Free Motion (Quilting)

I've been practicing my free motion quilting a little the last couple of months.

A friend of mine and her daughter made a couple of quilt tops for a local shelter for kids that are removed from their homes.

She came over and used my machine to quilt the first and then asked if I would like to practice on the other one.  

I came up with a few different patterns to do in the different strips...

Things were going quite smoothly and I was pleasantly surprised...but of course things can't go without any hitches (a.k.a. unpicking :)...

Here are some of my patterns...

I experimented with words for the first time...

I tried to go for a whimsical look

I was grateful for the opportunity to work on my skills and help at the same time.

I've also been practicing my feathers with the encouragement of my mom.

I find a boogie board is perfect for muscle memory work.

I haven't quite gotten the courage up to try these on fabric yet but soon...I'm feeling it will be soon :)