#MachineQuiltingBlogHop Week 5 - Quatrefoil Applique

Welcome to Week 5 of the Machine Quilting Blog Hop!

Today we are working on Chapter 6 of The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting by Angela Walters and Christa Watson, Quatrefoil Applique. If you've been paying attention, you may have noticed that we skipped Chapter 4 and moved right on to Chapter 5 last week. That's because, when Vicki, Kristin, HollyAnne and I looked at Chapter 4, we all decided we were not ready for that one yet. Chapter 4 has been renamed Chapter 10, and we'll work up to that one at the end! 

So, even though it's week 5, we're working on Chapter 6. Clear as mud?

This week we move into the free motion quilting designs that are more in my wheelhouse; the curvy, loopy ones that come easier for me. In Christa's class back in February, she mentioned that most people have a preference for either the straight line designs or the rounder designs, and I definitely prefer the latter. I've done lots of loopy hearts and flowers going back to my earliest attempts at FMQ.

That's why I wasn't worried about what to do this week - I was already doing it! Remember how the String Spider Web quilt has to be dropped off by Saturday? Yes, I'm almost done quilting it! And I've been taking a few pages out of this awesome book for inspiration.

Some of these are easier to see from the back, so I'll try to show them to you from both sides.

I used Switchbacks in the background stars.

I used spirals in the spider web blocks. I'm sure it's obvious that I didn't mark them, and this is the one thing I may go back and redo after the show. Unfortunately I don't think I have time before the drop off to fix them ahead of time.

I used variations of Echo Plumes and Echo Leaves and Paisley and Pearls all along the border, and more switchbacks on the edges.

I really love how this is turning out. Even though it is far from perfect, and my stitch length is not even remotely consistent, it is still a giant leap forward in the complexity of my quilting. I just have to keep reminding myself that this quilt is practice for the next one.

If you haven't yet, please join us as we practice our way through this book and improve our machine quilting for our future quilts. You don't have to have a blog to participate - just use the hashtag #machinequiltingbloghop on your favorite social media channel.

One more thing I keep forgetting to mention is that the book is on sale over at the Martingale site. Now is a perfect time to buy it and start quilting along with us.