Fusible Web and Free-Motion Quilting With Ariane

Today, I spent the whole day with my baby sister, Ariane. Over the course of the last 2 years she has learned to sew and quilt, and for a little over a year and a half she has authored a delightful quilting blog known as Ariane's Crafts. Ariane is a completely self-taught quilter, who is unafraid of new techniques. She has recently begun writing her own patterns. And the great thing is, she uses an old White sewing machine to do all her machine and free-motion quilting. So, as the owner of an even-older White sewing machine (a.k.a. Betty), I was super-excited when she called me up last week and organized a free-motion and fusible-web quilting lesson, techniques I've never tried!

She arrived at 9 am this morning bearing her fabric scraps, sewing machine, thread, fusible web, cutting mat, rotary cutter, scissors, the whole she-bang! See, here's a couple of the scraps she brought.

After a torturous jaunt to one of our local quilt shops (Don't worry I didn't buy A SINGLE thing due to Stashbusting September...), we got down to business.

Ariane made two mini-quilts and I made one. SO MUCH FUN! Here they are!

Below is the back of her first quilt. Look at that quilting. See that free-motion stippling? She did that with a low-shank darning foot and her old White sewing machine! Pretty, eh? I think that aqua thread in the middle there is brilliant!

And below is the start of her second mini. Our little house in the woods. That's the house we grew up in. I'm in there but you can't see me 'cause I'm hiding. I'm shy like that.

And last, but not least, here is my very first use of fusible web and my virgin attempt at free-motion quilting!!!

I call it "Moms and Tots".

I used fusible web to appliqué all of those little circles and ovals as per Ariane's directions.

I pieced the back using some of those delicious scraps...

And then she taught me to quilt free-motionally with my old White sewing machine and her darning foot!!! You don't know how exciting this was. But let me tell you. IT WAS ECK-SIGH-TING! Hee hee!

I LOVE the look of the crazy free-motion quilting on there.

Free-motion quilting, you haven't seen the last of me!

Just gotta go buy me some fusible web and one of those darn feet! I mean, darning feet.

Thank you so much Ariane, you have opened my sheltered little world to a whole new creative realm. I cannot thank you enough. My hero, once again! xox

And you, I hope you have yourself a great day!