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First Steps to Free-Motion Quilting
• Just start stitching! Practice free-motion quilting with 24 easy-to-achieve projects
• You'll make simple quilts, embellish kitchen towels and clothes, personalize a messenger bag, and so much more
• All projects are freehand and require no marking
Ready, set, sew! Learn the basics, gather your supplies, pick a project, and start stitching. With a refreshingly new approach to free-motion stitching, First Steps to Free-Motion Quilting encourages you to make something beautiful while improving your free-motion quilting skills. You'll find 24 projects and quilts that are light on assembly so you can spend most of your time stitching. A handy troubleshooting guide ensures success every step of the way.
• You'll make simple quilts, embellish kitchen towels and clothes, personalize a messenger bag, and so much more
• All projects are freehand and require no marking
Ready, set, sew! Learn the basics, gather your supplies, pick a project, and start stitching. With a refreshingly new approach to free-motion stitching, First Steps to Free-Motion Quilting encourages you to make something beautiful while improving your free-motion quilting skills. You'll find 24 projects and quilts that are light on assembly so you can spend most of your time stitching. A handy troubleshooting guide ensures success every step of the way.
- GenresQuiltingNonfictionCrafts
144 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2013
88 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 1, 2018
For an experienced seamstress with some basic quilting experience, this will be a great introduction to free-form quilting. The book begins with the basics: tools, techniques, and quilting designs which she's grouped into ten categories with names like kissing, meandering, spiraling, etc. The author encourages readers to practice and then to dive in - the fearless part - and not worry about the inevitable little mistakes which she defines and compares to big mistakes which do need correcting. She reveals that she has a few boo-boos in her examples but left them there as an example and also because she had a deadline for the book.
It's when she gets to the 24 projects that things get less helpful. The projects themselves (gift bags, chair pads, purses, etc.) are great, varied, modern, practical, but the written instructions lack step-by-step illustrations. While the written words seem clear, (I haven't tried any out yet) a visual would help clarify. (There are a lot of visual learners out there after all.) By the time she got to the 'Simple Quilts' patterns and began explaining the 'Second Star to the Right', even the additional diagrams had me scratching my head.
Use this book for the beginning section and enjoy the beautiful photos of the 24 projects.
It's when she gets to the 24 projects that things get less helpful. The projects themselves (gift bags, chair pads, purses, etc.) are great, varied, modern, practical, but the written instructions lack step-by-step illustrations. While the written words seem clear, (I haven't tried any out yet) a visual would help clarify. (There are a lot of visual learners out there after all.) By the time she got to the 'Simple Quilts' patterns and began explaining the 'Second Star to the Right', even the additional diagrams had me scratching my head.
Use this book for the beginning section and enjoy the beautiful photos of the 24 projects.
February 7, 2018
Borrowed this from the library. Very easy to read, great instructions, calming attitude. She has some instructions on how to make certain designs and then bunch of small projects people could use to to practice. I have done some FMQ, but definitely don't love it (yet??) so was interested to read her tips/techniques.
Want to read
December 7, 2024I'm going to return this to the library. I don't have time to give this book the time it deserves. I trust Christina Cameli to teach me what I need to know, and i want to enjoy the process :)
I will return, God willing.
I will return, God willing.
January 6, 2018
Clear instructions and fun projects to help me tackle new skills
April 10, 2018
As an experienced piecer, I wanted to expand my quilting skills into free-motion quilting. This gentle introduction was the launching point to a free-motion quilting frenzy. Fabulous.
March 17, 2019
Lots of quilting tips and ideas
May 17, 2020
Great Book!
I love watching her sew and this book is a great way of learning. I can't wait to get started on my first project!
I love watching her sew and this book is a great way of learning. I can't wait to get started on my first project!
February 14, 2016
I wish I had access to this book when I first began free-motion quilting. Cameli does an excellent job of simplifying a somewhat complicated and challenging skill.
The book begins with “The Necessities” or what is required to be successful at free-motion quilting. The list is thorough and not too extensive. Most of the items an experienced or beginning quilter would have in the sewing room.
She then progresses to “The Basics” which begins with a very useful start-up checklist. Each chapter includes what the author calls “Tips,” little gems of useful information to help guide the reader.
The meat of this book begins with chapter 3 – Quilting Tips and Techniques. It is here the actually free-motion quilting adventure begins. Cameli shares an assortment of grids for successfully planning the quilting and a variety of free-motion quilting designs. These designs may be edge-to-edge or continuous line quilting. She uses words like “pebbles” and “kissing” and “meandering” to help describe the action of the quilting.
I found her tips for thread writing to be very helpful. In sewing words onto a quilt, I have often puzzled over dotting an “I” or crossing a “T.” Cameli solved that puzzle for me.
After the basic instructions, Cameli provides “24 Projects for Fearless Stitching.” These are great little projects to use for practicing the techniques described in the previous chapters. There are charming little gift bags and a “good advice” wallhanging. There are easy potholders, placemats and even a table runner. If coordinating fabrics were used for these kitchen projects, then the kitchen table would have a fresh look.
The introduction states, “… you can make beautiful things with needle and thread. It’s simply a matter of jumping in with joy...” Go ahead and jump!
The book begins with “The Necessities” or what is required to be successful at free-motion quilting. The list is thorough and not too extensive. Most of the items an experienced or beginning quilter would have in the sewing room.
She then progresses to “The Basics” which begins with a very useful start-up checklist. Each chapter includes what the author calls “Tips,” little gems of useful information to help guide the reader.
The meat of this book begins with chapter 3 – Quilting Tips and Techniques. It is here the actually free-motion quilting adventure begins. Cameli shares an assortment of grids for successfully planning the quilting and a variety of free-motion quilting designs. These designs may be edge-to-edge or continuous line quilting. She uses words like “pebbles” and “kissing” and “meandering” to help describe the action of the quilting.
I found her tips for thread writing to be very helpful. In sewing words onto a quilt, I have often puzzled over dotting an “I” or crossing a “T.” Cameli solved that puzzle for me.
After the basic instructions, Cameli provides “24 Projects for Fearless Stitching.” These are great little projects to use for practicing the techniques described in the previous chapters. There are charming little gift bags and a “good advice” wallhanging. There are easy potholders, placemats and even a table runner. If coordinating fabrics were used for these kitchen projects, then the kitchen table would have a fresh look.
The introduction states, “… you can make beautiful things with needle and thread. It’s simply a matter of jumping in with joy...” Go ahead and jump!
August 5, 2016
Really liked this book. There are plenty of useful things I would make that aren't major projects that you could learn from by doing.
April 9, 2017
I really like the organization and quality of the explanations. I doubt if I'll ever do any of these projects but there are tips and ideas throughout them so they were very valuable reading. I like how the photographs really show the detail of her actual quilting stitches and how they look on the fabric.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews