Sunday, February 01, 2015

Step By Step Free Motion Quilting -Review

The new free motion quilting book by Christina Cameli is now available.  I was so pleased to get an autographed copy.  I have been following Christina's blog for quite a while.  I have seen her grow in her skills and bloom as a teacher/author.   So it is with pleasure that I share this review with you.

This is not a "how to" book at all. If you need a how-to book, then get Christina's first book "First Steps to Free Motion Quilting."  This book is a pattern book that teaches you to use nine simple shapes to create a myriad of designs.  There are pages and pages of designs.  One page shows how it is sewn and the next page is a full page of the design.

I like that Christina says that you can make the designs your own by modifying them.  She encourages creative play.

I really wanted to quilt the spindle design. So, as suggested, I tried drawing it first. My sketches were not good and the more I did it, the worse it got.  So I decided that particular one was not for me.  But I still liked the idea.  So I kept drawing but morphed it into a circle rather than a spindle shape. After all, I love doing pebbles.
My circles look much nicer.   So I took a sample block to the machine and started playing.
The inspiration from the book and my variation
I really started too close to the edge of the fabric, but you get the idea.  It works!
Then I said, what if I stacked them as pebbles instead of lines?
I like it!  My lines are not perfect but it is a fun way to cover a quilt. You could do this in any scale to suit your quilt.

I love a book that inspires you to branch off and find  your own creativity this way. Even though the book is filled with designs, Christina says it only scratches the surface of what you can do with the nine simple shapes.

This book is a great resource for any free motion quilter's library.  I am so glad that it is in mine.



My blog is http://blog.geneblack.com
Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger" - I can not reply.

7 comments:

kathyinozarks said...

thanks Gene for the review-I have not taken the time yet to figure out machine quilting so it looks good-I need to do that

Debbie said...

Gene, go back to drawing those spindles. You almost had it on the one on the bottom right. You have to do some backtracking but the important thing is to keep the inner curvy part going in the same direction. You figured out the circles and they look nice. Really the drawing does give you muscle memory and helps. .

Christina said...

I love what you created! I support you doing what comes naturally, what makes you feel confident in your quilting. I also agree with Debbie that if you sketch those spindles a bit more you will get them.

suemac said...

I have been thinking about getting her first book. I am a beginner.

Beth said...

Now I need both books. This is the year I AM going to just do it. I just need to get going, I don't know why I am afraid of FMQ. ;)

Barbara Arcement said...

Gene drawing does help so do not give up...you are almost there. I really like the quilting you did. I am going to check out that book!
hugs
beebee

Barbara said...

I am not ever going to get good at this with my hands, but you are a master. This book, autographed no less, belongs in your library!