Quilt by the Numbers - Diamond FMQ begun

After a few days away, I am back to the FMQ on my Quilt by the Numbers quilt. I have officially exited the honeymoon phase of this quilt. Five blog posts later about this quilt, I only want to be finished. Having completed the circle FMQ on my quilt from the Zen Chic Figures fabric and Kira pattern from my FMQ planning post (4/5/22), I now moved on to the diamond FMQ on the other half of a block. What follows might not make sense if you have not read my FMQ post about the circular FMQ (4/9/22), so let me at least repeat my terminology and the quilting pattern for a diamond portion of a quadrant. After all, it has been four weeks since I posted about this quilt, although I have been plugging away at it, in sporadic sewing sessions. 

I reasoned that the diamond half of the block would be easier since the circles would be corralled between straight lines, not arcs. This time I used 1.25" diameter circles (20 in the outer diamond) and 1.0" diameter circles (8 in the inner diamond), fewer than in the circle quartets. The diamond quartets are not much speedier to FMQ, though. I learned one still takes me close to an hour to FMQ. With 16 diamonds total – 9 diamonds center + 12 x ½-diamonds edges + 4 x ¼-diamonds corners –  I could optimistically expect to be finished in 16 hours. It did take me longer, especially adding in some time for picking out serious goofs. When the FMQ completion was in sight, I was relieved. Closeups are intended to show the details at different stages of the work in progress.

I did get better as I pushed on and here is a closeup of two full diamonds in turquoise thread against a backdrop of two different color ways.

Now I have to pick out my goofs, if I can relocate them. Most are slips of the ruler where lines were crooked if you looked closely enough and can be ignored. In the following photo is an error that definitely needed to be repaired. I stitched a diagonal line in the wrong place not spaced far enough away from the previously line above it; then I mistakenly inserted 1" circles instead of a 1.25" circles. The straight lines on four sides were a breeze to pick out, but those circles where stitches overlay stitches are a real bear to pick out. As you can imagine, it takes much longer to remove them than it did to put them in. Fortunately I did not make many of those type errors.

Finally, as I tackled the remainder of the 12 half-diamonds along the edges and 4 quarter-diamonds in the corners, I made one more unique goof. Whoops! My paper guidance template for the circular FMQ was on the surface of the quilting table beneath the quilt and I accidentally sewed the paper sheet on to backside of one corner of the quilt. Fortunately I did not need to pick out any stitches; the paper tore away easily.

The FMQ of the edge  diamonds was easier since I did not have a bulky portion of the quilt in my lap and because access was easier than those in the center. I was, however, bored of diamonds by this time. To amuse myself I kept playing the tune in my head from the classic 1953 movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, in which Marilyn Monroe sings Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend. It helped me forge on with FMQ of partial edge diamonds with a renewed positive attitude. If you do not want to watch the YouTube video, here are the lyrics to the song. They are quite amusing.

The FMQ is not be perfect, but the saying "aim for excellence, not perfection" comforts me. I may not be ecstatically happy, but I will at least be content; aiming for "excellence" got me to "very good". Once I wash this quilt and it puffs up, camouflaging where the glitches are, my sense of accomplishment will grow. In retrospect, I believe my FMQ plan on this project was a bit more ambitious than my present skill level but I am proud that I stuck with it and learned some lessons and some skills.

These diamonds were NOT a girl's best friend!