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  5. Karen in Breezy PointNovember 14, 2015 at 9:52 AM

    Good for you--you'll be an expert in no time!

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  6. Helen LNovember 16, 2015 at 3:15 AM

    That's the only way to do it!! I just practice the motif that I want to do for a little bit and then jump in. Your pillow looks great!! And it's finished: great job!! :-) Hugs, H in Healdsburg

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  7. Leanne ParsonsNovember 25, 2015 at 5:05 PM

    Good for you! I have one of my earliest fmq projects hanging on a hall wall where I see it everyday. I love seeing it!

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