Cutter's Zoo Animal Quilt is finished!

 His name is embroidered with Sulky 100% rayon thread in the needle and black bobbin thread in the bobbin.  The binding is royal blue 100% nylon fabric, machine stitched with royal blue thread in the needle and invisible thread in the bobbin.

The linked echo feathers are sewn with Gutermann 100% variegated thread using a straight stitch needle plate, Pfaff Dynamic Spring Motion 6D quilting foot and a Schmetz 80/12 universal needle. The sewing machine is a Pfaff Creative 2 with the feed dogs down and stitch length set to zero.

The backing is 100% cotton flannel.  The batting is Warm and Natural 80% cotton and 20% polyester.

I used four bobbins on the linked feathers and almost eight bobbins of 100% polyester yellow thread on the echoing around the feathers to fill the borders.  I got bored with echoing so I put a few more feathers in the echoing. 

 I didn't mark the quilt or use a parchment paper pattern.  The whole thing was done free hand.  In hindsight, I wish I had used a solid yellow colour for the feathers like the echoing.  I think the variegated thread colours take away from the feather shapes on this border.

I think the back looks pretty good.

I have tried to attach binding with mitered corners in the past and did not like the results at all.  Recently I discovered Dara's blog Sew Snuggly Quilts, where she wrote an excellent tutorial for attaching the binding that is easy peasy to do.

Just look at those lovely corners.  Thanks tons Dara! I machine stitched the binding in place instead of hand stitching so the quilt can withstand multiple washings.

For the past several years, I've been marking my quilts with my initials and the year in matching thread somewhere in the bottom right corner.

TED 2012 is embroidered in white Coats 100% polyester duel duty thread.

It is more visible on the back side.

This quilt is large enough for a toddler bed measuring 61 inches by 53 inches.  It was photographed on our queen sized bed.

Another UFO completed!  Yippee... ~dancing around the room with glee.

Free Motion Quilting - Butterflies & Flowers

This month's tutorial was by Ann Fahl.  She gave us lots of excellent information.  Then she left the practice part up to our imaginations!  I loved it.  First off, I didn't realize when I took this challenge that I would not only improve my  free motion quilting, but also become a better artist.  As with last month's echo feathers I doodled designs on paper.

I liked these flowers just fine, except they needed something more.

So I added a round of echoing.

Still needed more pizazz!  In February 2011, Jane did a post on free motion quilting butterflies complete with a video on her blog Sew Create It.

I tossed in a few butterflies!  In all I drew about 30 pages of flowers and/or butterflies.

Tried a few heart-shaped leaves but didn't like them.

 

Didn't really like the butterflies alone either.

The butterflies and flowers together was the design I was looking for.

 

Onto my practice sandwich. I don't usually mark my quilts because I love the freedom of meandering in any direction.  Like Ann Fahl,  I'm dancing with thread as well.

The purple solid colour is Coats 100% polyester serger thread.

The yellow is Coats trilobal 100% polyester embroidery thread.  I love this thread because it has a very nice sheen to it.  However,  this thread wasn't colourful enough .

The variegated thread is 100% polyester Rainbow Colours Serger Thread imported by  H.A. Kidd and Company.

The quilt sandwich is 100% cotton green top side, white bottom side and 80% cotton 20% polyester batting called Warm and Natural.

I like the variegated purple, blue and pink thread for butterflies and flowers the most.

 

 

 I was so impressed with Ann Fahl's tutorial, that I bought her books Dancing with Thread and Colouring with Thread.

This is my Pfaff Creative 2 sewing machine with its modified Dynamic Spring Motion 6D foot, a Bernina 70 needle and straight stitch needle plate.

The feed dogs are dropped and stitch length is set to zero.

 

The cream or off white colour side is the back. 

 

 

This is the finished block on the sample quilt.

 

 

I think it has all kinds of pizazz!

 

Below is the back of the sample quilt.

 

This design would look very nice on a baby quilt.  Your comments are always welcome! Happy quilting!