Today’s Topic: How to Quilt YOUR Signature
Good Morning, Quilters!
Welcome to the Better Machine Quilt-a-long based on my book 25 Days to Better Machine Quilting.
(Find all of the previous Lessons HERE. Sign up for emails of the class HERE.)
Handwriting and Quilting
There are four reasons to learn how quilt your handwriting.
- Your handwriting can be a bridge to doodling and machine quilting.
- It’s a great way to add personality in the form of short messages in your quilts.
- Your signature makes a great label for your artwork. (Yes, your quilts are artwork!)
- Quilted text is beautiful!
Your Handwriting as a Bridge to Quilting
The easiest quilting motifs are continuous line designs. Continuous line designs are patterns or motifs which can be doodled or stitched without lifting the pen or knotting off. Each segment of the pattern is connecting in one continuous line. Flower Power is a great example of a continuous line design.
Handwriting is mostly a continuous line. Because you already have the muscle memory established for cursive handwriting (most of us at least), it makes a comfortable start to doodling and machine quilting.
Use YOUR Handwriting to Leave Notes in Quilting
One of my favorite ways to personalize quilts is to leave quilted messages. Add song lyrics, poems, family jokes, prayers.
Everyone loves to find a message hidden in the quilted line!
(BTW–My book is dedicated to my Mother–who always did small things with great love!)
Quilted Text is Beautiful
Quilted text looks great in most quilts. It is a great way to fill unusually shaped spaces with your quilting. Whenever you get stuck in a space where a motif won’t fit–add a short phrase!
And it doesn’t have to be a word or a phrase. Try repeating a letter several times to create an interesting pattern.
Your Signature
Quilting your signature into the quilted line assures every quilt has a label. (Perfect for those of us who don’t always get around to labels!)
For ALL of your lessons, be sure to quilt your signature and the date!
How to Quilt YOUR Signature
Practice doodling your signature in one continuous line. Most of the lower case letters are easy to connect. The exceptions are i, j, t and x. (See how to quilt i, j, t, and x. )
You will likely need to create your own method for adding the upper case initials to your name. For example, when I write the K in Kennedy, I start on the top line. When I quilt, I start it on the bottom line.
See the short doodle video, How to Doodle Your Signature and Other Text HERE.
To separate words in a phrase, add a wavy line. The wavy line serves as a break between the words.
To stitch several lines of text, you have two choices. Either knot off at the end of each line as I did in the Small Things, Great Love quilt. or quilt a line underneath the first line of text to return to the left side of the page to begin the next line.
Today’s Practice
Watch the Doodle Your Signature Video
Doodle your signature! Create a continuous line version of your signature and the date.
Grab a quick quilt sandwich, Pop your bobbin thread and begin quilting.
Fill a quilt sandwich with your doodles.
SIGN and DATE your quilt! This quilt will serve as your “I’m a better quilter!” reference quilt!
Have Fun Quilting!
Yours,
Lori Hancock
You might also enjoy my motif books: Free Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3 and More Free Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy Quilts and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to LKQ. For all other purposes, please contact me at Lori@LoriKennedyQuilts.com. Thanks!
19 comments
Amy Lippitt
Would love to see a video of how you quilt numbers when dating your quilts
Donna McMichen
I often hide the baby’s name in their quilt when making a special baby quilt. It’s become a tradition for me now.
“Where’s Mason’s name?” hidden in the leaves. Where’s Brody’s name? hidden on the tractor. And Where’s Lily?? Hidden in tree! ”
I laughed at your ‘Hancock’ signature today – it really caught my eye because that’s my maiden name!!!
Blessings,
Donna Mc
Anne Lampela
Just got my signed book and sample piece. Thanks so much.
Cynthia J. Clark
I love writing secret things in quilts. I made a quilt for a young friend with cancer. In each block I quilted a word of encouragement, and around the border I wrote her (and my) favorite verse of scripture..PHIL. 4:13. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Looking forward to practicing more writing .
Gloria Roman
Do you know where I can find the single man in possession of good fortune?
Lori Kennedy Quilts
LOLOL!!!
Lesly-Claire Greenberg
Yesterday and today’s entry are signed by different Lories. Today is Lori Hancock. Are these all Lori Kennedy or has her name changed multiple time?
HRKJ
I thought it was a very clever play on signatures
Lori Kennedy Quilts
It was my feeble attempt at humor!
Cindy Clark
,I think it was a play on names…she was writing her “John Hancock” lol
Pat
Thanks for the video!
KarenS
Any tips for words ending in “o” like “to?” Just go back around to the bottom of the o? If I don’t pay attention I start to connect the next word from the top of the o. That is a hard habit to break!
Debra Kay
You are very funny, signing your popping bobbin thread as Redenbacher and signing your name post as Hancock. Don’t think that these thing go unnoticed!
susan hilsenbeck
I have a longish last name, and as Lori knows, when quilting it, I’ve been known to misspell it. I think this is due to being focused on the individual letters and forgetting what comes next. 😉 For longer text, I sometimes (especially when it is important) sketch in the letters to help with spacing and spelling.
Lori Kennedy Quilts
LOLOL! No spell-check with quilting! Thanks for the tip, Susan!
susan hilsenbeck
No auto proof-reader either 😉
It is a truth
universally
acknowledged that
a single man in
possession of a
of a good fortune
must be in
want of a wife.
Love it!
Rae Ann ONeill
I try to “hide” my signature in all my quilting. It is a challenge for the recipient to find it.
Jean
Like how you dotted your “I”.
Janet
I agree and would add, if its worth doing, it worth doing with love–more gratifying.
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