Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Microstippling....

Our homework for Leah's Free Motion Quilting Project was micro-stippling in our whole cloth mini quilt.
All I can say is that this is not something I will try again!
Obviously, my technique sucks big time, but that would improve with lots of practice.
No, my problem was that I just did not enjoy doing it!
Not for even one minute.
Just one of those things.
These are terrible photos, but you get the idea...

I kept at it until my bobbin ran out of thread, and then abandoned it!
Surprisingly enough, I do not consider this a failure! I have learned so much doing this project. Never would I have tried outlining...and I love it...
Not to mention travel stitching....I know I will try so many more patterns now that I know I can try it.
Feathers! Love feathers now!
But no more micro-stippling for me!!
I plan to do a lot more of this though...not part of the project!
Just a fun thing to do...
I'm off to check out the work of others who probably did finish their work!

15 comments:

Sue Daurio said...

great quilting!! I'm with you though I use something other than micro stippling for filler. I love your flowers - like they are flowing through the wind, gorgeous!

Annie said...

I'm with you on the micro stippling. Oh, wait, I don't like to do free motion quilting at all so I can just imagine I wouldn't like that bitty stuff. But you still done it good! I like your other designs too. Do the fun quilting...life is too short for the other stuff!

The Thompsons said...

I haven't started the micro-stippling yet. I agree with you though that even if you don't end up liking it, it's still a win situation, because you learned something from it.

Teje Karjalainen said...

Hi Patti! Your quilting looks great! Wow - you make so beautiful things and I love those patch-animals in your header! But you have to tell me how your cat's name is 'Kissa'?!
x Teje

Anne said...

Your quilt still looks great. Having seen other people's, I'm now feeling very disappointed with my microstippling - but I WILL try it again, as I quite enjoyed it. Only on a small project though!

Kelly said...

No point carrying on with something you don't enjoy. Fab quilting, I love the flowers.

Sana Saroti said...

I really like the flower quilting on your swoon block!

Heather D. said...

No point in sticking with something that you're hating. I'm with ya there. It does look great though. ;-)

Katie said...

No micro stippling for me! I can feel my back tightening up just thinking about it.
It looks really good though, you did a very nice job!

Danih03 said...

I think you did a wonderful job! But if you hate it, hate the process, not the quilt. It really does look great!

Jessim said...

I think it looks very good- a lesson learned even if you won't finish.

I love the star flower bands you made- beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Isn't it great to discover what you love and what you don't?

I had the exact opposite reaction - I absolutely loved all that tiny work.

But that's what's so great about quilting; you'll never discover what makes your heart sing until you try everything :-) And you definitely don't have to finish - you learned what you needed to.

Thanks for sharing!
--Christa

June D said...

I think your microstippling technique was very nice. I was surprised myself at how I was pleased with how nice my piece looks (from a distance) - didn't seem to take that much time either. But then I realized I wasn't doing real microstippling - I guess it's mini stippling. So maybe you'd like that too. The dancing flowers are great looking!

Ray and Jeanne said...

It looks good. I, too, am not a great fan of micro- stippling. But like you, I thought the experience was good and I learned a lot. Like June, I think some of my micro is mini! -Jeanne

Janine @ Rainbow Hare said...

I think your fmq is fab! Even if you didn't enjoy the micro stippling, it must be good to know you could do it if, for any reason, you ever wanted too :)

15 comments:

Sue Daurio said...

great quilting!! I'm with you though I use something other than micro stippling for filler. I love your flowers - like they are flowing through the wind, gorgeous!

Annie said...

I'm with you on the micro stippling. Oh, wait, I don't like to do free motion quilting at all so I can just imagine I wouldn't like that bitty stuff. But you still done it good! I like your other designs too. Do the fun quilting...life is too short for the other stuff!

The Thompsons said...

I haven't started the micro-stippling yet. I agree with you though that even if you don't end up liking it, it's still a win situation, because you learned something from it.

Teje Karjalainen said...

Hi Patti! Your quilting looks great! Wow - you make so beautiful things and I love those patch-animals in your header! But you have to tell me how your cat's name is 'Kissa'?!
x Teje

Anne said...

Your quilt still looks great. Having seen other people's, I'm now feeling very disappointed with my microstippling - but I WILL try it again, as I quite enjoyed it. Only on a small project though!

Kelly said...

No point carrying on with something you don't enjoy. Fab quilting, I love the flowers.

Sana Saroti said...

I really like the flower quilting on your swoon block!

Heather D. said...

No point in sticking with something that you're hating. I'm with ya there. It does look great though. ;-)

Katie said...

No micro stippling for me! I can feel my back tightening up just thinking about it.
It looks really good though, you did a very nice job!

Danih03 said...

I think you did a wonderful job! But if you hate it, hate the process, not the quilt. It really does look great!

Jessim said...

I think it looks very good- a lesson learned even if you won't finish.

I love the star flower bands you made- beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Isn't it great to discover what you love and what you don't?

I had the exact opposite reaction - I absolutely loved all that tiny work.

But that's what's so great about quilting; you'll never discover what makes your heart sing until you try everything :-) And you definitely don't have to finish - you learned what you needed to.

Thanks for sharing!
--Christa

June D said...

I think your microstippling technique was very nice. I was surprised myself at how I was pleased with how nice my piece looks (from a distance) - didn't seem to take that much time either. But then I realized I wasn't doing real microstippling - I guess it's mini stippling. So maybe you'd like that too. The dancing flowers are great looking!

Ray and Jeanne said...

It looks good. I, too, am not a great fan of micro- stippling. But like you, I thought the experience was good and I learned a lot. Like June, I think some of my micro is mini! -Jeanne

Janine @ Rainbow Hare said...

I think your fmq is fab! Even if you didn't enjoy the micro stippling, it must be good to know you could do it if, for any reason, you ever wanted too :)