The Easiest Motif Every Quilter Should Learn

Good Morning, Quilters!

Today we have the easiest motif every quilter should learn-Flower Power!

But first, news about books and shipping.

I will be receiving cases of THE Book-25 Days to Better Machine Quilting-on Thursday and will begin shipping immediately. I am so excited for you to get your “hands-on” this book so we can start our 25 weeks of quilting together!

The LKQ Quillt-a-long will begin on June 15, 2020!

Why Flower Power is the Easiest Motif

Some people think stippling/ meandering is the easiest motif, but I disagree.

I would classify stippling as an advanced motif and Flower Power the Easiest Motif and here’s why”

What Makes a Motif “Easy”

Easy motifs have the following characteristics:

  1. Pointed stopping points.
  2. Repeated elements.
  3. Clear path to travel between motifs.
  4. Easy to follow instructions.
Pointed Stopping Points

While quilting, we stop frequently to adjust our hands and to move the quilt.  Sometimes we stop to think and plan. (We may even stop to take a sip or change the laundry.)  Every time we stop and start, the stitching line is disrupted and there is usually a visible change in the stitches.  When this occurs on a smooth segment of the motif the awkward stitches may be very noticeable.  However, the transition stitches can be disguised when tucked into a point.

Flower Power offers many points to disguise our stopping points.

Repeated Elements

Motifs that consist of a single, repeated element are simple to learn and to motor plan.

Flower Power  starts with a central curl and is a series of simple scallops.

Begin with a small curl

Add scallops around the curl

Stop at the stem

Add concentric rows of scallops
Clear Path to Travel Between Motifs

When quilting a background motif, it is important to be able to quilt into the corners without getting stuck. We’ve all quilted ourselves into a corner where we’ve had to knot off to move to the next section!

Flower Power is a great motif because you can keep scalloping around and begin a new motif anywhere along the path.  For example, you can stitch two revolutions around the center or you can stitch five.  If it’s more convenient, you can stitch three and 1/2 revolutions and begin the next motif.  Partial motifs of Flower Power look great, too! (This is not true for all quilting motifs. A half Retro car would not look right.)

Add a short curl to begin a new motif
Clear Instructions

Instructions like “create a worm-like line and turn every 1/4 inch and never cross another line of stitching” are not clear to people like me.   All I can remember while I’m stitching is “don’t cross!” .  That’s why I could never learn to stipple!

Clear step-by-step instructions are the hallmark and why I wrote my first two books:

(Flower Power is the only motif that is in both books–because I love it so much!)

Free Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3

and More Free Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3

https://www.etsy.com/listing/598982631/more-free-motion-machine-quilting-1-2-3

Flower Power-My Favorite Motif

I use Flower Power to fill a block and to fill a background.  It can be used in a border or as an allover pattern.

Give it a try TODAY!

What about YOU?

Are YOU frustrated with stippling?

Have YOU tried Flower Power?

How will YOU use Flower Power today?

Your Flowery Friend,

Lady Slipper Lori

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!

26 responses to “The Easiest Motif Every Quilter Should Learn”

  1. Love this !!!so easy !!great to let me think and so very pretty !! My new best friend LOL
    Thanks so much Lori!!

  2. I agree completely that flower power is much easier than stippling or meandering. I love flower power for quilting my Guild’s community service quilts! It is my go-to motif for less dense all over quilting! Love your quilting, your books and your blog!!

  4. Never having tried this one, I am feeling all inspired now !! Having finished son’s quilt with bicycle wheels/spokes last night, I am ready for Flowers! And I cannot resist saying, Lori, praying for you and your SpouseMan and your town and whole area !

  5. You inspired me with your free motion quilting several years ago and now all my grandchildren (11) have quilts and so do their parents, all free motion quilted. I have made several lap quilts for each family and us and free motion quilted them. Also, I am part of a quilt group that creates quilts for underprivileged people. I have made 5 toddler quilts for this group during the covid-19 shelter in time.

    Thanks for teaching me how to free motion quilt! I have recommended you to numerous friends.

  7. I’ve always hated stippling. Nice to hear a well-respected voice in the free-motion community say so. Not only is it hard to do, the end resulte often looks like a mattress pad. I’ve got a rectangular charity-baby quilt almost ready to quilt, and I’m thinking of doing the whole thin in one enormous flower. Anyone try that?

    I feel the same way about stitch in the ditch — hard to do, very boring to do, and the end result adds nothing whatsoever to the finished quilt.

    Stay healthy and safe!

    Jean

  8. I agree! I am bad at FMQ, and i find stippling very frustrating. But this motif I can work with. Have to try it soon.

  9. I am quilting this pattern now on a queen size quilt called Garden Trellis (gate). It is easy to sew and gives a good look.

  10. Flower Power is my favorite! It always looks great and is so easy to do.

    I especially enjoyed your sign-off name today!

  12. I’m looking forward to trying this on a quilt this week. I really enjoy learning your motifs. Thank you.

  13. I’ve used this flower but appreciate your pointers.
    How will the class be delivered? Do we need to sign up?

  14. I love Flower Power too. I have a quilt top that needs an allover design, and think I will us it (again). I am just wondering if I can enlarge it a bit. I will have to try that on a test bit to see how it goes.

  15. I would like to try this motive as an allover design on a quilt I just finished! Question: Do I start in the middle and go outwards? Or do I need to lay down some stabilizing rows first with my walking foot? The quilt is basted already with fusible batting. Thank you. I have your first book, and I use it all the time!

  16. Just finished a charity quilt that had little flowers on it, and I used Flower Power in a grid. It turned out pretty well, and I had good practice!

  17. I love Flower Power! However, my absolute all-time favorite of your motifs is the square flower. It can be used so many different ways and places! I am working on quilting a sampler quilt with Tula Pink Homemade fabrics–in addition to the square flower and flower power, I was so happy with how the needes and the spools of thread I did turned out. Your tutorials are the absolute best, and I wish more quilty authors would produce books in spiral form like you do. I also got a stand-up midarm machine (Simply Sixteen), and have found your motifs are easy to use on it, as well. Thanks for all you do!

  18. Lori, have you thought about adding a private facebook group where we can all share our efforts and progress? People talk about their projects here, and it would be fun to see them. Or is there one, and I just don’t know it?

    1. Yes! The group is called Quilting with LKQ on Facebook. We will be ramping up as we start our quilt a long on June 15! Please join us!

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