#LOOPING MEANDER QUILTING STITCHES HOW TO#
#LOOPING MEANDER QUILTING STITCHES PLUS#

I use a lot of e’s and o’s to create circles in my personal work, but I never really though about i’s (lines), c’s (curves), j’s (curls) and s’s (swirls)!! Yes, she really does walk you through how to turn letters your brain already recognizes into useable (and pretty) free-motion quilting textures! Within each of these basic shapes, Debby includes several easy-to-quilt free-motion textures to try.

#LOOPING MEANDER QUILTING STITCHES PLUS#

She even shows starting and stopping in detail plus how to easily create temporary guidelines to help balance the motifs.ĭebby’s fireworks sample – this would look fantastic on a modern quilt!ĭebby then goes onto show you how incorporating simple letter shapes can make for better free-motion quilting.

And the best part is – you can watch them in any order! (Tip – I like to watch a session before I begin my day’s sewing to really get me in the mood!)ĭebby includes great tips like setting up your home sewing machine and how to control the tension. The class is broken down into 7 different video lessons, each under 1/2 hour so they are presented in easily digestible chunks of information. So without further ado, let me tell you all about Free-Motion Quilting with Lines, Curves and Loops. Let me tell you – she can rock a feather like no other! I was immediately drawn to her warm, friendly teaching style and this gal really knows her stuff. It’s even more exciting when I get to take my friend’s classes, too! I first met the fabulous Debby Brown when I took a feather quilting class from her at Road to California in 2014. I think I need a sign that says “will work for quilting classes!” 🙂 The biggest difference between sewing stitches and quilting stitches is whether you want the stitches to be hidden or to add to the appearance of the finished product.I have a confession to make: one of the perks of being a Craftsy writer is getting to view some of their top classes so I can review them and tell others what I enjoy. In quilting, the stitches are used to form patterns while also holding all the layers of the quilt together. The stitches that accomplish this are expected to perform this important function and, sometimes, to add detailing that can add to the visual appeal. Most of us never think about the stitching used to keep our jeans together or to craft a cap into the shape of our head. Although most quilters today prefer to use this type of quilt stitch when machine quilting, it may be used on solid areas or corners to complement the rest of the quilt design for minimal hand stitching. For example, meandering is a freestyle design that resembles etching where the stitches go in random directions to form “S” curves without the stitches crossing. Regardless of the design, the same quilt stitch is often used. There are numerous techniques used to perform these stitches, allowing each sewer to find the best ones for their use. It is virtually impossible to make the stitches perfectly even, resulting in the unique design that makes hand-quilting stand out from that done on a machine.

To use it, the needle is inserted through the top layer of fabric and the batting, catching a small part of the back layer of fabric before pulling it back through the top and starting the next stitch in the same way. Running Stitch – This is the basic stitch that most quilters use to create designs by hand.

Follow the step-by-step tutorial on Craftsy here. The stray ends are trimmed off before pulling the knot through the top layer of fabric and to the back of the quilt. The quilter’s knot is made by wrapping the thread around the bottom of a threaded needle a few times and then pull the loops over the thread so that they make a knot at the bottom. Quilter’s Knot – This is the starting and ending stitch used by hand quilters to prevent the stitches they make in-between from coming out. Those made by hand are also farther apart. Although similar styles of stitches are used by hand and machine, those that are by hand are less precise and have a more custom appearance. There are also dedicated quilting sewing machines in addition to basic sewing machines that have quilt stitches built-in. People have been stitching quilts by hand since medieval times and many still prefer to do so. They contribute to the design on the front of the quilt and on the backside. The basic purpose of quilting is to provide warmth to the user, but quilt stitches are also used to create interest and beauty. Quilting is another form of sewing, where two layers of fabric with a layer of batting in-between are usually stitched together.

Looping meander quilting stitches