January's FMQing Challenge entry ...

One of the challenges I have decided to take on this year is the Free Motion Quilting Challenge set by SewCalGal.  This month's challenge was set by Frances Moore, and it was a 'trailing leaves' design.  The tutorial was given via this youtube video if you are interested in trying it yourself.

So, how did I go?  After a really horrific attempt earlier in the month, after which I realised DD had changed up my tension ....

Looks o-kay ... but just wait till you see the back!!!

Bleagch!!! LOL!!  Why, oh why didn't I check the tension before starting?! Hehe!!!

I had another go today on some 5in squares I sewed together in a 6 x 2 block.  It looks pretty good from afar, lol, all tidied up and squared up ...

When you look closer, it is easy to pick out the horrible leaves ... though, every now and then I come up with a nice leaf or two, lol!!  My best two blocks are in the orange on the top left, and the green-blue, third from the left along the top ...

The back looks like a mess of trailing leaves, with the occasional loopy to break up the 'stems' ...

I found that, when I was nearing the end of the 'runner', it was obvious my hands were tiring.  The leaves looked messier and the nicer leaves were few and far between.  I found it easier to make the leaf shape when I was looking at the 'heart' shaped leaf, with the point facing towards me.  When the points were facing away from me it was more difficult to get a nicely shaped leaf.  With LOADS more practice I am sure I can make this more regular and neater.

I was using Mettler silk-finish multi thread, No.50.

I am linking this up with SewCalGal's January challenge linkup here.

If you are wanting to join in on the fun, challenging your skills at FMQing this year, why don't you join us?  You don't have to have participated this month ... You don't have to participate every month ... Just the ones you feel you might be interested in!!

A wrap up ....

... of the last few months' swaps, and some new goals for the coming year ....

The last few months of last year (well, the ones before Dec...) were a little crazy for me ... well, actually, it's more like I went a little crazy, lol!  My last study period for uni (Sept - Nov), my daughter and I spent most of it sick ... I was stressing out about my assignments, having signed up for three units when I only had one day a week set aside for the work when DD was at childcare (don't do this!!! seriously ... one day per one subject!!!! ... I was lucky to pass the one subject I did!!!) ... and my swaps were not able to be put into a high priority.  Thankyou to all my very patient swap partners, all of whom were kept informed as to how I was going, and waited for my blocks to arrive in late Dec/early Jan!!! God Bless You All!!!

So, I have a few months of swaps I have here to show you ...

For both my September and October partners for the Christmas Quilting Block Swap Australia swap, Cheryl and Lori, I made a log cabin block.  As they both requested the same block, in traditional Christmas colours, I made the same block for each of them ...

Lori went all out, sending me these two beautiful log cabins, a cotton dishtowel (must make some of these myself ...), a gorgeous little notepad with my inital "L" on it, and a beautiful fat quarter of white and red fabric.  Thankyou Lori!!

For the Scissor Keeper Swap, hosted by Cookies & Cream  last October, my partner was Cheryll. She sent me the following gorgeousness!  Beautiful!!

I have just, last week, finished her gifties, and they are wrapped and set to go off to the post office tomorrow morning.  Hopefully they will arrive end of next week, so I can show you then what I have spent the last two weeks putting together for her in amongst all my cleaning and organising (finally my sewing and craft supplies have been organised ...Yay!!)

For the Spring Seasonal Swap (hosted by Cheryll), my partner was Lisa.  These were sent roughly around when they were due, but I realised I haven't shown much more than a sneaky pic ... For Lisa, I made the "Ric Rac and Blooms" bag from The Rivendale Collection by Sally Giblin.  I also included a few other "springy" things ... a couple of inspiring magazines to read, some seed packets & a matching tea towel, a FQ of some pretty fabric plus some rick rack and floral lace trim, some smelly hand lotion and a pretty pink flannel.

Here's a better pic of the bag ...

And a close up of the stitching ... Just coz it's so pretty!! ...

Lisa stitched a gorgeous cushion for me, which holds pride of place on my bed when I'm not sleeping in it ...

And a close up of that gorgeous stitching ...

My 6in Block Swap partner for September was Jolanda.  She requested "any stars in shabby fabrics, with roses in pink, yellow, green & cream", so I made up these ...

Jolanda made me these beautiful pinwheel blocks ...

My partner for October was Robyn, and she requested "any scrappy blocks in any colours with a touch of blue".  This was my first time making anything with my scraps, let alone a scrappy block.  After doing a pretty long google search of "scrappy blocks", I sat down and made these two.  Robyn was happy with them, so I guess I made them 'right', lol!!

Robyn sent me these beautiful log cabins, along with some gorgeous panels of quilty ladies and a beautiful keyring which now resides on my keys (I was looking for a new one ... Thank-you Robyn!) ...

My 12in Quilting Block Swaps Australia swap partner for October was Terry (no blog).   She requested any block in a {grey, black and pink} colourway.  I took this opportunity to remake the Lady of the Lake 2 block I previously made  in June in blue and yellow.  Though I love both blocks, I think I am partial to this one, though I would have never made anything this colourway unless it was requested in this swap!!

Terry sent me this gorgeous dresden plate block ... I love how she used three different sized *scrunchy fabric circles* (can't think of the term right now ... my current headcold is interfering in proper brain function, lol!) ...

And a close up of the centre ... Super cute!! 

And finally, lol, the last swap, which was my first for the year ... and sent on time!!! (That is one of my goals this year!!  Every swap item sent on time!) I signed up to be involved in Lisa's "New Year Cracker Swap".  This was her first hosted swap, and I must say she did VERY well organising us all and ensuring we were all on top of everything!!  

My partner was Suze.  We were asked a whole bunch of questions about our preferences, likes and dislikes and our preferred crafts and then given our partners information.  I unfortunately forgot to take a photo of the items I sent through to Suze (mainly as I was cutting it tight time-wise, lol ... I was in Adelaide, didn't have my own transport, and had to wait until right at the last minute when we went into Rundle Mall one day for me to visit Spotlight, lol!  I didn't know the layout of that store so I spent hours in there trying to work out what I wanted to include in it and where those items were!).

Suze sent me this lovely cracker ...

And inside she included ... some stiff batting-stuff, two FQs of Ruby (plus the 'cracker' was made out of a FQ as required), some red and green ric rac, some red thread, some thin red ribbon, a little Hatched & Patched notepad, and a gorgeous little scissors & tape measure set.  Thankyou Suze!!

Phew!!  If you got to the end I congratulate you!!!  Well done!!!

I am just glad I got to the end!!

I have decided to stop my participation in the 6in and Christmas block swaps, simply because of time ... and the fact that I want to make some things for myself this year, lol! I will continue with the 12in Quilting Block Swap Australia group, though I have taken Nov through to Jan off so I could get caught up.  I now have my Feb partner's information and am headed to the LQS next week to find appropriate fabrics ... she wants a log cabin in batiks ... and I don't have much in the way of batik fabrics.

Anyway, must stop before I lose all your interest, lol!  I will post again in a few days to show my achievements for this month, let you know of a few groups/sew-alongs I have decided to participate in this year.  Now ... better get some sewing done now while it is cool ... we are having gorgeous rainstorms lately, and the weather forcast shows not signs of this abating any time soon!!  Yay!! Love Darwin rain!!!