Quilters Meet and Greet 2019
I was invited to participate in the 2019 Online Quilter’s Meet and Greet which starts today and runs though September 30th with a grand prize being given away on October 1st.
Each blog you visit gives you an entry to the Grand Prize Giveaway! Visit the meet and greet hosted by Benita Skinner HERE.
Welcome to the Free Motion Quilting Project! My name is Leah Day and I began this blog in 2009 with the goal to share new free motion quilting designs every day for a year. 10 years later, I’m still going strong with new video tutorials shared every week!
I had the idea to start this blog while I was making my favorite quilt: Release Your Light.
The inspiration for this quilt was to show and share my creativity with the world. I realized creativity wasn’t just a spark or a little light in my heart. If I tapped into it and was ready to let it out, my creativity could be like the sun!
How I Made Release Your Light
To make this quilt, I first hand appliqued the goddess’s body and hair onto a big white bed sheet. Then I quilted the sun points and flames. I was convinced that appliqueing all those points and triangles would be too tricky so I decided I’d paint the quilt after I’d quilted it.
During the quilting process I had the idea for starting my blog, the Free Motion Quilting Project. I wanted a challenge to create new free motion quilting designs and share them online with photos and videos each week. I considered skipping the painting so I could jump straight into blogging.
Then I washed the quilt to remove all the pen marks and the red backing fabric started to bleed… pretty soon the white fabric on the surface was baby pink. I had no choice – I had to paint it!
I painted the quilt with Shiva Paintstiks and cheap colored pencils and sealed it with Delta Creamcoat textile medium. It took another month to complete and was very scary because I’d already put in so much time into hand appliqueing and free motion quilting.
But in the end, when Release Your Light was finally finished, I had no regrets! This quilt remains my favorite goddess quilt because it helped me embrace my creativity, trust in my passion, and be open to the idea of starting this blog.
Hear the Story of This Quilt
If you’d like to learn more about Release Your Light, check out this episode of the Hello My Quilting Friends Podcast:
I always share an update about what’s going on around the house so if you want to jump straight to the part about Release Your Light, jump to time: 11:51.
Release Your Light is one of twelve goddess quilts I’ve created since 2007. I’m currently working on book about this series to share beautiful pictures and stories about how these quilts changed my life. You can sign up for updates about this new book here.
A few other links you might like to check out:
I’ve shared 501 free motion quilting design tutorials so far. Click Here to check out the gallery of designs.
In 2012, I compiled the first 365 free motion quilting designs into a picture book so you can easily flip through and check out the designs next to your sewing machine. Click Here to find 365 Free Motion Quilting Designs.
I jumped into walking foot quilting a few years ago and wrote a book, Explore Walking Foot Quilting with Leah Day. This is a great book for beginners just getting into machine quilting on a home machine!
When my son was in kindergarten, I had the idea to write a quilt fantasy novel about a little girl that had an adventure in a magical quilt world. It took me a few years to learn the basics of fiction writing and then last year I published Mally the Maker and the Queen in the Quilt. Yes, more books will be coming out to continue Mally’s adventures in the magical world of Quilst!
Learn along with me
I’ve also been sharing quilt-as-you-go quilt alongs since 2014 and you can still follow along with them all. These sampler quilts range from super simple and traditional to wildly scrappy and everything in between. Click Here to find all the quilt alongs I’ve shared so far.
Finally, if you’d like to get to know me better, check in every week for a new episode of the Hello My Quilting Friends Podcast. Each week I share an update about what’s going on around the house and the many projects I’m working on. I love being able to share the behind-the-scenes of working from home with my husband.
Thank you for coming to visit during the 2019 Quilting Meet and Greet! To enter to win a prize, make sure to click the image below!
Let’s go quilt,
Leah Day
Your videos are what I watch to start machine quilting.
Keep up the good work.
Wonderful! Thank you Pam!
Very creative.
Thank you Donna!
It was fun getting to know you a bit more Leah!
Thank you Vicki!
Visiting from the Quilters Meet & Greet – nice to learn more about you and your work!
Thank you Debbie! I’m so happy you clicked over!
wonderful quilts
Great behind the scenes look at LEAH. I have been following your blog for several years and have been using your tips in my quilts. Currently I am working on a quilt as you go using your tutorial on how to join the blocks together. Thank you
Thank you for sharing Selina! QAYG is a great way to put big quilts together without having to wrestle with the whole thing (at least until the end!)
I have been following you Leah probably from the very beginning of your Free Motion Quilting videos. It’s because of you that my free motion quilting has improved! Although I still cannot tackle really large quilts, even using a walking foot is a challenge on the large ones! But wall quilts I can do. Thanks for all you do.
Thank you so much Daryl! I’m so happy to hear this!
Wow Leah, you have accomplished so much in your quilting adventures. I wanted to do the freemotion quilting with you when you first started your blog. Watching you do your quilting gave me the courage later to try it. You make it so fun. I have learned sooo much from you.
Aw! Thank you Linda!
What a great story of your inspiration. I really love your Release Your Light quilt.
Thank you Danice! She is one of my favorite goddesses and the reason this Free Motion Quilting Project exists!
You have done such marvelous work and contributed so much to the FMQing community. I love seeing what you are up to and what you are doing that is new. I have taken at least one of your classes and look to you often for inspiration.
Thank you Kathleen! I’m so happy to hear this. I still feel like I’m just getting started. There is so much more to explore!
Leah you are such a creative and talented woman. I think listening to some of your podcasts might be in my future.
Thank you Lisa! I love podcasts because I can listen and quilt at the same time. Though I do video with mine so sometimes there are visuals, I try to describe everything so you can just listen too. I hope you’ll join in and become a great quilting friend!
Your lessons are always informative. Thanks for the help.
Thank you Christi!
Oh my, I have never seen quilt design like this before. It is fabulous that there is so much creativity in quilting.
Wonderful Kay! I’m going to have a book of many goddess quilts out very soon. I hope you’ll look for it again in November!
Wowza! I am thrilled to have met you!
Aw! Thank you Janice!
Nice to meet you! I love all your quilting designs!
Thank you Carlie! I’m so happy you’ve come to visit!
I’ve tuned into your blog over the years — nice to see you in the 2019 M&G.
Thank you Nann!
Your goddess designs are just beautiful. I’m a fairly recently started panto quilting on the long arm. Your guideline presentation was so helpful in my successful completion of two quilts. Thank you.
That is great to hear Sandra! Thank you for letting me know that video helped you!
Always enjoy reading your blogs
Thank you Carol!
Leah you are so talented and such an inspiration. I believe I started following you when I first saw your Goddess quilt. It has been a while. Your videos are great.
Thank you Mary! I’m delighted to hear this!
I used the book, No Sewing Until You Quilt It, for my learning curve in applique and am now eager to try your book on walking foot quilting for my current quilt. I am glad the Quilters Meet and Greet has brought me back to your site!
Wonderful Sheila! I’m delighted to hear this!
Your goddesses are beautiful. I just started reading Mally ! when I am finished I am going to send it to my grand daughter in South Korea. I got it so we could read it together, she just started making quilt blocks with me… then my son got transferred …
Yay! I hope you love sharing Mally’s adventures with your grand daughter. I have so many fun ideas for Mally in future books!
Great to know you better! I love your videos
Thank you! I’m so glad you came by for a visit!
Thanks for participating in the Meet and Greet! Off to read more about your fiction book…
Yay! I hope you love it! It was a blast to write and I can’t wait to get back to Quilst for book 2!
Thank you showing so nice quilts!
Thank you for visiting!
Visiting from the Quilters Meet & Greet, your Goddess quilt is gorgeous! The work that went into that, AMAZING
Aw! Thank you Yvonne!
Leah I followed you early on… 2009 ish. You have given many quilters the courage to give it a try!!! You have a busy life ….
Thank you Beth! Yes, just trying is the first, most important step! And yes, I’m busy, but I like to think I’m now busy with the most important, most meaningful things!
Love all you do & share!! I know I’m not alone, in saying, you are sooooo Appreciated by us all!! We will look for your Mally the Maker adventures too…my Grangirlie is learning to sew this summer..I know she’d love reading about her adventures too 🙂
Wonderful! Maybe you can sew the Ms. Bunny Doll together. She’s a character from the book and quite a skill building project. I’m planning to have a Mally doll out soon too!
I’ve followed you off and on for several years just anticipating the day when I could buy a long arm, I finally have a mix arm but….I’m having a problem with getting it to see from left to right. I’m in contact with the manufacturer as well as my dealer. I’ve tried everything that has been suggested to no avail. To add to the problem my dealer no longer sells mid arms so they can’t test the machine because they don’t have the frame. But someday I hope I can use all of your tips and tricks!
I’m sorry to hear you’re struggling Jeri. My best advice is to not give up, but to continue testing and experimenting until you figure out what works. Skipping stitches or a machine deciding it just doesn’t want to sew in a particular direction usually makes me think about needle height and foot height. The height of the quilt over the machine can also play a role. I would put in another 30 hours of testing and experimenting. Yes, that’s a solid month of work at 1 hour per day! I’m sure you will find the solution, or set of solutions within that time.
You are a very talented lady; I’ve been following your work for many years and loved taking your Craftsy class to quilt my sampler quilt. I feel honoured to be on this meet and greet amongst such a clever group of crafters!
Thank you Jen! I’m so happy to see you here!
I’ve been enjoying your blog for years so I feel like I already know you. Thanks for all the inspiration!
Thank you Maureen! I’m so happy to hear this!
It’s so nice to meet you at the Online Meet & Greet! Love your Goddess Quilt!
Thank you Sarah!
Hi Leah, as with many other quilters, I started my FMQ journey with you through your 365 designs. You were almost finished your project at the time. I’ve used many of them and have followed your quilting journey. Thanks for sharing this post with us. Andree
I’m so happy to hear this Andree! I love being able to share an explore designs!
I’m so happy that I decided to join the Meet & Greer and that your blog is the first one I saw because now I’m really motivated to continue to meet even more quilters. I immediately fell in love with your release your light quilt. It’s incredible! I love to paint but I’ve never done it on a quilt. You’ve inspired me! Thank you so much! ???
You should definitely try it Barbara! Painting a quilt is time consuming, but it’s a wonderful way to create colors you couldn’t make any other way. Thank you for visiting!
Thank you Leah for your hard work and dedication to helping people like myself. I know it is odd, but I do not know one person that quilts or sews. I have no one to go to for help. I found your blog and Youtube videos a few years ago and have been hooked ever since.
I live with chronic back and body pain that can pull my spirits down, but by doing some quilting it helps take my focus off my pain and try to focus on what I love. I can’t sew a lot in one setting, so I read about quilting, and watch hours upon hours of your lessons, you have made me a much better quilter, I realize now I had no idea what I was doing before..lol. All those YouTube marathon videos I watched, I feel Like I know you personally. Once again, your hard work and love of quilting clearly shines from your eyes and kind words.❤
I’m happy to hear I’m a helpful quilting friend for you Monica! I’m so happy you find something positive to focus on even with the challenges life has thrown your way. Thank you for your kindness and for sharing this with me. You really made my day!
I just love watching your videos. They are great. Thank you.
Thank you Marilyn! That means so much to me!
Leah,
You are an inspiration to anyone beginning to free-motion quilt or even thinking about it. I’ve watched and rewatched your videos. I love your down-to-earth attitude. Enjoying your Podcasts!
Thank you Terri! I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying the podcast!
I’ve never heard of you before this meet and greet but now that I’ve “met” you I want to know more! You are amazing! I can already feel the light you are sharing.
Aw! That is wonderful to hear Jessica! Thank you for coming to visit!