February FMQ Challenge

So much for posting every week this month...



 

It has been a very short and very busy month, with a very difficult challenge, at least for me. I have drawn more feathers (with paper and pencil) than I had thought possible. Diane Gaudynski was the FMQ expert for this month's Sew Cal Gal FMQ Challenge, and that's a really high bar! I adore her feathers, and the tutorial she wrote was wonderful, but nothing except practice could help me learn this skill. So, I practiced as time allowed.

I won't bore you with my beginning drawings. They were just awful! After about three weeks of sketching, I was able to draw feathers I was pretty happy with.

One of my favorite sketches.

So once I could draw the feathers somewhat consistently, I began to sew them. Here are my best attempts so far.

Best attempts at an actual quilted feather.

They're a little wobbly. I find it hard to remember to stop completely before repositioning my hands. When I stop I sometimes lose the curve and get somewhat straighter lines and angles. When I don't stop, I lose control or my line of sight and things get jerky. So I'm learning when to slow down, when to stop, and when to reposition my hands on the quilt. As you can probably tell from the stippling, I am a real beginner. So much to learn!

This challenge is perfect for learning. It keeps me focused. Thank you so much, Sew Cal Gal, for this wonderful opportunity. I am working at the challenge, not just for a chance to win prizes (though they are WONDERUL prizes, and I'd love to win) but because I really need the practice. I would have given up on this one had I not signed up and been following along with this terrific community. I'm obviously not alone, and while I may never be able to sew feathers as well as Ms. Gaudynski, I do now believe that I can learn to do this well enough to be happy with my own work. That is my goal.

That's my challenge entry for this month. Can't wait for tomorrow. What will March bring?