The Sewing Machine–A Free Motion Quilt Tutorial

March 17, 2015
Sewing Machine Free Motion Quilting

Sewing Machine Free Motion Quilting

Top ‘o the Morning,  Quilters!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

It’s a high-holiday at The Kennedy Residence…Corned beef, Irish soda bread…yum!  We might even raise a pint!  How do YOU celebrate the day?

I’ve already offered two Shamrock tutorials…The Spiral Shamrock and The Irish Chain…so I thought we’d continue on with our Sewing Room series.

We’ve stitched The Needle, The Pin Cushion, The Spool of Thread, and today…The Sewing Machine free motion quilt tutorial.

Sewing Machine Free Motion QuiltingBegin by drawing a 4 x 4 inch square–This is the outer border only, The Sewing Machine will easily fit in this square.

Draw a line 1-1/4 inch above the bottom line.  Add a “tick” mark to mark the center of the line.

Draw a small rectangle around the center mark–Approximately 1 inch by 1/2 inch.

Begin stitching several stitches to the left of the rectangle.

Stitch around the rectangle and stop at the line.

Sewing Machine Free Motion QuiltingStitch two legs of a triangle, then stitch up and then horizontally beyond the rectangle.

Sewing Machine Free Motion Quilting

Stitch down the right side,  then horizontally, then stitch up to close the shape.

Trace stitch down several stitches.

Sewing Machine Free Motion Quilting

Stitch to the left a few stitches then parallel to the base of the sewing machine.  Stitch up and then into the right side of the machine.  Stitch up several stitches.

Sewing Machine Free Motion Quilting

Stitching along the right side, add a slight box to create the hand wheel, then stitch a spool on top and a loop-de-loop to the top of the sewing machine.

Sewing Machine Free Motion Quilting

Stitch down to the needle, back up to the top and then down again.

Sewing Machine Free Motion Quilting

Add any embellishment you like or add the name of your sewing machine…(Do you name your sewing machines?)

Sewing Machine Free Motion Quilting

Stitch up the right side, then stitch two messy spirals.  Add a rectangle in the open space, or again, add a few words like “Love to sew.”

Sewing Machine Free Motion Quilting

Have fun with the embellishments, and don’t worry about the exact proportions—Your sewing machine will look great–a little personality is better than perfection in a motif like this.

Sewing Machine Free Motion Quilting

 

Sewing Machine Free Motion Quilting

Hmm…Sewing a sewing machine with our sewing machine…Is that like taking a photo of someone taking a photo?

Is there a name for it?….Perhaps WE should coin one…Any suggestions?

Happy stitching your sewing!

Lori

PS…Tomorrow’s THE WEBINAR!  So excited!  So many of you have signed up!  It’s going to be FUN!  Perhaps you should have your doodle pads and a few quilt sandwiches ready…just in case you’re inspired to sew the rest of the afternoon!

Meander No More: Learn to Free Motion Quilt With Confidence

PPS…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 share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt.  For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com.  Thanks!

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15 comments

  • Jeanne

    Thanks, Lori! I’ve been waiting for this one for a long time. Can’t wait to get started on it!

  • Tavette

    The sewing machine is wonderful and, true to form, you stitched it FIVE different ways at the base. Don’t think we don’t notice all those details. The sewing machine is going to be used by everyone. Can’t sew without one so why not stitch one? It’s mind boggling to me how you can stitch so many designs without crossing over your stitches.

    The shamrocks in today’ border show off real well so all your Irish followers must be dancing in the aisles.

    Shamrocks and 4 leaf clovers – know they’re both good luck symbols but will once & for all have to look up their individual meanings so I know the difference. I did read about Irish folk songs having double meanings so that was interesting.

    Since I do wear green every year I need to know these things 🙂 Made some paper shamrocks which held candy within their leaves so did my part to spread the Luck of the Irish. And…..had corned beef (yum) for dinner.

    Tavette – S. Fla.

  • Carole

    St. Patty’s Day is so fun, first we all wear green, hubby makes the best corn beef and cabbage you ever tasted and mashed Potatoes!!!!! Everyone comes and brings green food…ie salad, pistachio salad, anything green, plus homemade bread, and of course delicious deserts with shamrocks decorated all over the top. Green mint brownies are a specialty. I love, love, love this day, and am Irish too! I have made many shamrock quilts and table runners and given them away to the participants, and we decorate the whole house inside and out. We also watch Darby O’Gill and the little people during the day as we cook, and The Quiet Man with John Wayne. Now, if we could just get a leprechaun to do all the dishes!

  • Thanks lori

  • Carol H

    Love this! For all of us that sew, it is great!!

  • Charmaine

    How do we sign up for webinar tomorrow??

    • WordPress.com Support

      Charmaine. Did you see the link in the PS?

    • Carolyn S

      Sign up for class is in the link between the PS and the PPS.

  • Top O’ the Mornin’ to you too!! We celebrate with a bowl of stew and watching a great classic movie with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara called The Quiet Man. Great cast of character actors too. Tuesday is all the better since it is date night.

  • I love your tutorials! Wish I was retired so that I would have time to try all of your ideas! Thank you for so many great tips!

  • DreiPunkteWerk

    It’s sooo cute!

  • Lori! I love this one too! So cute. Going to give it a try on my ol friend Bernna Nova. 550 threw me a code and had to take it in. ARG! and they won’t have it done for a week or more. They however did have a 830 used sitting there on the sale table! Had never even seen one…Whoa! Your’s is an 820 right…so probably looked alot the same. How’s the tension been lately? Hope all issues resolved. I wanted to test drive that one so bad but the hubster was along and he needed to car shop so we didn’t have none of that kind of nonscence. haha!
    Thanks for the new Tutorial…can’t wait for tomorrow! I’m all set I think! You are going to do great!!!

  • Happy Saint Patty’s Day to you Lori!

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