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Thursday, April 21, 2011

Free-Motion Quilting for the Make A Boob Project

Some quilters have been asking me how I've been doing with my investigation to see if it is feasible to "significantly" improve ones' free-motion quilting skills in a year.  While the answer to that question will be shared at a future date, I can say practice, practice, practice and you'll definitely improve.  But then, what does one do with all those practice free-motion quilting sandwiches?

Have you heard about Nina-Lise Moen's Make a Boob Project?    Well, Nina-Lise is a very talented multi-fibre artist who came up with this wonderful project to help increase awareness of breast cancer and provide art workshops for those dealing with breast cancer.  And, anyone can help!  You see this project needs fancy boobs and plain boobs, as many boobs will be decorated at workshops.  Thus, I concluded I'd use my sample sandwiches where I had practiced free-motion quilting.

Basically, all you need to do is create a quilt sandwich and use a CD to mark circles.  You sew on the circle line you marked and cut out, creating a boob that can be embellished at the workshop.  Or, you can embellish, or practice your free-motion quilting too.  Just for FMQ, it is easier to do the FMQ before you cut out the circle!
I have found that I really like Aurifil 50 wt cotton thread for free-motion quilting.  I also enjoyed playing with different types and weights of Aurifil thread, particularly their wool threads. 

It really is fun to practice your free-motion quilting and turn them into boobs (little quilted circles) for this project. But you can make simple boobs too, or even very fancy ones. It is totally up to you.




For more information on the
Make A Boob Project visit:



11 comments:

Linda said...

This is just too much fun! I will have to give it a try.

WoolenSails said...

I definitely need practice and that is such a fun idea to help out with.
I got it bookmarked, so I can check it out some more.

Debbie

Anonymous said...

I have not tried free motion quilting yet on my sewing machine. I didn't know if it is possible on a regular sewing machine. I love the small circles. Yours are very pretty, hmmm they would make cool breast linking pads for breastfeeding moms:) then if it fell out everyone would be so surprised something so pretty fell out that they would forget where it came from!

Thanks for the link. I have a whole family of breast cancer victims. Even with my sister and I being in our 30's our risk is so high we think about it often! What a great idea your participating in.


Ann Flowers

Glenna @ Hollyhock Quilts said...

This is very encouraging to me. For the last 5 or so years, my New Years resolution was to improve my free motion quilting. I'm hoping this is the year it may happen! :-)

Lauren The Artist said...

What a neat project!

Anonymous said...

What a fantastic idea! Love it!!!!

Nina Lise@Mrs Moen said...

Thank you for a wonderful post, Darlene! Brilliant boobs!

Mary Ann said...

Wonderful idea! I'm currently participating in a FMQ project that started today! http://fmqchallenge.blogspot.com/

Ruth said...

As Ann said, they do remind me of the breastfeeding pads that I made for myself years ago when I was doing that. Well, they weren't quilted or pretty colors. Just white made from DH's old T-shirts. Hee Hee! It was my way of saving money.

Marguerita McManus said...

I have cut my practice FMQ muslin "quilt sandwiches" into circles and put them under my coffee cup or wine glass. I had no idea I was setting my coffee/wine on my "boobs" hehehehehe. I could go a long way with this idea, thanks so much for posting it :)

Marguerita McManus said...

I have cut my practice FMQ muslin sandwiches into circles to use under my coffee cup or wine glass. I had no idea I was setting my coffee/wine on my "boobs"! I love this idea. I could have a lot of fun with this.... Thanks so much for posting it.