Jenny K. Lyon - Free-Motion Quilting from Ordinary to Extraordinary: 3 Steps to Joyful Machine Stitching in 21 Days

Publisher: Amy Marson

Creative Director: Gailen Runge

Acquisitions Editor: Roxane Cerda

Managing Editor: Liz Aneloski

Editor: Christine Doyle

Technical Editor: Debbie Rodgers

Cover/Book Designer: April Mostek

Production Coordinator: Tim Manibusan

Production Editor: Alice Mace Nakanishi

Illustrator: Linda Johnson

Photo Assistant: Mai Yong Vang

Quilt photography by Lucy Glover and instructional photography by Mai Yong Vang of C&T Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted

Published by C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Quilting is a contact sport; we all need each other. I am grateful to all of the following:

My students: You are my passion and joy. I learn so much from you.

My local quilt guild, the Folsom Quilt and Fiber Guild: You got me started and keep me going.

Studio Art Quilt Associates: You inspire and challenge me and have given me friendships around the world.

American Sewing Guild, Gold Country Chapter: Your friendships will last a lifetime.

Afro-American Quilters of Los Angeles: Your creativity, enthusiasm, and willingness to share were an encouragement to me.

SIS: My home small group. I know I can land here, be supported and understood.

Nancy Burnett, Helen Hardwick, and Laura Rylander: Your friendship and support has been invaluable to me.

Meissner Sewing Center: You encouraged me to teach and continue to support my passion to teach.

Diane Gaudynski, the best teacher, artist, and quilter ever: You continue to amaze me.

Cate Coulocos Prato: For your timely help and superb editing skills.

C&T Publishing: For encouraging and supporting this first-time author.

Franki Kohler and Barbara Hunter: For sharing your beautiful postcards.

Mom: You taught me that if I wanted it, Id better figure out how to make it. Best. Advice. Ever.

Art Lyon: I couldnt do any of this without your love and understanding. Thank you for your unwavering confidence in me and for learning how to cook.

My God: Thank you for blessing me with a life and talent that can glorify You.

DEDICATION

To any quilter striving to find her or his own voice and become successful at free-motion quilting, this is for you. I know you can successfully free-motion quilt and enjoy it! Ive got a plan for youread on.

Personal Note

I was given a needle at age six and taught how to use it by my mother. As a child I dabbled in all manner of handwork. I was ecstatic when it was determined I was old enough to sew on a machine! I sewed the typical garments of the day: dirndl skirts, shifts, and aprons. My ultimate project was a fully tailored polyester pantsuit.

A few of my mothers quilts displayed at her funeralshe was prolific!

My mother made quilt tops and sent them out to Amish women for hand quilting. I was not particularly interested in quilting as a child, but I did learn an important lesson from my mother: If you want it, youd better figure out how to make it yourself.

I made my first quilt in the mid-1980s with the resurgence of the craft. Although I was excited about quilting, motherhood took over for the next fifteen years. I made my first machine-quilted quilt in 1999, and I havent stopped!

I then completed several quilts in a short period, yet I was still afraid to quilt my own important quilts. I knew I was competent at free-motion quilting, but I wasnt quite ready to do the kind of work I yearned to do. How was I going to get to the point where I was joyfully and confidently quilting my own work?

I took classes to improve my skills and I learned from each. I learned the technical aspects, yes, but more importantly I learned to be fearless. I gained confidence and was no longer paralyzed by my mistakesI learned that even the pros made mistakes.

In 2006, I made what I felt was a breakthrough quilt, If Diane Met Karen. Its design was an original wholecloth quilt, made entirely of luscious silk. It greatly exceeded my expectations, and I was proud and excited!

While I was quilting that project, I had to force myself to take breaks. I was so excited about what was coming from my needle that I would skip around the house in joy during my breaks. That is when I decided I was a quilt skipperand that became the name of my blog years later.

It is my hope that each of my students has a quilt skipping moment, a moment in time when you are in awe of what you are creating and it excites you to the core of your soul. Now that is what motivates me to travel and teach!

Introduction

Ive written this book for the free-motion quilter who is at a crossroads. Maybe youve taken a few classes, limped through a few projects, or even quilted a few quilts. But youre frustrated. You want to confidently quilt all those fabulous tops in your stash, but youre afraid. Youre not ready to quilt your special quilts.

I know that anyone who wants to free-motion quilt can do it, but how do you become a joyful and confident free-motion quilter?

Start your journey with Inspiration and learn how to find and collect images that inspire you. Use that base to create your own motifs to put on your quilts to make them more meaningful.

Then, in Before You Take a Stitch , take an in-depth look at the decisions you makeon batting, fabric, needles, tension, threadthat significantly affect the quilting process and your quilting experience.

At the heart of this book is a three-step plan to show you how to bridge the gap between ordinary and extraordinary free-motion quilting, without endless and boring practice.

In Step 1: 21 Days of Plactice , I present a roadmap to build up your confidence and skills.

In Week 1 of the 21 days, you will build your motif inventory. The simple process of free-motion quilting for twenty minutes a day and playing with new motifs will quickly give you new ideas for your quilting. Ive included an Appendix of Quilting Motifs to get you started. This is the week to experiment and discover what you enjoy and what challenges you. Play around with free-motion stitching without pressure.

In Week 2, you will learn to combine the motifs you know to create new designs, create new motifs from objects in your everyday life, and find new motifs from the work of others. New motifs are out there for you to discover and add to your own work. Having a larger inventory of motifs makes quilting more fun and personal.

In Week 3, its time to start putting all those new skills to use on small items. Ive included a variety of playful ideas for items that can be completed quickly. Try one or two and begin to feel the joy of creating quilted items for the home, yourself, or others. Each is small enough to experiment on without stress.

Note: Its not practice, its play! Lets plactice!

In Step 2: Five to Learn On , youll learn approachable and fun projects that prepare you to move on to more challenging quilts.

Choose the one(s) that appeal to you the most.

Fabric Postcards can be completed in an afternoon and are a great small format to highlight your new skills.

Panel Quilts, from preprinted panels, are the perfect place to try new techniques before committing to them on a major quilt.

Quilt-from-the-Back Quilt teaches a technique to get impressive quilting by following the lines of a large-scale print fabric.

Quilt-as-You-Go Quilt shows how to quilt large quilts on your home machine easily by using the split batting method.

Boho Cutwork Denim Jacket uses a simple cutwork technique on your own purchased jacket to achieve stunning results.