The Free Motion Quilting Project: Day 296

Monday, July 4, 2011

Day 296 - Dandelion Puff

Happy Independence Day! I hope you're having beautiful weather and enjoying this day off with family and friends. Josh and I are taking it easy - this afternoon I'll make a pinata with James and we'll smash it after grilling out hamburgers and hot dogs this evening.

So to celebrate all this outdoor fun, let's try a design inspired by the weeds growing in my front yard. I don't know anyone who doesn't have at least 1 (if not 100) dandelions, and they make for a pretty free motion design called Dandelion Puff:

At least with these Dandelions, it's okay if the seeds go everywhere!

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This design is sponsored by Free Motion Basics for Beginners, a 2 Disc DVD that teaches you everything you need to know about getting started free motion quilting.

Difficulty Level - Intermediate. The hardest part of this design is going to be creating the initial puff ball shape. Once you get that stitched, it's really just a matter of echoing repeatedly, then branching off to create a new puff in a different direction.

Filler Design Type - Pivoting. Really you could easily stitch this as either an Pivoting or an Echoing Design. It's a simple variation of Storm of Palms, but I think of the two, this one is probably easier.

Directional Texture - All Directions. The swirling puffs really stand out, so make sure to place this in an area where they can shine without competing with other design elements in your quilts.

Suggestions for Use - All this talk of summer and looking forward to a splash in the pool and grill out on the deck is making me think of my Sunflowers Quilt. Dandelion Puff would look great stitched in the borders of this small wall hanging.

It would also look great quilted on a large scale of a summer baby quilt. Just expand all the puffs so they take up about 4-5 inches each, then swing the echoes around widely so the quilt finishes soft and cuddly.

Back of Dandelion Puff