Choosing Quilt Designs
After you decide whether to hand- or machine-stitch, you still have decisions to make about the design you’ll stitch in the quilt top.
Background fillers are simple designs in the open spaces. Most background fillers are patterns of straight lines, such as single or closely spaced double lines stitched vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Crossed stitching lines make square or diamond grids.
Freestyle designs are meandering, allover patterns. Machine quilters refer to the technique as stippling.
Echo quilting is multiple lines of stitching that follow the outline of an appliqué or other design element, repeating or echoing its shape.
Quilting in the ditch is stitching close to the seam line on the side that does not have the seam allowance. These stitches are subtler than outline quilting because they tend to disappear into seam lines.
Outline quilting stitches are made 1/4" from the seam lines, just past the extra thickness of the pressed seam.
Continued on Page 2: Marking Quilt Design
More to check out:
Green Pinwheels
Four-Square Pillow
Dotty Stars |
