Saturday 10 August 2013

Houston, we have a problem ...

or Christmas QAL post 2.

What's the problem?  Well let me show you:
this is my attempt at FMQ.  Cos I know I can't do it, I thought I'd draw something first and just sew along the lines.  Sounds easy like that, doesn't it?  Well, let me tell you, I did NOT find it easy at all.  This was not my first effort, I'm not even going to show the earlier ones.  It's a good job this isn't a police test to check if I'm driving while under the influence isn't it?



Just to give you a laugh, I thought I'd give you a close up, so you can see just how bad it is.  I'm not even going to show you the back which is even worse.

I have to come to the conclusion that I just can not do FMQ-ing.  Come to think of it, I already knew that, that's why I have Big Bertha to do my quilting for me, so why did I ever think I might be able to do it now?

So, It looks as though I'm going to have to go back to the drawing board regarding my Christmas Challenge entry, cos the quilting is an essential part of it.

Then, just to console myself, I decided to play with all the hexie pieces I cut out yesterday.  What a shame the challenge says no red (amongst other stupid restrictions), cos I'm loving these, although I have no idea what they're going to be when they get older.

18 comments:

  1. I love the deep red of your fabrics, too, and the hexies. I was cutting some out last week and caught the hexie bug. They are fun.

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  2. Sometimes, it's just best to switch gears.

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  3. Your hexies look fantastic! You do have many quilting talents, my dear, so if you can't get the hang of FMQ, then you know you can just do all the other stuff!!

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  4. I also am challenged with FMQ, so I feel your frustration! But on a positive note, your hexies are beautiful!

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  5. OMG! You ARE my long lost Sister! I've suspected it all along, but now it's confirmed!!!

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  6. If you look at your stitching and not at the drawn lines, you will see that you have actually produced a pretty acceptable large stipple. Ignore the lines and go with the flow!

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  7. Well I'm sad to hear FMQ isn't your thing, Sue, but happy to know I'm not alone!! Thank goodness for pantographs and my Vinnie! I'm drooling over your red, blue an cream hexies!
    Cheers!

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  8. I agree with Hazel - forget the marking and just go with the stitching. Love the hexies !!

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  9. I just can't do the FMQ-ing thing lines or no lines. I have to send my quilting out to another quilter's Big Bertha for the quilting. I enjoy the piecing so much more anyway. Love your hexagons.

    Have a super great sewing and stitching day!!

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  10. When you start FMQ is very frustrating, but you just need to keep going and consider it all practise! My FMQ is still very ordinary, but I have decided to not give up on it, as the alternative is hand quilting!
    I think your challenge is very clever not allowing red or green, that would do my head in for sure, but the results will be very inventive and I look forward to seeing how people creatively say Christmas in other colour ways.

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  11. As I've commented before, I am definitely challenged when it comes to FMQ on an ordinary machine. Don't mind it on Bubs, but I do like my Statler. How about cross hatching on the QAL with your walking foot. Loving your hexies.

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  12. What?!? A Christmas quilt with no red? Who's crazy idea was that??

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  13. I love your hexies!

    FMQ really isn't for everyone, even though I really love it.

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  14. FMQ is like handwriting. Do you ever have days where you really like your writing and others that its not so nice? I feel like this anyway. I noticed this trend if I FMQ too. Sometimes it flows wonderfully and others not so much. I too love going back and forth between both quilting worlds...just in case.

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  15. I love your hexies! Now about the stupid no red rule....it's giving me fits.

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  16. Straight lines all the way! My machine won't even let me FMQ, so I'm just going to use that as my excuse.

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  17. Practice makes perfect, right? I found that just going for it works best for me. Trying to follow a squiggly line is hard. I put together lots of practice squares from layer cake pieces that I got from Connecting Threads.com (really inexpensive) and practice on them too. You can do it!

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  18. I'm with you Sue, have never been able to quilt on a domestic machine and never will.

    Thank goodness for our Big Toys!

    Now, when are you putting The Problem in the mail to me . . . . .

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