A Free Motion Quilting Finish

I've mentioned before that my word for the year is "Finish". I gave a tiny peek into this project in my Transferring Designs to Fabric post.

Finish- my word of the year free motion quilted

It would not bode well for me this year if I couldn't finish my "Finish"! It's all done now, stapled onto the frame and ready to hang in my studio.


 I am so happy to have it quilted up to put it on my wall. It's ridiculously densely quilted. The canvas I stretched it over is just 8 by10 inches.


I shared it with a few friends on Instagram and Facebook in its unfinished form and we had a good giggle over the irony of the unfinished piece.


Speaking of Instagram, I've now got a smart phone and am trying to make better use of that service. I had to have my baby sister walk me through a few points of using it. (She's a mere 21 and her iPhone is nearly a permanent appendage.) If you are on Instagram, you can find me as "amys_fmq_adventures". I'd love to follow more quilty folk there!


I used a white Kona cotton for the front and backing of this piece. I had done another similar piece in december and shared that I only used a front piece of fabric and batting, no backing. I'm back to using the standard 3 layers of top, batt, and backing.



I had forgotten to mark one of the dots above an 'i' and quilted right over where it should have been. I could have stalled out right there, but I ripped out the area and stitched the dot a few times. It was too small an area to tie off and bury the thread ends unless I ripped out a large section.


I've decided it's a symbolic happening. A reminder of when I need to push through the perfectionism that makes me stall out on so many projects and just finish. Not that I'm embracing poor workmanship or sloppy technique, but keeping it in a workable perspective.


These swirls make me happy! The thread is a Sulky Blendable. It's a pretty variagated cotton thread that's been in my stash a long time.


So here's to many more finishes this year. Some of my finishes are quilting projects, some are more personal, but all need to get done this year. I hope we will inspire one another other to do more free motion quilting and get more finishes under our belts.



18 comments:

  1. I love that! Well done. The texture is awesome. Here's to many more finishes!

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  2. Beautiful thread, beautiful quilting!

    I'm running a fabric giveaway, you are welcome to enter!

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  3. Oh wow! That is gorgeous quilting, and so tiny.

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  4. Amy that is so beautiful. I really want to try it but my phrase will have to be " COME ON VAL..Just Start Something Already" ..Val

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  5. That is just ridiculously cute!!!!!!!!!!! Such tiny stitching but those are what really makes a piece sing :-)

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  6. Ok I accept your challenge.. as soon as I finish the two Baby quilts on my wall...;meant to start today but when I walked into my sewing room. it started shouting to me..clean me up..organize me..go to dollar store...(that is my first clue that I am procrastinating)... oh crap it is dark out now so I will start again tomorrow. Does this happen to you?

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  7. It's beautiful, Amy! I hope it serves as the inspiration you want it to be. :)

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  8. Inspiring. What a wonderful finish!

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  9. What a beautiful piece! Great use of variegated thread, too. I'm always drawn to those spools but they seldom look as good in my quilting as I think they will in my mind. I think the variegated thread really works in your Finish project because there is so much stitching that the thread is just like washes of color, almost like a watercolor illustration. I love the wave quilting, too. Very pretty!

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  10. Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. And so totally inspirational. Congratulations on another wonderful finish.

    QuiltShopGal
    www.quiltshopgal.com

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  11. Very nicely done and best of luck with a successful year of finishes.

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  12. Wow, what a beautiful piece! I had already picked my word for this year which is "create", this is motivating me to make a similar project for my studio. Any tips on mounting it on a frame? I have done it in the past but always have trouble with the corners because of the thickness of the batting. I really enjoy your blog.

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  13. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! I love the colors too!!!

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  14. My pile of tops to quilt is growing as I finish up flimsys. Now if only I could conquer my lack of interest in sandwiching tops. A great piece, Amy. I invite you to share it at WIPs Be Gone. We need to see what sticking to is can produce.

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  15. Love it! Beautiful piece. Great idea. I have no idea what my word for the year is yet, still thinking on that one.

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  16. I just followed you on IG. I'm iquilt4fun. Follow my friend Linda, hrckal_thequiltedpineapple. You mentioned enjoying her work once.

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