Thread Talk from my Sewing Machine #12

I was happy to be able to see my dear sewing Wanda a few times while she was back from Saudi Arabia. The last time we met was at Rogers Sewing Center‘s Bernina Club, and she asked me how to quilt the swirls I had quilted on the border of my Duckie Crossing quilt {kits available from Heartbeat Quilts}.

So, this post is dedicated to her for her love of sewing and people! Without further ado, here is a series of schematics to hopefully show you how to fill up an area with these swirls:

1. First, I started with this swirly-looking tail.

2. Then, I kind of echoed another bigger swirl before “off-shooting” to make another new swirl.

3. I echoed around that new swirl, and off I went starting another swirl.

4. Then, I did something a little fancier. I echoed around the new swirl and the previous swirl to get back up to the top right corner to start a new swirl.

5. Then, it’s the same. I echoed around the swirl before off-shooting with a new swirl.

6. Then, it’s a matter of keeping up and building your swirls.

7. I just kept going as fancy led until I filled up an area.

These swirls are very machine-quilter friendly in that there really isn’t a set way to do it once you get the basic idea down. It is a quick way to give your quilt a quilted texture look, and thus a lovely alternative to the usual big meandering or stippling. I often do swirl-quilting when I want to highlight my quilt as a whole with just a bit of texture, especially for a quilt that has busy prints.  The key to good-looking swirls  is to make sure your swirly curves are smooth – once you master that, you are more than good to go.

[Christmas in Ohio, Fons & Porter Easy Quilts Winter 2010]

[Christmas in Ohio, Fons & Porter Easy Quilts, Winter 2010]

I recommend using the Aurifil Mako 50 Cotton thread (top and bottom) to quilt this motif because generally the scale is large rather than micro and dense. My echoes are about 3/16″ – 1/4″ apart.

[Dancing Daffodils, publish pending]

I hope this post is somewhat helpful to you — now, why don’t you go and give it a swirl?! ;)

p.s. I want to thank you for the questions you have asked on free-motion quilting. I hope to be able to answer them soon!