Cosmic Split - Blogger's Quilt Festival entry for Home Machine Quilted category

Hi and welcome to all visitors from the Blogger's Quilt Festival at Amy's Creative Side.

Free motion quilting is an absolute passion of mine, so of course was going to be the category of choice with my quilt Cosmic Split.

I wanted to play with 3 ideas with this quilt. The first was to quilt on metallic fabric. That led me on quite a voyage of discovery trying about 6 different fabrics, not always with great results. You can read about my adventure in my post Gold Fever, which I certainly had at the end of the process! I eventually settled on gold spandex.

My second idea was to see if I could sew some of my motifs in continuous circles. I spend hours doodling to come up with new patterns and when I'm stitching, I like to explore the potential of each motif by changing density, direction, curve/straight etc.

Here are some more close-ups.

Once I had the 'cosmos' finished it was time for the 'split'. Slicing that piece into two was quite a nerve wracking process as I described on my post:

'The name contains a 'Split', a split is required. Changing my mind is not an option. A few deep breaths, a bit of contemplation, a cup of tea, a meander down the garden, a few sketches, a trial on one of the 'failed' gold samples, another cup of tea, a walk along the country lanes,  quite a lot of worry, yet more tea, more deep breaths - a flash of the rotary cutter and for better or worse it is done.'

My third idea was to add texture to the background by ruching the fabric before FMQing - which you can't see too clearly in the photo, but it makes quite a difference in real life.

I like to mix my motifs to give a varied texture. Have to say that quilting black on black is quite a challenge for the eyes!

Here is the finished piece again. Do go along to see all the other entries in the Home Machine Quilted category and vote for your favourite.

To see my other entry into the festival in the Scrappy Quilt category, click on  Going to Pieces .

I hope you go and join in the fun.

Thanks for dropping by...

Hilary Florence

Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.

Anything goes Mondays @ http://marelize-ries.blogspot.co.uk/

Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/

Fabric Tuesday @http://quiltstory.blogspot.co.uk/    

Sew cute Tuesday @ http://www.blossomheartquilts.com/ 

Let’s Bee Social @ http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.co.uk

WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/

WOW = WIPs on Wednesdays  @ http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.co.uk/  

WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @ http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca

I Quilt Thursdays @ http://prettybobbins.com/

Really Random Thursdays @ http://www.liveacolorfullife.net/

Needle and Thread Thursday @ http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.co.uk/

Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/

Fabric Frenzy Friday @ http://fortworthfabricstudio.blogspot.co.uk

Friday linky party @ http://www.confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.co.uk/

Lizzie Lenard @ http://lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.co.uk/