Straight lines
 

Hello there :)

It's been just over a year since I started my first quilt.... except it's not finished yet!

Anyway.... I have made a small chevron cushion cover and wanted your opinion on something.

What design could I do on the front? I know I'd like to sew straight lines on it.... could I just start from the seams and work on the safe side?

Or is there something that could be a bit more fancy?

What size stitch should I use? I have a 50 count Gutermann Sew All thread in a pale sky blue.

P.S I haven't done this before...

Thank you :thumbup:

Spread it out on your table and lay plastic wrap over it. Use a blue marker to draw the quilting designs you are thinking of on the plastic wrap to see how it might look.

You can get as fancy as you want. Get some parchment paper, and draw out whatever design you dream of, or find some free clipart online. I did that with some placemats I made a year or two ago. I found the shape of an apple that I liked and went to town!

Oh those look good. Yep. straight lines are great to do. Go for it. I have an Xmas one in the wings and will probably do straight line stitching on it.

Oh wow, that apple looks great! So you draw a design onto parchment and you sew over it? Does it come off the fabric easily afterwards? I like the plastic sheet to draw imaginary shapes on top too because my brain finds it hard to visualise sometimes with my Dyspraxia...

Oh yes, the paper comes of very easily. In fact, I look forward to it. I think it's fun. Be gentle though, and if you find that a tiny bit stays under the stitches from time to time, just get out the tweezers. Have fun.

The plastic wrap works great to help you see how it will look on the fabric. Some people even sew through it. I don't because it is harder to pull off than paper.

I have no ideas on how to quilt it - but do want to let you know I just love the layout and fabrics in this...

Thank you Kay, that's very kind of you to say..... right then, I'll get on with some awesomeness!!

Love the clip-art/parchment idea....you could really get creative. Love the fabrics you have used. Let us see what you come up with.

Straight stitching is a good and easy way to start leaning how to quilt using your DSM. I would just start in the center and stitch in the ditch (where your seams are) from one side of the quilt to the other. Then you could go down the center of the wider chevrons if you felt it needed more quilting. Just be sure to have fun !!

Hmm this is an interesting technique. Filing this away especially for a mini I am working on.

Great suggestions

You can also use tissue paper to draw on and sew over it. Love your design and fabric choices.

We all have those fancy stitches on our machines but use them rarely. They make very nice accent quilting when done on small projects.

If you shorten your stitches just a little, and then as you tear hold you finger along the stitch line it'll give it more support and it'll tear away easier. You can also use tissue paper to do the same thing. Its a great techinque especially for those of us who aren't so happy with our free style way of sewing designs. I need the template.