Chatterbox Quilts’ Blog
Helping Quilters Learn and Improve
This might be the simplest quick quilt block that there is and it makes for a really quick and easy quilt project. Some people call this flipped corners block, but I know it as the Snowball block. To make this block you will need:
I love free motion quilting and am always looking for a good book to add to my quilting library all about this topic. I've found one in Free-Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3 by Lori Kennedy.
You may already follow Lori's blog, The Inbox Jaunt, where she shares information and free motion quilting designs. (If you aren't familiar with her blog, you should check it out). In Free-Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3 Lori shares many of her free motion designs and provides lots of information on free motion quilting.
One of my favourite things about this book, other than the amazing content, is that the book is ring bound. This allows you to lay the book out next to your sewing machine and use it as reference as you stitch out one of the over 60 designs in the book. Very handy!
The book is divided into sections based on the shapes of the designs, making it easy to find a swirl-type design or one that uses another shape, such as a leaf. Due to the type of information in the book, you would expect, and hope for, lots of reference photos - and this book has those. Lori stitches out her designs on solid colour fabrics so it is easy to see the design details.
Watch the video below or on my YouTube channel to see more about Free-Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3.
If you want a good reference book on free motion quilting, you will want to get your own copy of Free-Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3.
Do you love to do free motion quilting too? Leave me a comment below as to your favourite type of free motion design.
Creatively,
P.S. Join me in my private Chatterbox Quilts Facebook group for discussions on vintage sewing machines and quilting information. I'd love to chat with you there.
Disclaimer: I am an Amazon affiliate and will receive a small amount of compensation if you purchase by clicking through a link in this blog post. Thank you for allowing me to continue to create free content for you.
Once I confirmed that the sewing machine was still available, I jumped in the car with my cash in hand. I have an evaluation kit that I take with me when I’m looking at purchasing a “new” vintage sewing machine. It helps me make sure that a "great deal" is also a working machine. I was in such a hurry, that I almost forgot to take it with me, but remembered and grabbed it just before I jumped in the car. I was so glad I did! I have a link in the blog to a free Evaluation Kit List so that you can put together your own kit for your next vintage sewing machine shopping excursion.
The best thing about owning a vintage sewing machine is… no, not stitching with it, which is pretty amazing, but repairing and maintaining it. Unlike modern machines, vintage sewing machines need a bit more TLC, but I love this part of working with my machines.
I feel a deep connection with my machine and love learning all its little quirks. This connection is deepened when I clean it, make simple repairs, and oil it. I get a real feeling for how to get the best from my vintage sewing machine and learn when it needs a little maintenance or oiling. (I’m thirsty, feed me).
One of the most important things I learned from my early experiences was that you need to be able to assess a machine knowledgeably when considering a purchase to ensure that you pay a fair price for it. The best deals are when someone is selling a machine privately and you usually do not have a lot of time to look the machine over. You really need to know about the model you are considering and ensure all the important parts are functional, and, if they aren’t, that you will be able to fix them. You don’t want to miss out on a good deal, but you also want to ensure that you are getting a functional machine.
