Dots and Dashes-A Free Motion Quilt Tutorial

September 9, 2014
Free Motion Quilting, Dots and Dashes

Free Motion Quilting, Dots and DashesCIRCLES, CIRCLES, CIRCLES 

Good morning, Quilters!  Welcome back to Tutorial Tuesday–and tomorrow we will have Tutorial Wednesday!

It’s Circle Week (Next week, too.)  We’re going to explore circles in ways you may never have imagined.  We are going to walk through the quilt exercises slowly, but methodically.  

There will be something for everyone in the next two weeks.  There will be boy patterns, girl patterns, modern motifs and traditional motifs..

All from the HUMBLE CIRCLE!

CIRCLES REQUIRE PRACTICE

Though you may have seen videos or in-person demonstrations of quilters stitching circles at 100 miles per minute….circles require the beginner to SLOW DOWN!

Practice on paper first.  This is a good time to pull out your lined notebook paper…

Don’t worry!  We’re going to start slowly…Today’s tutorial is only three steps.  Please practice this a lot.  First on paper, then on your machine, then on paper again!

This will help you develop the MUSCLE MEMORY required as we work through all the tutorials in the next few weeks…

By the end of the month, YOU will be stitching circles at 200 miles per minute!

Free Motion Quilting, Dots and Dashes

 

To begin learning circles, draw two lines.  I recommend 1/2 inch or 3/4 inches to begin.  This size is neither too large nor too small…

Begin stitching in the middle, between the two lines…Stitch clockwise to create the first circle…Continue stitching clockwise directly on the previous line of stitching.  You will stitch 1 and 1/2 circles…

NOTE:  The image below shows 1-1/2 circles with the second row of stitching offset a bit–this is for demonstration only—you should stitch ON the previous stitching.

Free Motion Quilting, Dots and Dashes

Continue stitching clockwise over the previous line of stitching.  When you reach the middle point (half -way between the top and bottom lines)–stitch a straight line…The Dash

Free Motion Quilting, Dots and Dashes

For the next circle, stitch counter clockwise…

Continue on this way to the end of the line stitching a clockwise circle, a dash, a counter-clockwise circle…

This looks fabulous, but more importantly—it develops MUSCLE MEMORY for future motifs!

Free Motion Quilting, Dots and Dashes

By offsetting the Dots and Dashes, you can create a very modern background for any quilt!  I used this background fill on The Fabulous Flower Tablerunner--I think you will soon find many uses for this fabulous filler!

PRACTICE

Once you are comfortable with Dots and Dashes–try different size circles from very large to very small.  Keep the clockwise-counterclockwise flow going…You’ll need it next week!

…. .- .–. .–. -.– / … – .. – -.-. …. .. -. –. –..– / ..-. .-. — — / .-.. — .-. ..**

PS…All tutorials, information and images are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only.  Feel free to Pin, Re-blog or share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt.  For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com.  Thanks!

PPS…The above tutorial was stitched with Sulky 40 wt on top, Aurifil cotton 50 wt in the bobbin on Robert Kaufman Kona fabric with Warm and Natural batting using a Schmetz 90 Topstitch needle on my domestic sewing machine. (no BSR)

**PPPS…Morse code for…Happy Stitching, from Lori!

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