It’s FINISHED!!

Yes, this week I can finally say that the Sawtooth Star Challenge is finished!!!

I am happy with the final quilt…..

Early on, I wondered if I would be able to come up with 12 different designs for this block, but at the end, I had another 10 or so left. It was truly addicting to play with the designs!!

I am also happy that each one of the blocks contains one element that is the same. Every Star point was quilted with a “dot-to-dot” design that helps to tie ALL of the blocks together…..

IF I was going to quilt the entire quilt with just one design, it would probably be this one…..

I really like how the diagonal lines in the corners frame the block!!

I would DEFINITELY use a different color thread in the center block!! I put too much work into them for it not to show!! I have made this mistake so many times before, you would think that I would think about it when I am picking thread colors!!!

I have received photos of two other challenge quilts….

This is Jodie’s finished quilt…..

I LOVE the mixture of black and white with pops of colors!! She did a great job on her quilting and said that she learned a lot from working thru it.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

This quilt is from Pat…..

Isn’t that center square fabric amazing!!!

She has just started the quilting process but is off to a great start…..

I can’t wait to see the finished quilt!!!

Thanks to all who participated in the challenge, whether it was just watching the videos or physically making the quilt.

I loved presenting it because it pushed me to learn something new and to utz me out of my comfort zone, and probably most important, IT GAVE ME A DEADLINE TO WORK TO!!!

What will the next challenge be? That all depends on what I want to learn next. As Richard Feynman said “If you want to master something…..teach it!!”

If you have suggestions for future projects, please let me know!!

AND, if you are wondering exactly what this is all about, check out the Challenge page on my website…..

Twelve Ways to Quilt a Sawtooth Star

Its’ Sashing & Border time

Well, we made it thru all of the blocks and now it is time to conquer the sashing and border designs.

I will admit that I sweated over what to put in the border and am not really certain that I am happy with my choices, but IT IS DONE and I learned LOTS!!!

SO……it has DEFINITELY been a success!!

In this video, I suggest 10 ways that you can quilt a border, from very simple straight lines, to more complex designs. Even if you didn’t do the challenge, you might find some good information in the first few minutes of the video. Enjoy!!

That’s it for this week.

Come back next Friday for the finale with the FINISHED quilt!!

Finishing the 12 blocks!!

Today, I am happy to present the last two blocks in our “Twelve Ways to Quilt a Sawtooth Star” challenge!!

Block 11 doesn’t look complicated but it nearly killed me……

….and Block 12 was a simple, FMQ way to finish the challenge…..

Enjoy the video and then try some of these designs. They are really versatile!!!

Next week, I will finish up the project, talking about sashing and borders!!

Blocks 9 & 10

Well, this has been a crazy week and I was editing this video at 8:00pm yesterday, trying to get it ready to post today!!

These next two blocks were fun to do but I had lots of issues with empty bobbins, incorrect stitching and general production issues. Don’t you know that it would be that way when I was in a hurry!!!

The first block that we worked on was designed with straight lines….

This may look like a hard design, but with a few guidlines drawn, it is super easy.

The second block for the week features a loopy meander and a spinning ruler…..

I LOVE those polka-dots in the quilting!!!

So, have a look at the video and then grab your drawing board, your ipad or your sewing machine and try some practicing!!!

We only have two blocks left to go and then will spend a week talking about the sashing and borders…..

More fun to come!!!

Are you in a rut with your machine quilting? Sure, you know HOW to do FMQ and you have 4 or 5 patterns that you do well. BUT, you are bored with those designs and need a push to try some new things. If so, please join “MOVE-IT…. a Free-Motion Quilting Boot Camp”!! I will take you on a FREE 10-week journey to learn new designs and become more comfortable with just MOVING IT!! You can sign up by clicking HERE