Doodling cards for FMQ

Doodling and FMQ?  Something might not seem right, but there is a whole lot going on here...  Remember when I mentioned in a previous post that learning FMQ is very similar to learning how to write?  There are all kinds of strokes that must be learned in order to know how to complete the letter.  I recall those exercises where I was supposed to draw swans in the first line of the page, just to end up with a bunch of "S" by the end.  

Well, FMQ also has a lot of strokes, and because it is done with a sewing machine, we don't have the chance to stop and erase, redo, start at another point or white out.  That is why every single opportunity to practice is needed to achieve an understanding of where the lines (thread) have to go next.  

While watching videos or reading books about FMQ, instead of going to the instructions, I would grab a piece of paper and started following the designs.  That's how it all started.  Then it happened when I was on the phone; instead of random doodles, I was sketching the quilting designs I had seen in a picture, here and there.

With time, I just thought I was wasting precious time, ink and paper to practice, so - once again - I decided I had to do something pretty and useful with my practice pieces.  And the perfect opportunity came when I was unable to find a card.  None of the ones I found really expressed what I wanted to say, so I decided to use Canson universal paper and a felt-tip liner.  That's when I ended up with the following:

All of the designs I used in these cards are based on Angela Walter's Craftsy class Machine Quilting Negative Space.  She is a super skilled long arm quilter who likes quilting designs that blend into the background fabric, or negative space, so that texture becomes complimentary to the main design of a quilt.

Swirls, leaves and circles

Flower

Swirls, circles and breaking up space with brackets and lines

Playing with scale, depth and emphasis

I folded the paper in three parts, and folded the inside to make a sort of flap.  I repeated the design on the flap, but I also changed it a bit so that I could use the blank space to write the person's name.

I just opened the paper and wrote the note in the middle part, on the inside.  It was so nice to see the person tracing the design with her finger - she liked her card very much!  :)





And there you have it... another idea for turning practice pieces into something beautiful and useful that you can share with others.

The fact that you made it yourself adds a unique touch!  

See you next post!