We have a simple design to quilt on our Starter Panel this week - Loopy Hearts! See free motion quilting of the design on the printed panel and how I quilt Loopy Hearts freehand in this video:
Check out the tools and supplies used in this tutorial:
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Start Quilting Loopy Hearts
Our Free Motion Quilting Practice Panel has a simple row of Loopy Hearts, which is perfect for quilting in sashing or narrow borders.
I quilted across this line a few times, trying to follow the flow of the design and get the right spacing of the hearts within the narrow space.
Space estimation is one of the biggest challenges with learning free motion quilting. It's the ability to look at a space and quilt your design so it fits Goldilocks-style - not too big, not too small - within the space you're quilting.
This is a lot like the ability to sign your name into a tiny space on a check, and a big space too. Sometimes you need to expand the lines, sometimes you need to shrink them.
What do you look at, where is your focus, and how does this work for you? Space estimation can only be learned through practice and experience. The more you stitch Loopy Hearts into quilt sashing, the better you will get fitting and filling the hearts into any area.
Free Hand, Free Motion Quilting Loopy Hearts
I've loaded my bigger frame with my Qnique 21 longarm with the Chain of Beads quilt, which is going to be perfect for practicing new free motion quilting designs.
I decided to stitch Loopy Hearts free hand, meaning no marks or guidelines for the design. Because the hearts can be hard to form on the fly, I also incorporated loops, or tear drop shapes, into the design:
This version of Loopy Hearts looks very simple, but it can be challenging to quilt! I often find myself stitched into a corner because the hearts can kick me into the wrong angle to wiggle out of tight spaces.
It's taken some practice, and some of my hearts still wind up looking a bit demented, but I really like this design!
Have fun quilting Loopy Hearts and see where you like to quilt this design - in a row in sashing or borders or free hand as an open filler design.
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
