How to Quilt Twisted Loops-with Jana Malanikova
Good Morning, Quilters!
Today we are going to learn how to quilt Twisted Loops!
It is a real treat to showcase the extremely talented quilter and seamstress Jana Malanikova from the Czech Republic! Jana has several sewing machines, but she does a lot of her free motion quilting on a treadle sewing machine! I first “met” Jana on Instagram. She tagged me when she used a few of my motifs in her quilts. It is so inspiring to see free motion quilts on a treadle sewing machine.
See Jana free motion quilting on her treadmill machine HERE.
It is not the machine–it’s the determination of the quilter!!!!
In the quilt shown here, Jana used my tutorial for The Square Flower (Page 96 of Free Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3)
When Jana is not quilting, she loves to hike the mountains near her home and she stops to knit or crochet!
How to Quilt Twisted Loops
Begin by stitching a straight line with a small loop.
Stitch along the straight line 2-3 stitches, and closely echo stitch the loop and the line.
Stitch over 2-3 small stitches and echo stitch the shape. Jana notes that you need to pause as you are stitching whenever you change direction. This allows the sewing machine to complete a full stitch.
Continue echo stitching the shape several times.
Stitch anywhere along the line to begin a new loop with echo stitching.
Connect several twisted loops to create a background fill design!
Gorgeous!
Notice how Jana filled in the edges and any open areas with echo stitched circles or straight lines. Use partial patterns to fill in smaller areas.
Doodle first!
Doodling will help you understand the pattern before you begin stitching and work out any “kinks”. While the pattern is fairly straightforward, doodling first will help you work out where to create additional loops and how to fill in the small spaces. You can overstitch any line to move to a new area.
One of the keys to this motif is keeping the spacing between the lines uniform.
Thank you, Jana!
The best part of the internet is making friends from all over the world! I am so grateful to have met Jana–and so many of YOU!
Let’s all give Jana a big “thank you” for this fabulous tutorial. Be sure to follow her:
blogspot here and
Happy Twisted Quilting,
Your Twisted Sisters,
Lori and Jana
PS…All tutorials, images and information found here are the property of Jana Malanikova and Lori Kennedy Quilts and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to Jana or Lori. For all other purposes, please contact me at Lori@LoriKennedyQuilts.com. Thank you!
My friend’s new old treadle Singer would be a perfect machine to try this out!
So inspiring Thank you.
Thank you Lori & Jana…this really is inspiring…something I might actually
be able to do! Wonder how many quilters got the “Twisted Sisters” reference….
guess that really dates me!
Nazdar Jana ! Seeing your lovely work has been exciting today! Deku y .. My mother-in-law grew up in the Black Forest. My husband was born in Praha 79 years ago. LOL. I know only a few words in Czech even after 53 years of marriage. I have my grandmother’s treadle machine sitting by my favorite chair. Come visit us sometime in the USA. Hope you get to read this. Dobre den… Blessings, Marta
Hello Marta, thank you for the lovely writing about you. It pleased me. I live in Olomouc, Moravia. Pozdravy Jana
I learnt to sew on my mother’s Singer treadle machine that was transported from Canada to England with us. She sewed three matching dresses for my twin and older sister endlessly, I Have the pictures to prove it.! Can’t imagine free motion quilting on it. Well done, Penny.
Square flower is one of my favorite motifs to use. I’ve used it in my granddaughters baby quilt, in a quilt for a round robin and a few other places. I love browsing through your quilting motifs when I’m going to quilt the quilt, I almost always end up using at least one of them in my quilt.
Jana, thank you so much for sharing the Twisted Loops – how clever!!! I will be sure to try this FMQ for sure!!!!
Thank-you not only is the quilting inspiring, but, your You tube video was so easy to see all that you did even down to the footwork on the treadle. I am in awe. Not just doodling with the fingers, but also with the feet!
Jana, thank you for sharing your wonderful design and thank you, Lori, for sharing Jana!
Dear Lori, Thank you again for posting tutorial on your site. Yes, the internet helps us find friends and I’m glad that we are friends. Also thank all for comments. Jana
It looks like you start with a lower case “b” and for the opposite a lower case “d”. Nice pattern.
This is so inspiring! If I’d known this was possible back when my Viking gave up, I might not own three Berninas now.
PS is there a place that shows more than two motifs? I don’t know where to go after the first two.
Go to the right side and click on the history of the blog.
Hello Lori and Jana, thanks for a lovely tutorial. After doodling, I practice the motifs while quilting donation quilts for my guild. I have both your books Lori and always find inspiration in them. Thank you for sharing your beautiful talents with us!