Unrestrained

funky bright improvisatinal machine quilting

 I exhibited a quilt I made in 2005 at the recent Redland Quilt Extravaganza. A friend commented that my quilting had "improved" , this quilt had a boring symmetrical and predictable quilting design. My latest machine quilting adventures have been strongly influenced by many contemporary quilters world wide.

Not so much improved, but expanded, more free and unrestrained. Machine quilting is fun and should be a fun process.

Now I use funky bright thread colours with asymetrical designs, mostly freehand with only some very vague drawn guide lines  - most of which rub off before I can see them !  I am doing some improvisatonal work which pleases me, it may not please the judges or people who expect there to be symmetry. Most of my pieced work is not planned or overly symmetrical or lends itself to organised structured quilting designs.
When I first started to machine quilt I made paper patterns which I stitched over - then removed the paper, now I have the confidence to "just do it!'
I have an almost finished quilt top that does need symmetrical and ordered quilting qulting designs, this will mean paper patterns and some serious planning- which is one of my weak points - preplanning! However as it is a traditional quilt it will organisation.
Madly trying to get this current quilt finished for the upcoming Queensland Quilters Exhibition.