Hello Reader,

Welcome to the April newsletter. This month's artsy tip is all about playing vs. practising as you prepare to quilt your pet portrait.

Free Motion Quilting

We throw the term quilting around, like it's just one skill set. But you and I both know that the actual verb, to quilt, is distinctly different than cutting and sewing pieces of fabric together. And it can be quite a challenge and a hurdle to overcome, especially when we are instructed to lower the feed dogs and quilt free motion. There's a good reason it's challenging, so let's poke the monster, shall we?

Then vs. Now

I think it's fair to say that none of us would have the skills we do, had we not practised those skills along the way. When we were little, it was OK to flounder and fluff up. But everything changes as we grow older: we develop an aversion to messing up and we lose the sense of fun in trying new things.

Doing the obligatory 'work' to acquire a new skill loses its appeal with age, or perhaps it's just the desire to undertake a new skill that languishes. We unwittingly think or wish we could just hit a home run and be done with the awkward learning phase. Who has the time for practise and besides, we know what we're good and and what we're not. Right?

This graphic sums it up.

Play vs. Practise

My theory is that the fun in practising a skill like free motion quilting is often missing and that we ought to just call it play. And, when we play we shed our expectations of a success and give ourselves permission to fluff up. Playing engages the creative side of your brain and silences your “inner editor” that censors your thoughts and ideas. Whatever happens, happens and when it's over, it's over until the next play session.

Scribbling on a muslin quilt sandwich with thread is a great way to play at free motion quilting. Try it. Just let yourself feel how your hand movement and foot pedal pressure work together to create variable length stitches and sense of flow. Don't fight it, just keep scribbling. Watch, feel, and notice what happens when you move the quilt sample and vary the stitching speed.

You can stop and start anytime you wish. Use every stop as a chance to adjust your hand position and rotate the quilt for a better sense of control.

Play often for short sessions. You will improve and when you notice some success, however small, check in with yourself. Feels good, right?

After scribbling and playing with free motion, try stitching a motif like the flame stitch, below. This is an ideal starter motif because it is just one short, curved line repeated over and over. Vary the length of the lines and reverse the direction of stitching at each endpoint. Think of each endpoint as an opportunity to pause with the needle down and re-group before continuing.

Interweaving the motifs will create a nice cohesive quilted appearance. Looks a bit like the texture of fur, doesn't it?

Before stitching a motif, have a vision of what it will look like and set your intent as you begin. It's also good to doodle this on a piece of paper first to prime your muscle memory bank. Then, begin stitching it, one motif at a time, then two, and maybe a third. Keep going and find a pace where you feel most comfortable.

Make it a habit to do this before you begin free motion quilting any project and you will be physically and mentally prepared to add that special touch to your quilt.

I hope you give this a try and if you do, let me know how it works for you.

This Artsy Tip is one of many that you will find in the Pet Portraits: Quilting and Finishing course. It is designed to help you clear the hurdles and elevate your confidence for free motion quilting your pet portrait. If you are nearing that phase or you have an un-finished portrait that's waiting to be finished, check it out now.

New Look for Pet Portraits Courses

I am pleased to announce that all three Pet Portraits courses (From Picture to Pattern, Fabric Collage, and Quilting & Finishing) are up and running at the new, Anne Mathers Pet Portrait School. The courses have been refreshed and re-newed and are ready to welcome you! Check out this link to see what's on offer.

If you purchased a course at Coursecraft, it is ready and waiting for you on your new course dashboard.

Just click here https:annemathers.thinkific.com, then enter the same email address as your Coursecraft account and set a new password to continue your unlimited access.

Each month, I choose a different topic so stay tuned for the next newsletter and do let me know if there's a topic you'd like to see in a future edition. You can check out previous newsletters for more Pet Portrait fabric collage tips.

If you know someone who might enjoy this newsletter, please feel free share it with them or post it on your favourite social media.

Thanks for reading and, until next time, be well.

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