Josh’s Wiggly U Shapes
If you haven’t heard about this project, please take a moment to check out all the posts shared so far. It’s a new spin on the traditional block of the month; every Monday Leah will feature a video demonstrating how to piece or free motion quilt a block, but the instructions for the entire yearly project arrive all at once when you purchase the Building Blocks Quilt Pattern. So no monthly emails or repeat downloads; you can work as fast or as slowly as you desire.
And if you already have the pattern, have you joined Leah’s BBQA group on facebook? This is a great place to interact with fellow quilters and share pictures and experience. Over nine hundred have already signed up, and the place is buzzing. Group members started using the BBQA acronym, which I guess I’m making official here.
Now for the video:
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| Back of Josh’s Block |
The most difficult thing this time around was getting used to the Spoonflower fabric. You can find more details on using this cheater cloth fabric for the quilt along right here.
In the past, when I messed up a stitch, it didn’t matter because the marking lines would come out. This is not the case here – the quilting lines on the fabric are printed and permanent, so they won’t go away after quilting. So you need to be a little more careful and slow down.
Also, and I can’t stress this enough, rotate, rotate, rotate. When in doubt, rotate. Yes, it takes time, but it’s critical to stitch at an angle that’s comfortable for you.
See you next week,
Josh
Leah’s note: Josh had a bit of trouble remembering all the things he needed to say at the end of this video, and after lots of bad takes and mishaps, I jumped in to help, but forgot to take off all my scarves. Oh well! I guess this explains Josh’s nickname for me – Frumpy Fraggle. lol!
Awww…you two are so cute! This is my first time following you Leah. I'm also doing the quilt along, looking forward to learning to FAQ better on my domestic. You have given lots of good tips, thanks! Josh, if this is tour first time, good job, I commend you jumping on board the quilting train. ;-). I'm happy with my first attempt. I do want to say, I'm going to do this without turning my block, I want to be able to quilt large quilts. Thanks again for your time!
I think Josh did a great job – poor guy under pressure not only to get on the lines but also to remember what he was supposed to say. Great work and very interesting to see about this Spoonflower fabric – I really must look into their site more
I am so impressed Josh. I can't imagine how intimidated you could be with all of us commenting! You did a great job. I also like to go right to left! 😀
Hi from Kingaroy Queensland Australia. …. hoo Josh…you done a fantastic job….can't wait to do mine…but unfortunately my machine has to go off to the doctors 🙁 needs some TLC…so I will just keep preping my blocks until my baby returns..looking forward to the next installment 🙂
WOW! Josh you did a very great job! Congrats! I hope I can make my own sometime this week! I love seeing Leah and you together, make a beautiful couple! Have a wonderful week!
You two are so adorable! I love that Josh is doing this with you and I'm enjoying seeing another new FMQer start out. He's catching on so fast!
Josh, you did a great job. I enjoyed seeing a newbie doing this. It makes it so much easier to say, I can do it too. Thanks for quilting along with us. I really enjoy your input.
Great job Josh! Thanking for sharing this video it is good and very encouraging to see this being done by a novice as we'll as by an expert.
Sitting here chuckling to myself, wondering what Josh would call me…most of the time at home I not only have a scarf on but a knit cap as well! I like to be warm without jacking the heating bills through the roof!!! Love the way Josh is getting into the quilting since he is at the level most of those quilting on a DSM are at…Leah makes even the most complex design look so much easier then it feels!
What was the new batting used? I'm always trying different kinds.
Hi Helen – The batting was Quilter's Dream Fusion cotton. It has a thin layer of fusible web on one side which I fused to the backing. It made the block slightly stiffer, but it should still shrink like regular cotton.
Cheers,
Leah
Josh, if you can do it so can I. Let' s go quilt!
I know Leah advises washing material before making quilts. Does she also advise washing the cheater cloth first before cutting it into the printed blocks and quilting them?
Sewbird – Great question about the spoonflower fabric! No, I actually don't wash it before slicing up the blocks and quilting. I've posted a new article on using this fabric for the quilt along right here: http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2014/01/building-blocks-cheater-cloth-quilt.html