Quilting Designs
Quilting designs are patterns created by stitching the quilt top, batting and backing together with thread.
Benefits of Quilting Designs
- Simple Quilting Designs include straight lines, on the diagonal or straight across the fabric pieces, in a grid and can be all over the quit or in areas.
- Complex designs are often curved, such as feathers, wreaths, botanical shapes such as flowers and leaves, and create a secondary pattern on top of the fabric pieces.
- Quilting Designs add an additional element of texture and design to the quilt, besides the fabric and the pattern used.
- Quilting designs can include writing either as a message or part of the overall quilt, or information about the quilt and quilter.
Supplies and Tools for Quilting Designs
- Quilt ready for Quilting - Review the quilt to determine what type of designs will work best in each area of the quilt.
- For simple Quilting Designs, like straight line quilting, painter's tape can be used on the quilt to define where the quilting lines will be stitched.
- For complex designs, stencils, quilting rulers and markers are used to create the lines for stitching.
- Markers can be made from chalk, graphite, or fabric markers designed to wash out.
- Stencils and templates for quilting designs are widely available or can be created by the quilter with template plastic or cardboard.
- Tear Away Quilting Designs are printed on paper and layed on top of the quilt with lines to follow for quilting.
- When machine quilting, Quilting Designs are often done freehand, Free Motion Quilting, without marking.
What I Wish I Knew When I Started using Quilting Designs
Be sure to test all marking tools to be sure they can be easily removed. Practice, practice, practice your movements on a "quilt sandwich" before doing the final work on your project. At first, select a few QUILTING DESIGNS to work with and master them. Quilting stencils and special rulers can increase your Quilting Design inventory and help with accuracy.
