Stitching Past Fear with Free Motion Quilting

Let's Stitch Past Fear and step up your free motion quilting skills by bringing an actual project to work on. Now that you've taken Scared Stitchless and FMQ Skillbuilding 1, it's time to put those new stitch designs to use. Bring a table runner, wall hanging, or baby quilt and use stencils and other fills to finish your project. If you have a ruler foot, bring it along as there will be a few quilting rulers available to practice with to add yet another level to your free motion skills.

Saturday, September 28 from 9:30am to 3pm. Class will meet in the Lumberyard Arts Center classroom/studio. Class fee: $45.

Prerequisite: Scared Stitchless class with Liz or previous basic experience with free motion quilting

Supply List: Things you will need for class.

• One quilt sandwich for warm-up/practice (two ~18x22” fat quarters with batting between), solid or tone-on-tone preferred so you can check your stitches and tension balance
• One pieced project to quilt--table runner, wall hanging, baby quilt, with batting and backing 2-4" larger than your pieced top all the way around
• Roll of Packing Tape or Blue Tape
• Sewing Machine in good working order (with instruction manual). Must have a plexiglas surround for your machine (e.g., Sew-Steady table) or a small, snap-on surround that comes with some machines. You must have room for your hands on both sides of the needle to move the quilt under the needle.
• Free motion quilting foot or darning foot for machine and the ability to drop the feed-dogs. If unsure, bring all of the feet for your machine. No walking foot please.
• OPTIONAL: Ruler foot If you have purchased one and would like some practice/tips; some rulers will be available in class.
• Basic notions including small scissors or snips, seam ripper, pins, etc.
• 1 pkg. Schmetz Microtex or Quilting machine needles size 75 or 80 (a variety pack is great)
• 100+ #1 Curved safety pins (have all pins open prior to class, please)
• Blue water-soluble marking pen and/or white ceramic pencil (e.g., Bohin, SewLine or Fons & Porter) for marking designs. Chaco Liners are also a good option. Blue line for white/light fabrics, white ceramic/chalk for dark fabrics.
• Threads for stitching: Contrasting thread for practice squares. Matching or neutral thread for project. Recommended threads are Aurifil 50 weight cotton or Glide 40 weight poly, or similar. If you wish to stitch in the ditch with invisible, YLI Wonder Invisible thread recommended and available at Quilters' Paradise.
• Your choice of something to give your fingers traction as you move the fabric sandwich under the needle. Suggestions include Machingers or Grabaroos quilting gloves, garden gloves with rubber nubs on fingertips, finger cots. A non-greasy lotion with glycerin (Neutrogena makes several options) also gives nice traction when quilting.

Recommended Battings: Quilter’s Dream Cotton, Warm and Natural, Warm and White, Hobbs 80/20 blend.