Tuesday Tutorial–Two Spiders, A Web, and a Curse!

October 8, 2013
Spider web, Free motion Quilting

Free Motion Quilting Tutorial, The Spiderweb

Welcome, Quilters!  Welcome to my haunted website.  Indeed, I believe I was cursed last week at my quilt retreat…we were talking about people who have stitched through their fingers!…And as I began this tutorial this morning, I did just that!  I stitched through my right index finger.  I was pinned ( no pun intended) to my sewing machine.  I had to sit for several seconds to compose myself before I was able to stretch my left hand across my sewing machine to reach the handwheel.  Then, in a small act of bravery (at least I thought so) I turned the wheel slowly to back the needle out of my finger!   (Fortunately, the thread was not jammed!)

Hopefully, this has never happened to you…and hopefully it never will!  (Incidentally, in the Victorian era, spider webs were thought to bring good luck to quilters--and they were frequently embroidered onto crazy quilts!)

Now that the commotion is over, let’s begin today’s tutorial!

Spider web, Free motion Quilting

The Spider Web would look great in any Halloween quilt, on Halloween napkins, or decorating a fall pillow.  This beginner quilting pattern is quick and fun to sew–and adapts to any size or shape.  In the tutorial below, I started with a four inch square.

Begin stitching the web in the square, but slightly off-center.  Stitch a straight line to one edge of the square and then stitch back ON the same line.  Stitch another straight line to the second side of the square and back again to the center.  Free Motion Quilting Tutorial, The Spiderweb

Continue around the square (or whatever shape you are filling) until the space is filled.    Note-it is best to have at least 6 lines around the square.  If the square is larger–many more “spokes” can be added.Free Motion Quilting Tutorial, The Spiderweb

Once you have stitched all of the “spokes”,  crawl back a few stitches on one of the spokes to begin the weaving.   You should be a short distance away from the center of the spokes.   Free Motion Quilting Tutorial, The Spiderweb

To create the web, stitch curved lines from spoke to spoke.

When you return to the first spoke, end the “sweep” above the first line of stitching. (See photo above.) Continue stitching around the web again.

Free Motion Quilting Tutorial, The Spiderweb

Stitched around the spokes several times,then add a spider!

Free Motion Quilting Tutorial, The Spiderweb

If you like a friendly spider (the kind that invite you to tea) stitch the spider on the left.  If you prefer a more menacing spider (the kind that invite you in for their dinner) try they spider on the right…

As long as it has 8 legs, it will look like a spider…

Free Motion quilting spider web

Whether you are stitching on a long arm or on a domestic sewing machine – as I do, (I stitch on a Bernina 820) this pattern (and your fingers) are easy to stitch.  So have your cell phone with you and get started on your Halloween decorations!

Free Motion Quilting Tutorial, The Spiderweb

Tomorrow, I have more Halloween-inspired projects to share!  See you then!

Lori

PS–As always…all photos and tutorials are the property of Lori Kennedy and are for personal use only!  Feel free to pin or re-blog with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt!

 

 

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