Machine Quilting with Leah Day - Week 5

What an assignment this has proven to be. It was the most challenging for several reasons. The primary challenge was how time consuming it was to piece the "top" in order to have the appropriate design elements to do the free motion quilting. From a technical quilting stand point it was the very first time I enhanced a quilted design element with stippling.

The project was to continue to practice our stippling, but this time within a star block. The advantage of planning vertical and horizontal rows of stippling really became clear.

The star block on the left was what has become termed Goldlocks sized stippling, not too large or too small, but just right. I practiced my larger stippling on the block on the right. The middle block was the challenge block. I selected a Hari Walner design, the tricycle and quilted it. Next I started stippling in a counter clockwise direction. The key, I soon discovered was to do tiny, even micro stippling. I was THRILLED with the effect. I felt like a master quilter.

It seems I always learn something new with each lesson. This time it was how to bury threads when beginning and ending my stitching using a self threading needle. Leah where were you when I started free motion quilting 15 years ago? Now the back of my quilt looks almost as good as the front because there are no stubbles from multiple stitches where I stop and start. Thank you, Leah!