free motion fun

It’s been a fun few days of my favorite kind of quilting – free motion, edge-to-edge designs. I thoroughly enjoy matching the machine quilting idea to the “feel” of the quilt, its fabric, and who it’s intended for.

birds of a feather

First up is some all-over casual feathers. A close-up….

…and then a step back to see the TEXTURE. Feathers quilting designs are seriously the most versatile motif imaginable. You can bend and flex them any way you want.  Love ’em!

Oh yes, and all of these quilts belong to my friend, Deb W.  She is a longarm quilter’s dream – her quilts arrive pressed and neatly folded over a hanger, with matching backing and notes attached. If you want to be your longarmer’s BFF, here’s some tips for making that happen.

playing with boxes

Next up is a child’s quilt. Deb did a great job beginning with a panel, and expanding on its theme. We thought this boxy design suited the quilt perfectly.

They’re completely freehand, I just move around my quilting area, lapping and overlapping previous lines and boxes until I’m happy with the overall coverage.

feminine flowers

And lastly, this feminine hibiscus-type flower. This is a quilting design I use often – it suits so many floral quilts, and it’s very easy to change up the size, or even the shape, making the petals short and plump or longer and waving.

You can see how they all nest beautifully together.

AND….if you’re wanting to try this one for yourself, check out my IGTV channel.  I did a little demo on the whiteboard just for you! Plus, you get to see it on a different quilt too.

free-motion stats

Now, for a few facts and figures. For all of these quilts I used Isacord 100% polyester thread. I use the same color (although sometimes a bit different shade) in the top and the bobbin.  

I used a single layer of Hobbs 80/20 cotton and poly batting. Lucy, my longarm, does have a stitch regulator, but I tend to do most freehand designs without it.  I like the smoothness and fluidity, and I like NOT having the revving motor.  The constant speed just gets me in the groove.

If these designs inspire you, and you want to see more free-motion work, hit reply and let me know! I’ll do my best to oblige.

xo,
​Susan

If you enjoyed this post, check out Session 1.