Learning
I grew up in an academic family where learning is what we did. However, academia is not my thing and learning takes work. It takes bravery to tackle new things. Why? Clearly, there is the possibility of failing or simply being bad. So, why even try? I try because there can also be success. Sometimes those failures are the next step to learning what will work, now that you know what doesn’t work is out of the way.
Bernina 990 Progress
Last week I shared the back side of Broken Hearted. I also included an image of the spiral stitch I was using to quilt it. I definitely did some learning with this on the Bernina 990. The upshot is, that using a special stitch on a large sized quilt just isn’t up to my standards. I kept trying different approaches, but nothing worked to my satisfaction. The reality is that the quilt is simply too heavy to stitch out as it should and no amount of manual support would consistently lighten the load. Yes, I could invest in a suspension system (bungee cords hanging down from a support with clamps at the end) to hold the quilt up. Perhaps I will try that in the future.
The sample shared above is the stitching at its best. Note that variety versus the consistency of the spirals. True, they are close enough from a distance. They simply aren’t up to my rigorous standards for something that should stitch out perfectly every time. That’s OK. Now I know what not to do.
Rainbow Scrap Challenge
I also know what I can do and be satisfied with. I love free motion quilting. When I first attempted it, I thought I will NEVER get comfortable with this. I tried to learn free motion quilting at least a half dozen times only to give up. Still, I returned again and again, because it called to me from a design perspective.
Once I was done with the rainbow portion of the quilt, I moved onto free motion quilting the background or sky section surrounding the broken hearts. The weight of the quilt wasn’t a problem at all for free motion quilting. No, I don’t use a stitch regulator. Those stitches are simply me manipulating the quilt under needle. I chose to do random spirals for several reasons, but primarily because they help make sense of the spirals in the rainbow.
What I love about free motion quilting is how it is suited to even awkward spaces. Look how it gets into the tightest corners and maneuvers around the piecing. Of course, years of learning took place before I could achieve this. Even so, it isn’t perfect. However, I have learned to accept imperfection. 🙂 Perhaps that is the biggest lesson of all.
Question of the Week
What have you learned that you are most proud of?
I’m linking up to the following posts:
I like to quilt. Many of my quilt friends hate/fear the quilting part. I think it is because they just expect to sit down and quilt. It takes practise, lots and lots of practise. I lucked into a year long quilt teaching course by Sew Cal Gal, just as I retired and it was wonderful. We had a new quilter teach us every month. Computerized quilting looks so perfect, too perfect, no hand of the maker. So I guess my quilting chops are what I’m quite proud of.
…And that is the key, a year long quilting course. I did something similar in 2010. Leah Day created a Quilt-a-long, where she demonstrated FMQ from the basic stippling to more complex patterns. What I particularly loved was how she taught how to take a FMQ pattern and do it in a variety of densities, as well as how to navigate when you were caught in tight spaces. Isn’t great to be able to attack FMQ with confidence?
I love your FMQ and delight in being able to detect that the variations are human, not machine. The spirals are like flowers in nature – always more satisfying to the eye (imho) than regimented perfection. I use a stitch regulator, but my quilting is often better when I do not use it. And most of my quilting is done on donation quilts, where we are encouraged to do anything and everything. I’ve even been given quilts to finish up from quilt shows where one of our donor stores were using our Quilts for Kids quilts as demos on their long arms for the public to doodle on. I had to fill in some unquilted areas and try to tie the mess together, but it was a jolly fun time and cute quilt regardless!
When I was contemplating and test driving the Bernina 990, I naturally wanted to see how it would handle FMQ. The salesperson kept promoting the BSR (Bernina Stitch Regulator). So, OK, I caved and did some FMQ with and without the BSR. I was shocked that my quilting was as good or better than the quilting I did with the BSR engaged. My take is if you have never done FMQ, the BSR gives you confidence. However, if you adept at quilting, it removes the hand of the maker and feels off.
What a gift you share with your charity. Can’t imagine tackling a quilt others “doodled on”.
You pose an interesting question this week! While I leaned to FMQ, I decided on persistence. When projects don’t go well, do not shove the project into the closet of abandonment never to see the light of day again. Instead, let the project simmer, marinate and try again repeat as often as needed until either you’ve finished or until you have absorbed all the project had to give. Finished is better than perfect is my mantra!
Great answer, Terry. I second persistence as a learned and essential skill, especially when coupled with letting go of perfection. It took me a while, but eventually I learned that project was so precious, I couldn’t use it as a learning experience.
I’m sorry that Bernina stitch didn’t match your expectations, but it sounds like you figured out how you wanted this quilt to be finished. I am one of those people who never got comfortable with FMQ, but instead learned how to quilt with my walking foot and have been very happy with my results. In thinking about your question, I realized that I am most proud of my ability to learn what I have needed to in different seasons of life. Being a parent and working as a teacher both required constant learning. Learning how to be a happily retired person is another set of skills, and navigating elder care for my mom is a whole different one. I think we’re all constantly learning!
Of course, I wish the Bernina could handle a heavy load, so the spiral stitch worked as anticipated. However, since it didn’t, I know the next solution I will try. The quilt has also given me the opportunity to see if I can FMQ something that is 70″ long and 45″ wide. The answer is a resounding yes! No way could I have FMQ something this size with my old Bernina. It simply wouldn’t have fit. This quilt fits with room to spare.
Each life transition brings on its own set of challenges. Sounds like you have met each new phase of life with courage and skill.
Interesting question & I guess I’d have to answer that I learned to be a quilter. I had always wanted to learn piecing & was a clothes sewist for years, but never did any piecing. When I was diagnosed with a chronic illness in 2008 & struggling to see the way forward, my neighbor volunteered to teach several of us in the neighborhood how to make a quilt from start to finish. I joined in & it was great. One of the ladies I learned with there became my quilting partner & we added another lady to our group a couple years later. We still meet together in person or via FaceTime each week. Several years ago we went to a talk by Jenny Doan, of MSQC, when she was in Utah & she talked about how so many people have told her that quilting helped them heal. I started crying right there in the auditorium when I realized that had been true for me. I didn’t heal the chronic illness, because it’s still here, but I healed my attitude & heart. Now I make quilts for me, for family, & for donations to bless others.
Sue, I shed my own tear reading your comment. Thank you for sharing and being vulnerable. You have met a significant challenge, met it head on and found the blessings in doing so.
Several years back I started a small quilt charity with the help of my church’s social action program and my quilt guild. We named it The Power of the Quilt Project. I can imagine you coming to our Quilt-a-thons and making friends as you swapped stories. The name came from the uncanny way that when someone was gifted a quilt they invariably said, “How did you know that … What followed was instant connection to the quilt.
I love this!
🙂
I love your swirls, Gwyned!!! It takes guts to do FMQ!
It takes guts, a full year of doing Leah Day’s FMQ Quilt-a-long and another 15 years of using what I learned. :). I find FMQ very Zen.
Even with a computer guided long arm, perfection isn’t always the result. I have learned that finished is better than perfect, and I don’t have the patience for ripping and redoing over and over again!
I must admit I was unable to ever follow a pantograph with my long arm even after years of trying. My free motion wasn’t much better. I finally decided computerization was for me. I still choose the design, the size and the density. And, I’m happy with the results. Most of my quilts are for community giving so it helps to be able to quilt quickly too. I still do some quilting on my Bernina — ones that tell me they need something more than a repeated design.
The key here is you decided what worked for you. You clearly enjoy doing community/charity work. These quilts are perfect for low density all over pantographs. Longarm machines with your skill at setting them up, are perfect for this.
I only recently figured out how to lower the feed dogs on my 20+ year old sewing machine. I am hoping to practice some free motion quilting on some scraps before I tackle any sort of quilt. Practice makes perfect…or good enough. I am glad you determined what would work on your quilt.
Every sewing machine is different. I think it took me a few weeks before I saw the icon representing the feed dog on my new Bernina 990. Another key requirement is to have an open toe or sew through quilting foot. Combination of a lowered feed dog and an embroidery foot, allow for easy, OK easier) manipulation of the quilt under the needle.
Practicing on scraps is a great way to develop a comfort level with machine quilting.
Hi Gwyned, I’m glad that you’re enjoying the FMQ of the background between the broken hearts. It looks great – and it’s hand-manipulated and shouldn’t be perfect. That’s what pantos are all about! Thanks for linking up to FM Mavericks!
There are some gorgeous pantographs. I have moments of pantograph envy. However, what I love about FMQ is how it allows you to emphasize parts of the piecing design, while letting others recede. Only “custom” or FMQ can do that. So, I am happy to link up to FM Mavericks, since FMQ is one of my happy places.