Wrapping up the 2012 FMQ Challenge

The Sewcalgal 2012 FMQ Challenge has been an amazing learning experience, produced by a remarkable blogger, sewcalgal!

She coordinated wonderful experts and awesome prizes all throughout the year. This experience has been like having a private lesson with FMQ experts each month! Sewcalgal introduced me to new FMQ heroes: Frances Moore, Donn Linn, Teri Lucas, Cindy Needham, Paula Reid, and Sarah Vedeler. She also provided new lessons from already favorites Diane Gaudinski, Ann Fahl, Leah Day, Angela Walters, Wendy Sheppard and Patsy Thompson.  There were also bonus tutorials offered by Susan Brubaker Knapp, Diane Loomis, Linda Moran as well as Teri Lucas. Each month there were also prizes awarded, I won in September, a DVD from Paula Reid, AWESOME!

 My 12 samples

Pledging to complete the challenge/lesson each month was a great motivator to improve my skills. I was challenged to step away from "my" style and try other methods and I am so grateful! My FMQ has gotten better, and I have gained confidence, as well as learning more ways to mark quilts, new stitch designs and receiving hints and tips for better quilting. 
I was also introduced to the other quilters participating in this challenge and have met great blog friends (who are amazing quilters! I am speaking to you, Quiltskipper!)

 Artsy perspective shot

To finish up the year, (and to be eligible for a Grand Prize!) we were challenged to show all our samples created, and it was suggested that we could create a sampler quilt with our 12 FMQ samples. I have seen several of these from other participants and they are wonderful.

Glamorous layout

Still, I know how I like to work, so instead of sewing them all together, I created 10" square samples for each month on plain muslin or solid light fabric and serged the edges. I wrote on each sample the month and expert to have an instant reference.

Closeup

This way, I can pull out each sample when I need inspiration on what to FMQ on a quilt. I am also reminded of the expert and can look them up online for even more inspiration!  I have created similar samples of different battings, it makes a great tool I can use.

Many of the tutorials are still available, so if you want to improve your FMQ skills with amazing experts, check out sewcalgal! Be sure to check out the links of the participating quilters as well, great reference and eye candy.