A jelly roll quilt! How to quilt it? I decided to do a variation on the open headband and spiral motifs, combining them and adding rounded spikes emulating small suns or flowers.
(Click on a photo to view it larger)
Threads used: (no information on threads as I did this quilt a while ago and can’t remember what I used!)
This big quilt had lots of white space and geometric blocks, all perfect for me to try out some of the designs I learned to draw the previous week at Jamie Wallen’s workshop!
(Click on a photo to view it larger)
Threads used: (no information on threads as I did this quilt a while ago and can’t remember what I used!)
Another quilt that I stitched with an all-over spiral.
(Click on a photo to view it larger)
Back:
Threads used: (no information on threads as I did this quilt a while ago and can’t remember what I used!)
Another huge quilt! I stitched it with an all-over ‘open headband‘ motif, one of my ‘go to/muscle memory’ motifs.
(Click on a photo to view it larger)
Back:
Threads used: (no information on threads as I did this quilt a while ago and can’t remember what I used!)
This was a really big quilt, and my aim was to stitch the layers together in a way that held without going over the top with the quilting. I first stitched in the ditch around all the blocks, then simple straight lines (using my favourite Line Tamer ruler!) bisecting the blocks horizontally and vertically.
(Click on a photo to view it larger)
Threads used: (no information on threads as I did this quilt a while ago and can’t remember what I used!)
This next quilt was a Christmas panel. How to quilt it? I started by stitching in the ditch around all the elements of the panel, did cross-hatching on the diagonal in all the ‘border’ blocks, with some MacTavishing surrounding the rocking horses, and some stitching resembling Christmas baubles in the background to the tree, finishing up with a meandering stipple in the outer border.
(Click on a photo to view it larger)
Threads used: (no information on threads as I did this quilt a while ago and can’t remember what I used!)
To counterbalance the very geometric rail fence blocks, I stitched large spirals all over this quilt.
(Click on a photo to view it larger)
Back:
Threads used: (no information on threads as I did this quilt a while ago and can’t remember what I used!)
How to quilt this quilt made from fabrics that featured grapes, wine etc.? Easy! Stitch an all-over leaf design in the main part of the quilt top. I then stitched narrow piano keys in the plaid border.
(Click on a photo to view it larger)
Threads used: (no information on threads as I did this quilt a while ago and can’t remember what I used!)
I attended a two-day workshop (no sewing!) at Handcrafters House in mid-August. This time our tutor was the lovely Jamie Wallen, who took us from scratchy feather designs to mini works of art. We focused on feathers and grids and how to take them from boring to magical.
Our tools were paper and pencil and for two days we learnt, sketched, drew, and amazed ourselves with our progress in coming up with designs for free motion quilting. Inspirational, and definitely worth doing if you ever have the opportunity. It’s not often you can just sit and doodle for two full days! I’ve already used one of the designs in a couple of quilts.
The photos below show my progress from the first feathers (far left of the first photo) to the last design.
Rhonda Bracey: At Random 