Week Four: FMQ Practice Samplers

I haven't done quite so much free motion quilting practice this week as I have been working on some of my other projects.  I did have time to practise two new techniques which I learned from the Craftsy Class: Start Free Motion Quilting which is taught by Elizabeth Dackson.

The first is called 'Clamshell Loop'

and the second is called 'Pulley'

I have also done some practice stitches on a pieced sampler, combining a few of the different techniques I have been learning.

Tucked away in a bag in one of my scrap fabric boxes I found a number of pieced quilt blocks which I had obviously put together and then ended up not using for whatever reason.  I decided that they were just perfect to make into quilt sandwiches and use to practise my FMQ stitches.  I layered the first one up and started stitching.  It is actually a little easier to see the stitching from the back.

I was so pleased with it that I decided to bind it and use it as a little table mat.  Luckily I had been quite generous with the backing fabric so I didn't bind the mat as I would a traditional quilt, I just trimmed the backing one inch larger than the top (0.5 inch larger than the batting) and used it to self bind it.  I am thrilled with how the FMQ stitches (not perfect but not bad either!) turned out and, that I now have a new mat to use in the house!!