Rita...that stitch regulator isn't all it's cracked up to be !!! At least mine isn't !
I work better without it ...especially on small stuff.

I agree Marilyn. I learn with each one. Terrie, if you look closely at my mug rugs you will see that my tension is all over the place (no stitch regulator) but I don't let it bother me anymore because with each piece I do I get a little tiny bit better. Just have fun!

Good for you ,Terrie....mine are far from perfect and not all that amazing !! But they are fun and
I learn something with each one ! Or remember something !

I am ultra impressed with the work on the mug rugs I have received so far. Rita - do you teach FMQ? Yours was perfect! And then there was Lois' thread painting. All of you - I feel very much the lower grade in a one-room school house! I have such a wonderfully talented bunch of Lounge Lizards around me, all in higher grades and I have many mentors. You all, plus the regular info in shows on TQS. I've made some attempts at FMQ on some of my mug rug, and they are far from perfect (like tension that gives 1000 stitches per inch), but I'm going to send them anyways.

On my computer it doesn't change to the proper orientation when I click it Margo : : :

It is amazing the things that happen while you are asleep. Woke up to such wonderful posts of mug rugs. Very Nice work Rita. Lucky ladies!

When you click on it for a closer view, it inverts to the proper orientation! Absolutely charming!

I use the edge of my quilting foot as a guide too Lois. But I still can't stitch straight so here's what I do....I have a 12" add-a-quarter ruler that I never use for paper piecing because it's usually too big and the 6" one works better, so I use the wider side of the ruler as a guide to stitch along with my quilting foot. (just like the long-armers do!) You can't go too fast because sometimes the ruler can slip under the foot and then the needle breaks. I have found that the best non-slip device for the back of the ruler is the clear plastic-y dressing tape that you can get from a pharmacy/drugstore. Thanks for all the nice comments about the mug rugs.

scottishquilter wrote:
I like doing the narrow lines too. I think the best advice for a design like that is from Jacque Gering. Your goal needs to be that they become "perfectly imperfect". It's surprising how good they look if you do that. I use the edge of my free motion foot as a guide. I'll be eager to hear how Rita accomplishes that look.

Wendy, all the stitching was done with Aurifil 50wt black thread, top and bobbin. Basically, you draw the image first and then colour in the bits you want coloured with the Fabrico markers - e.g. the trousers, and the red stripes on the legs and the fingers. Then you stitch with the black thread and a 70/10 microtex sharp needle everywhere that you have drawn a black line. It's such a fun thing to do and great for teaching free motion control. I had a blast doing it. It was figuring out how to do the 'W' that too time. I would have done letters for everybody but I couldn't figure out how to. I had to get DH to show me how to draw the fingers.

Norma, yes I really enjoy Joe's sense of humour and I love his improvisational style too.

Yes Wendy, as I said earlier, the stitching is great even if it is upside down.

I've been looking again and see you've drawn the lines on trousers and stitched with a light blue thread but the stitching on the back is dark. The chick is a good touch

Here you are anyone who wants to admire Rita's stitching



Upside down

Rita you have excelled yourself again. The mugs rugs to Ritzy, Wendy and Jane are magnificent. I have tried the thin straight lines but they never come out as straight as yours – some tips please.

Reetzbobeetz wrote: Don't you just love that class? Joe's sense of humor is terrific. I haven't done anything but watch yet but I like his way of teaching a lot