Quilting Tips from Angela Walters

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This is the 6th Installment in the 100 Quilts for Kids Quilt Along! All of the posts can be found here:July 15: Quilt Along Introduction + GiveawayJuly 19: Materials + Cutting InstructionsJuly 26: Foundation Piecing the BlocksAugust 9: Assembling the Quilt TopAugust 16: Quilting TipsToday: Quilting Tips from a Pro: Guest Post by Angela WaltersSeptember 6: Finishing the quilt
Last week, as part of the 100 Quilts for Kids Quilt Along I shared some quilting tips of my own. This morning, I have a real treat for you.
Angela Walters of Quilting Is My Therapy (aka long arm quilter extraordinaire) asked me if I wanted to give away a new copy of her book and if she could help get the word out about 100 Quilts. Since I have bought 3 copies of Free Motion Quilting with Angela Walters and tried to convince my local-ish quilt shop to carry it, I would guess you could say I really DO love the book. After getting my copy (and lots and lots of practicing!), I can say that the quilting designs in her book are very achievable on a home machine.
Free-Motion Quilting with Angela WaltersLeave a comment on the blog for a chance to win a copy of her book, and better yet, put some of Angela's tips into practice on a charity quilt before October 15! [Note: All of the pictures in this post are from Angela, in case you wondered ;)]
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Thanks, Katie for letting me be a part of what you and the DC Modern Quilt Guild are doing! I am honored that you would let me give some quilting tips for such a great cause. I always think that charity quilts are a great way to practice free-motion quilting. Not because they don't deserve your best work, I would say the exact opposite is true! Quilts that are going to make their way to a special person, need the very best that we can give! What makes charity quilts great for practicing is the fact that you are doing something so much bigger than yourself. When working on a charity quilt, you shouldn't be thinking about how good or bad you are doing. You should be thinking about the person that will be blessed by your time and effort. Hopefully that should relax you and allow you to quilt it without judging yourself!

Practicing your FMQ is always better on a quilt top. When you are quilting an actual quilt (as opposed to a piece of practice fabric), you are forced to work your way around blocks, borders and other parts of the quilts. Plus, you are likely to finish quilting a whole quilt which means even more practice! How about a few more FMQ tips?

1. Relax, relax, relax.

It's hard to quilt anything when you are tensed up! Relax your shoulders, and try to maintain a good (yet relaxed pose). Also try to have a relaxed attitude! Fretting about the quilting before you even start won't help you do any better.
 

2. Try somethig new

Don't be afraid to try out a new design or two. Practice drawing it out first, and then go for it!
quilting negative space
3. Think Dense(r)
Any quilt that is going to get a lot of love (washing) can use quilting that is a little more dense. The dense quilting will hold up to washing better. I know, I know, you may be worried that the quilt will be too stiff to cuddle. But that's not necessarily the case. If you want an extra cuddly quilt, try using a cotton batting, which has a softer drape. Plus quilts soften up with washing too.

4. Be Proud

Remember that you are making an impact in someone's life. They are going to be so happy with the quilt, regardless of how well you think you did. Be proud of your accomplishment.
 
Thanks again for having me Katie, I am looking forward to following along on your blog and I can't wait for the Linky Party in September!