Friends have been asking for suggestions for free motion quilting on my blocks. I quilt every area unless it is very tiny, like the triangular nose on this Schnauzer. I try to use a variety of different sized patterns. Notice how the background around the dog (the dark gray area) has a loose stipple with a few swirls interspersed to create some focal point areas. Compare that to the very loose wiggle stipple in the blue border. In the dog’s beard, I tried to somewhat follow the random pattern in the fabric.

Notice the very tight stipple on the dog’s face and ears. Stitching this tight creates a surface that is rather stiff, but it makes the quilt lay beautifully. This is especially nice for a wall hanging.

Words of wisdom: 1) Use a variety of lines in different sections of your quilt. 2) Quilt across your quilt equally, don’t leave large unquilted areas or they will “puff” out. 3) Keep a notebook (as a resource) of lines and doodles that could be used for free motion patterns.

Happy Quilting!