Machine Quilting Quick Tip-How to Draw a Grid for Quilting

November 5, 2018

 

How to draw a quilting grid

Good Morning, Quilters!

Last week, we learned how to stitch the beautiful Honeycomb.  The Honeycomb is a very versatile pattern.  It can be stitched as an all over texture to cover an entire quilt, or it can be used as a pretty focus motif.

For the next few weeks, we are going to add to The Honeycomb to create several gorgeous patterns!

I can’t wait!!!!

But we must…

First, I’d like to review how I mark my fabric.  It is essential to mark straight lines across the quilt to keep the lines straight.  We don’t want a tipsy turvy Honeycomb!

THE TOOLS:

I use three tools to mark my lines:

THE RULER

Choose the longest ruler you have.Quilting Ruler

 

WHITE CHALK

I like to use white chalk for most of my quilt marking because it is easy to see and easy to erase.  When drawing straight lines, the Clover Pen is very quick because it has a wheel at the tip.  The wheel tip allows the pen to mark lines quickly and it rolls through the cut-outs in the stencil easily.

STRAIGHT LINE STENCIL

You might be thinking…why would you even bother with a stencil for straight lines?  I’ve thought it myself…but I find it is surprisingly difficult to draw a series of even parallel lines without going askew!

The Stencil Company to the rescue!

The 10 x 10 grid is the stencil I use most frequently.  (And I have a lot of stencils!)Line Design Stencil

 

HOW TO DRAW A SERIES OF QUILTING LINES

Begin by drawing one straight line across the entire quilt or area to be quilted using your longest ruler.

If you have a long seam line in your quilt, you can use it instead, though you might want to draw the line with white chalk so you can view it more easily.

Quilting Ruler

Next, align one of the cutout lines in the stencil lines along the center line.

Use the Clover wheel pen to draw the first set of lines.  Move the stencil along the center line and create the next set of lines.

How to draw a grid for quilting

Continue moving down the center line until your first row of lines is marked.

ADD MORE LINES

To add more lines, simply align the stencil with the lines that are already marked.

How to mark grid lines for quilting

The whole process took less than five minutes!

How to draw a quilting grid

HOW TO DRAW A GRID:

There are grid stencils available at The Stencil Company, but I usually use my straight line stencil.

Repeat the process outlined above.  Mark a center line, perpendicular to the first set of lines.  Place the stencil along this line and mark.  (The grid markings are not shown.)

How to mark grid lines for quilting

DRAW A FEW WAVY LINES

If you are stitching the Honeycomb motif, you might want to mark the first wavy line.

The Clover pen works for slightly wavy lines. (It is not good for detailed lines found in many stencils.)

I don’t recommend marking the entire Honeycomb–too many lines gets confusing.

READY TO QUILT!

Now you’re ready to quilt The Honeycomb or motifs like Dots and Dashes or Snowflakes!

OOOOHHHH I LOVE a blank canvas!!!!!

Get ready because we are going to fill this up fast!!!

(Make two!)

Regards,

Not-so-Linear-Lori

PS…For more  fabulous grid and line motifs, as well as tons of quilting tips and tricks—be sure to check out MORE Free Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3...and get a free “trick or treat” with every purchase!!!

Machine Quilting, Book Cover, Lori Kennedy

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

Thanks!

 

 

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