Hey Everyone, welcome back to Free Motion Friday.
Today I set out to create a New Year’s motif of those party favours that uncurl and make noise when you blow into them. And well they also look like the old wooden toboggans I use to fling myself down hills on when I was a kid.
I must not have been very awake when I started out because I thought boy this fabric isn’t moving very well and then I realised that I hadn’t told my machine that I was doing free motion so the feed dogs were still up.
Once I put the feed dogs down and added the Supreme Slider to the work area I was slipping and sliding freely with no drag at all.
How to Stitch the Motif
The motif – a toboggan or party favour depending on what the quilt is all about.
The motif drawn out on paper
Step 1
Start out with the meandering stitch and then stitch an almost straight line for about 2 inches.
Draw the top of the motif
Step 2
At the end of the straight line form a curl up around itself like a snail.
Stitch the curl at the end of the straight line
Step 3
Where the curl stops stitch back around to complete the curl back down to where the straight line started. Try to keep the stitching in the curl at an even distance from the first stitch line.
Stitch back around the curl
Step 4
Continue stitching parallel to the first straight line to create the bottom of the motif and then connect the two straight lines. Continue on with the meandering stitch to another motif.
Stitch the bottom of the motif and connect with the top
I tried the motif again and used a bit longer straight area than the one at the top of the post. This version looks more like the party favours.
Longer straight sections on these motifs
Play around and have some fun whether it be careening out of control down the tobogganing hill or making all kinds of noise as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Happy Quilting!
