More creative therapy, much needed...

I've been back at work for two month now, and unfortunately not much has changed. I'm living on adrenaline and hope, but this Friday I'm in desperate need of some quilty therapy...

Here is what keeps me sane:

My colourful hexies.

 I started these a few weeks ago. There is no fixed plan, I just enjoy picking colours, glue basting and piecing by hand. It's a slow, meditative proces. It calms me down, makes the palpitations go away, brings me joy.

A mother-daughter project.

Marieke embroidered the center panel, we picked the fabrics together and I pieced and quilted a cushion cover for her. She is very proud to have in her "room". (she shares with her brothers, but has a corner with her own shelves, little desk and even a beanbag. She is very happy with it.

First free motion quilting adventures!

Somewhere in January I decided that I needed to learn free motion quilting. I want to finish more quilts, and buy more fabric without guilt! Plus hand quilting gives me tendonitis (in combination with playing the clarinet, which takes precedence, that's just the way it is).
So I enrolled for a FMQ class with Monique De Canne in De Potterije, in Lokeren, bought a new sewing machine (Pfaff Ambition 1.0) and booked a hotel room.
What with a job and four kids, I don't get out much, and I thoroughly enjoyed my three day getaway. I went jogging along the Durme, sewed most of the day, in the company of seven lovely ladies, had a nice dinner and felt just a little bit lonely at the end of the day. It was fun to learn so much and to practice the skills immediately. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I learned in those three days. It was also so much fun to meet other quilters. Quilting is not a very popular thing in Belgium. Most people just give you an empty stare when you tell them you quilt, so this was fun, talking to other enthusiasts. Now some pictures:

Some of my practice swatches from the fmq class

Fillers and feathers

I'm also quilting along with the #freemotionchallenge by Angela Walters.

When I got home I put my skills to good use on this pillow case.

Very proud of my feathers!

I can fit them in just about any shape, so versatile!

Then I pieced this placemat.

I bought the fabric at the Potterije.

The almost plain purple panel gives me an opportunity to practice free motion quilting, ...

... but it doesn't stand out to much on the dark fabric.

A feathered heart. The squiggles inside should have been smaller, for more contrast.

I orange peeled the border squares.

I love this lamb fabric!

And they go perfectly with my great grandmother's tableware.

I intend to make six, one for each member of the family. The plan was to have them finished by Easter, but I don't think that is going to happen :-)

Then I practiced all kinds of filler on this quilt.

It's a disappearing nine patch, with fabrics from the Acorn Trail collection by Taegan White.

I started free motion quilting it with my old machine, but that was so discouraging. Now with the new machine which has an embroidery foot, I'm really getting into the the fmq groove!

And I'm quilting my lone star!

The red diamonds get a point to point pattern, inspired by Angela Walters.

And simple feathers in the white diamonds

"Straightish" lines work well from a distance, I assure you! ;-)

I'm having soooo much fun with my new skill set! I'm already planning and cutting more quilts, so I can do more free motion quilting. I'm think of including bigger negative spaces and borders, to do some fancy quilting in!