I'm excited to be joining in the Making Connections Blog Hop. Dorie Hruska of Forever Quilting was kind enough to allow me a sneak peek at her practical workbook.
Making Connections introduces an entirely new approach that can be applied to specific shapes or open spaces marked with a grid. Dorie shows you how to employ 12 different connecting designs while minimizing starts and stops by using intentionally planned continous paths. She walks you through the steps with numbered diagrams and spaces for you to sketch out the designs. The cover quilt pattern is included and ties all the skills within the workbook together. Dorie's aim is to help you build muscle memory of the process, as shown in the following YouTube video.
I enjoy quilting that accentuates the piecing in a quilt or creates a meaningful secondary design, rather than simply going over the top with no regard for the piecing. Making Connections gave me new tools for making that happen.
I also appreciate how Making Connections made me more aware of more efficient options for charting my course across a quilt top, which saves me numerous lose threads to tie off or a whole bunch of backtracking.
Whether you're very experienced or a free-motion newbie, Dorie's workbook pushes you to add skills to your repertoire. You can scratch the surface by trying out some Connecting Loops or Connecting Curls on a charm square quilt. (The following two images below belong to C & T and are sections of Dorie's work.)
Or you can navigate complex piecing without tying off using an assortment of multi-path designs.
You may remember my shamefully put-aside floral sampler quilt I finally wrapped up. I was able to test out the Connecting Waves design in the red squares. Unfortunately, since they were isolated squares, this quilt did not take advantage of all the book had to offer.
Eager to try out my skill at navigating a continuous path, I began quilting another member of my UFO society, my Hungry Caterpillar quilt, with the Connecting Brackets Design.
So what's next? You may have picked up on a continuing theme here --- UFOs. I have another Saturday Sampler that's been hanging out (in the literal sense of being on a hanger in my sewing room closet) waiting for me to give it the time of day in terms of free-motion. This one is especially suited to Dorie's technique for approaching pieced sections. I opened a photograph of one of the blocks in Preview (a Mac app) and ran through a connected path using free-motion designs introduced in Making Connections. Every block is different, so I'll be doing some more playing around in the days to come. Drawing helps me chart a course so I'm mental prepared when I approach the actual quilt. Fortunately, I'm more steady with fabric under a machine than I am with the mouse pad on my laptop.
You can purchase a signed copy of Making Connections from Dorie, or buy the book from C & T (30% off when you sign up for the newsletter) or Amazon (affiliate links).
Also, check out the wonderful projects all the other participants have been making.
BLOG HOP SCHEDULE
Also, check out the wonderful projects all the other participants have been making.
BLOG HOP SCHEDULE
Friday September 1st
C&T Publishing Blog; @ctpublishing on Instagram
Monday September 4th
Holly Anne Knight Blog; @stringandstory on Instagram
Susan Arnold Blog; @quiltfabrication on Instagram
Tuesday September 5th
Becca Fenstermaker Blog; @prettypiney on Instagram
Teri Lucas Blog; @genqmag on Instagram
Wednesday September 6th
Sherry Shish Blog; @poweredbyquilting on Instagram
Pam Morgan Blog; @sweetlittlestitches on Instagram
Thursday September 7th
Katy S Blog; @katyquilts on Instagram
Laura Piland Blog; @sliceofpiquilts on Instagram
Friday September 8th
Suzy Webster Blog; @websterquilt on Instagram
Bernie Kringel Blog; @needleandfoot on Instagram
Monday September 11th
Jamie Mueller Blog; @sunflower_quilt on Instagram
Nancy Scott Blog; @masterpiecequilting on Instagram
Tuesday September 12th
Sherri Noel Blog; @rebeccamaedesigns on Instagram
Anorina Morris Blog; @sameliasmum on Instagram
Wednesday September 13th
Yvonne Fuchs Blog; @quiltingjetgirl on Instagram
Barbie Mills Blog; @thequiltingmill on Instagram
Thursday September 14th
Afton Warrick Blog; @quiltingmod on Instagram
Kathy Bruckman Blog; @kathyskwiltsandmore on Instagram
Friday September 15th
Susan Arnold Blog; @quiltfabrication on Instagram
Dorie Hruska Blog; @foreverquilting on Instagram
"UFO Society" You just made my day. No need to enter me in the giveaway, but these appear to be great tips and suggestions she gives in her book. Quilt on!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great book. I've certainly been inspired. My tip would be - don't forget to breath and relax!
ReplyDeleteI follow your blog by email
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed this blog hop. All the tips have been helpful as I'm currently quilting a large quilt with many blocks. I have planned out my path and I am quilting my way across the top
ReplyDeleteI follow your blog by e-mail.
ReplyDeleteAnd I follow you via Bloglovin.
ReplyDeleteI would like to learn how to plan continuous quilting across a quilt. The less threads to bury, the better.
ReplyDeleteI want to learn how to keep my stitches even. That's my biggest fear that the stitches will be all over the place.
ReplyDeleteI follow you on bloglovin
ReplyDeleteI would like to learn which design to use on each quilt to make it more appealing to the eye.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of continuous quilting, as burying threads can be a pain.
ReplyDeleteI have been longarming for a few years, but you just never know when someone else has a great design or tip!
ReplyDeleteI follow you through bloglovin.
ReplyDeleteI am very new to FMQ, so I'm pretty much a blank slate. Even the basics of making a quilting plan for the entire quilt top will be very helpful to me, and not having to bury all those threads sounds like a fantastic gift.
ReplyDeleteI follow your blog by email (wordygirl at earthlink dot net).
ReplyDeleteI follow via Bloglovin
ReplyDeleteThere is so much for me to learn -- how to move over the quilt without getting trapped, design, keeping stitches even. This looks like a great resource!
ReplyDeleteI find that I have difficulty transitioning from a test block to the actual quilt. I do have a table set behind my machine to hold the weight but it's a challenge to maneuver the quilt under the needle.
ReplyDeleteanndunn24(at)gmail.com
I receive your posts via e-mail.
ReplyDeleteanndunn24(at)gmail.com
I want something that will make the job seem like fun. This book may do that for me.
ReplyDeleteI too have UFO's I need to finish by quilting. I like this concept of continuous quilting and not having to stop and start new threads.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of continuous quilting. I am looking for techniques to help me get more comfortable with FMQ on my domestic machine.
ReplyDeleteVery nice variety of quilting on this. Enjoyed the video too!
ReplyDeleteI am new to this so I need to learn everything. For example I have a block in front of me what do I do.
ReplyDeleteI have lots of ufo's. My tip is draw out a plan. Then practice, practice, practice.
ReplyDeleteI am following you via email.
ReplyDeleteI follow on bloglovin.
ReplyDeleteI follow with Bloglovin
ReplyDeleteMy tip is that you have better control over your stitches if you relax and slow down.
ReplyDeleteI need to jump back in and practice practice practice!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to learn to wing it. Right now I can only produce acceptable results if I follow a marked line or a ruler.
ReplyDeleteI use a supreme slider when I free motion quilt and it seams to help alot! mumbird3(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI want to learn everything about deciding what to quilt in each block or to just do an all over quilting design.
ReplyDeleteI will be using a home machine and this book would help me get confident enough to finish off my quilt tops. Thanks so much
djcutting2(at)gmail(dot)com
I follow you on bloglovin.
ReplyDeletedjcutting2(at)gmail(dot)com
I'm really needing help on being brave and diving in!! :-) And continuous line quilting on a domestic machine. I gotta work with what I have!! :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd I follow you via email. Thanks for sharing through your blog! Hugs, H
ReplyDeleteI want to learn some beginner techniques. I have done meandering, but would love to try some other designs.
ReplyDeleteI follow you on bloglovin!
ReplyDeleteI like to use a clear plexiglass with dry erase marker to lay over my quilt to "test drive" a design before I actually sew it. Saves a lot of ripping!! Your quilting designs are great. Thanks for sharing the excellent giveaway too.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to learn free motion feathers.
ReplyDeleteI follow your blog on my blogger dashboard/GFC.
ReplyDeleteI am excited to learn to travel over the quilt with a quilting design starting and stopping at the same point. Right now I do mostly meandering.
ReplyDeleteI follow the blog with bloglovin.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a real accurate FMQ and that's what I'd like to learn. I can do a lot of the designs but they aren't crisp and professional looking. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI really like those Connecting Brackets design! Good work on those UFOs and checking them off the list, too! I know practice is what's needed here to avoid the jerky and skipped stitches I get so often. I'm hoping this book would help!
ReplyDeleteI follow your blog on Bloglovin!
ReplyDeleteI already follow you on bloglovin
ReplyDeleteI love FMQ but I struggle with choosing designs to quilt so I whine up with the same designs over and over again
ReplyDeleteWould love to own that book. With FMQ, I also struggle with not getting "stuck" into my standard go-to, allover meandering. It is pretty, but would love to venture into some new quilting designs.
ReplyDeleteI follow via email and Bloglovin'
ReplyDeleteI struggle with how to make my quilting more continuous and not quilt myself into corners which is why I have to have this book! Please pick me!!!
ReplyDeletecathylouwilson@gmail.com
I follow you on Bloglovin
ReplyDeleteWell, I'd like to be able to quilt great designs with fewer starts and stops. That means less ends to tie off and bury. Thanks for the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteI follow you through email.
ReplyDeleteI would like to get more FMQ motifs into muscle memory. Quilting more continuously would definitely go a long way towards this goal!
ReplyDeleteI'm a new long arm quilter and the only continuous dsigns I can do now is a simple meander and a loopy meander. Boring! Think this book would help
ReplyDeleteI need to learn continuous design quilting, so I don't have to backtrack or stitch in the ditch to move around. Dorie's book sounds like just what I need!
ReplyDeleteI just need to practice more often! I've got to get a copy of this book! lutzcats (at) yahoo (dot) com
ReplyDeleteI have not done much fmq, but need to practice. I should get out UFO's as you have done! Thank you, peterstankovich@comcast.net
ReplyDeleteI am now following on bloglovin, thank you, peterstankovich@comcast.net
ReplyDeleteI haven't yet tried FMQ so this book would probably be helpful.
ReplyDeleteI'm always eager to learn new continuous quilting designs. This book sounds like just what I need!
ReplyDeleteI need to learn how to do more continuous quilting. I'm always stop & go, stop & go......trotskyn@att.net
ReplyDeleteI follow you through Bloglovin'.
ReplyDeleteI am pretty new to free motion so I have a LOT to learn! thanks for the giveaway! Cotten.gloria@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI follow you via Bloglovin. Cotten.gloria@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI would like to improve selection of quilting designs for different projects.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to be able to skip the beginner chapters and head straight for the advanced quilting stitches so that I can wow everyone but considering that I haven't done much fmq, I'd better start at the beginning. This book sounds very interesting. I've spent a lot of time burying threads on the quilts that I did get fmq. kthurn(at)bektel(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI follow by Bloglovin. Thanks, kthurn(at)bektel(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThink I'm late coming. But this ties in nicely with my current objective to begin with the end in mind!
ReplyDelete