"Make it Your Own!" with Free-motion Quilting

Free-Motion Quilting: Sew what ya know!

Throughout this spring and summer, I've had several opportunities to teach my Intro to Free-Motion Quilting class for shops and guilds in Tennessee. Truth be told, this is probably my favorite class to teach! 

For insight into my students' motivation and passion for quiltmaking, I ask why they are interested in learning free-motion quilting. Their responses help me to insure the class not only provides instruction on the mechanics of this free-form technique (and answers to basic nuts-and-bolts questions) but also offers inspiration and direction to help them achieve their personal and creative goals. 

Free-motion quilting class.
The Quilters Path, Mt. Juliet, TN.

At a recent free-motion class at The Quilters Path, the response to my question was emphatic. These quilters had an overwhelming desire to "make the entire project themself!" 

"Does that sound selfish?" they asked. "Not at all!" I replied.  Make it your own! ... yes, Yes, YES!

Practicing motifs and free-motion designs on paper.
Ready Set Sew in Chattanooga, TN

The quilting adds another layer of design to your composition. 

First-time feathers at Chattanooga Sewing
Chattanooga, TN

Your choice of thread color, thread weight and fiber content can support or enhance your design, change the color palette, modify or solidify the focal point.

Getting into the Free-Motion Groove!
Sew Notions, Jasper, TN

Execute your complete vision for your quilt. Each quiltmaker's voice is unique and each quilt has its own story to tell. Put your voice to your vision and make it all your own! You can do it.

Free-motion quilting with the Smoky Mountain Quilters and friends
at Kat Lovers Pur-fect Quilting, Knoxville, TN.

Thank you! to all my students—past, present, and future—for allowing me to offer inspiration, direction, and instill confidence for your free-motion quilting endeavors. The door to the possibilities that Fee-Motion Quilting has to offer is open to you!

Here are photos from several Intro to Free-Motion Quilting classes. Contact me if you'd like to have me teach this class at your shop or guild.

Photo slideshow created with Smilebox

Lucy's quilt

This is Lucy (short for Lucifer). He is our "extra" kitty as he has taken up residence at our house as well as with our next door neighbors. He has two mommies and two daddies and several four-legged, furry siblings. He occasionally supervises my work in my studio (as shown here).

Lucy likes the quilting fabrics.

My neighbor, Betty, says that when Lucy sleeps on the bedspread, he leaves a "kitty shadow" in the spot he sleeps. So, rather than Betty having to wash the entire bedspread, I decided Lucy needed a quilt to sleep on that could more easily be washed. Here it is.

Lucy's quilt is 35" x 38.25".

The center panel ("I'm lucky to be the cat because:") came from a custom fabric that was printed for Kat Lover's Pur-fect, Quilting. The black and multi-colored cat fabric also came from this quilt shop.

"I'm lucky to be the cat because:" fabric panel from
Kat Lover's Pur-fect Quilting quilt shop.

The front of the quilt is cotton and the back is flannel. It's a multi-season piece. I also love the striped binding.

Lucy's quilt has a cotton front and a flannel back.

 Here is a closeup of the free-motion quilting... spirals, feathers and loops.

Freeform, free-motion quilting.

Lucy was snoozing at the time I brought his quilt to my neighbor. He hardly budged as Betty laid his new quilt over him.

Lucy and his new quilt. 

He also decided to sleep on top of it. It was a big success.

What a cat!

My Fabric Rep Trek: Kat Lover's Pur-fect Quilting

Whether you are a quilter that's a cat person or a dog person, you'll love Kat Lover's Pur-fect Quilting in Knoxville, Tennessee. Aside from a vast collection of cat-themed patterns and fabrics, there are books, notions, and a beautiful selection of quilting fabrics at this shop... brights, blenders, novelties, florals, stripes, and more.

Cats in the fat quarters, cat bags, patterns and fabrics.

Donna, the owner, and the shop's mascot, Max (the dog) greeted me at the front door. Max announced himself with a couple "hello-woofs" when I first arrived, but he settles into the office in the back and you don't really know he's there.

More fat quarters and cat quilts and wall hangings.

Fabulous "Cat Art" pieces snuggle amid the stacks of fat quarters and on shelves. Quilts and wall hangings made with cat-themed fabrics and panels are also hung around the shop.

Quilt patterns by Eleanor Burns are popular and appliqué projects (some with cats)
can be found among the pattern selection.

Handbags and small quilts decorate the shop.

The long arm Gammill is located in the center of the shop and machine quilting services are available through the store.  

Long arm quilting machine.

The quilts hanging from all the walls at Kat Lover's are inspiring and fun to look at. This red strip quilt can be made from a package of Fabrications (a collection of forty 2.5" pre-cut strips). A black solid inner border adds great contrast and the outside border in Splash by Blank Quilting frames the piece. Put your pedal to the metal and make one of these fast and fun quilts. A free pattern, "Strips of Hope," is available in the Free Patterns section on the Blank Quilting web site here.

Make a quilt with Fabrications 2.5" strips.

Donna offers BOM (Block of the Month) programs throughout the year. This one features a row quilt. (Notice the scotty dogs got equal time, here.)

Row quilt Block of the Month program.

And, ask for the Kat Lover's Cat fabric panel. This is their own creation!

"I'm lucky to be a cat because..." fabric panel.

Fabrics and a variety of machine quilting rulers and templates.

Kat Lover's is located at 813 Kermit Drive, off Clinton Hwy. (You'll take a turn between the Arby's and Title Max.) There is plenty of parking outside the shop and the Cat Mat on the front step.

Kat Lover's Quilting and Fabric shop.

 All you Cool Quilting Cats are warmly welcomed at Kat Lover's!

Cool Cats Welcome.