Tools of the Trade.

Good Quilting, especially, freemotion quilting depend on it to work effortlessly.  Smoothly,  like melted butter.  Not jerky, stopping and starting, otherwise the result is frustration. The success of freemotion quilting is in the gliding of the quilt,  in a continious motion and any direction one move it.  It should not resist, drag or pull when one quilt.  When the feeddog is dropped, it should be an easy motion to quilt.  If not, there is very few culprits.  The tension on the bobbin could be made a little more relaxed. The thread, using the correct thread in the bobbin and on top of the machine is important, lastly the machine. 
The make of the machine is not important, it is more crucial that the machine can do this job.  There is no way to sugar coat this fact.  One need a machine that can deliver, that has the ability to do the job and do it right, which is vital to a successful outcome.  Many lose heart, when it does not want to work, no matter how hard they try.  So why settle, when one can have the best? 
Freemotion quilting, also allow us to quilt any pattern and design we wish to create,  thus giving us the opportunity to create and think outside the box.  The possibilities to make amazing quilts, with no limits.

Inspiration for these two quilts came from a well loved childrens book, which was read over and over by granny to her own children and then her grandchildren.  She had made similar quilts for her children when they were young.  She made all the blocks years ago and kept them, hoping to get them stitched and quilted for the grandchildren.  This did not happen, as her life and time did not allow her to do so.  A friend asked if I would help with the quilts.  They had unique challenges, as all the fabrics was different.  Blocks were very many sizes.  The applique animals was stuffed, before the blocks was pieced and the quilt assembled.

Around each applique,  hand embroidery was done. The hard part was making sure,  when machine quilting the blocks to not get caught up in the loops of the stem stitch, which was done with a thick embroidery thread.

The two finished quilts.

The leftovers was turned into two pillow cases.

The quilts was made to be washed and used.  Parents in this modern day work and do not have time to handwash quilts, so they need to be robust, to handle anything that come their way.