first steps to free-motion quilting

Today I'm happy to be a stop on Christina's blog tour for her new book First Steps To Free Motion Quilting. When I teach FMQ classes, I refer to Christina's blog as a resource. Now I'm thrilled to be able to recommend a full book written by her on the subject! This isn't just a book for beginners, though. No matter how long you have been free motion quilting, there is always more to learn. I personally love the reassurance that she gives that it doesn't have to be perfect! I can always, always use that reminder.

In this book Christina covers the necessities, the basics, tips and techniques, LOTS of quilting designs (about 23 pages, with multiple designs per page) and 24 fun projects to quilt up. There is also a comprehensive section on troubleshooting. It's nice to have a list to run through when you are ready to throw in the towel or pull out your hair. :)

The strip quilt pictured above is one of the projects in the book and I have added it to my to-do list. Each strip is quilted in a different design. SO many fun possibilities and such a great way to try/practice new designs.

There are several smaller projects in the book, too, and I was immediately drawn to the loopy bucket. Linen plus scraps? Sign me up! It was a fun and quick sew....easy to start and finish in one afternoon. LOVE that! (I am also pleased to be able to count this as scrappy project 15/101.)

I re-discovered how FUN it is to quilt on linen! I've used this loopy design on a few quilts in the past and it's a favorite.

I also wanted to challenge myself a little bit, so I picked out this design from the book and gave it a shot.

Here's my trial piece on muslin. Not too bad for a first try! Not exactly the same, but it doesn't have to be. I'm excited to try more. It's good to branch out!

So, there's just a peek at the book. Christina did a great job on it! Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour to see what they have to say about the book, too.

9/25: Allison Rosen at Stash Books Blog 
9/26: Jessica Alexandrakis at Life Under Quilts 
9/27: Monica Solorio-Snow at Happy Zombie 
9/28: Susan Beal at West Coast Crafty 
9/29: Kathy Mack at Pink Chalk Studio 
9/30: Angela Walters at Quilting is my Therapy 
10/1: Amanda Jean Nyberg at Crazy Mom Quilts 
10/2: Megan Dye at Megs Monkey Beans
10/3: Victoria Findlay Wolfe at Victoria Findlay Wolfe Quilts 
10/4: Katie Pedersen at Sew Katie Did 
10/5: Christina Cameli at A Few Scraps

If you would like to win a copy of the book, compliments of Stash Books, please leave a comment on this post. In your comment I'd love to hear your thoughts on FMQ. Do you love it? Hate it? Have you made great strides in this area? Please, only one comment per person. A US winner will have the choice of either an e-book or a hard copy. An international winner will receive an e-book. I will pick a name randomly on Friday, October 4th.