Row 11 in our FMQ Starter Panel is perfect for quilting circles! Learn how to free motion quilt circles two ways - Rocks and Pebbles - to get lots of practice with this design:
Check out the tools and supplies used in this tutorial:
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Start Quilting Circles - Underwater Rocks
Rocks are the best design to start free motion quilting circles because:
- You can be messy - seriously, no seam rippers allowed!
- It’ll still look great - Even super messy, this design looks terrific!
- Super repetition - The more times you swing around the circle shape (2-3 times or more for Rocks), the more practice you get.
Repetition is the key to mastering any free motion quilting design.
The more you quilt it, the more you make that movement with your arms or shift the quilt with your hands, the better you will become.
Free Motion Quilting Pebbles
Once you fill one half of the Ribbon Candy line with Rocks, fill the other half with Pebbles. This side is going to be slower and more carefully stitched.
The idea with Pebbling is to stitch a circle, then stack another circle right next to it, travel stitching around the curves.
No, these aren’t going to be perfect circles, hence the name Pebbles or Pebbling. We’re allowing an organic shape to form that nicely fits into our space and isn’t too tiny. We’re quilting rocks and pebbles here, not sand!
Pebbling is supposed to be cleaner, with single circles stitched and careful travel stitching. Click Here to learn more about quilting Pebbling.
Check out more videos from this Start Quilting Series using the Free Motion Quilting Starter Kit:
#1 - Unboxing the Free Motion Quilting Starter Kit
#3 - FMQ Warm Up and Beginner Design
#4 - Beginner Skill Building Design Loops and Shells
#5 - How to Sew a Frame Weight
#6 - Testing the Frame Weight with Loops
#7 - Start Quilting Circles - Rocks and Pebbles
#8 - How to Quilt Loopy Hearts
