What to Quilt? Auditioning Quilting Designs

I'm working (still!) on a customer quilt and needed to figure out a design for the setting triangles. Out comes the handy dandy plexiglad sheet and a dry erase marker.

deciding on quilting motifs for free motion

I had to figure something out that wouldn't require me to quilt it too densely, but would still look great. Feathers tend to fit that bill nicely. It's a bot of an odd shape, but the echo around the black helped.


Above, the design itself, off the quilt. Below, it's all quilted and worked great. You can use plexiglas, clear vinyl or even a page protector or laminating sheet to figure out designs. Just make sure to devote one particular side for the drawing so marks don't accidentally transfer and make sure that you don't go off the edge onto the quilt!

Pennies from Heaven Quilt

I also use the plexiglass as an oversized ruler for squaring quilts up and sometimes for marking out the size of a whole cloth wall hanging or such. This one is 18x24 and is quite handy for these tasks.

9 comments:

  1. If you cover the edges with masking tape or painters tape, it will help you see the edge so you don't go over. I wrote 'Front' in permanent marker on one side, so I wouldn't turn it over by mistake. Another quilter recommended using wet erase markers instead of dry. It is a little messier to erase, but you don't run the risk of brushing some filaments off onto your quilt.

    Looks great! I love my plexiglass sheet. Use it all the time:)

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    1. I guess I need to do a border with the painters tape. I don't want to cover the edges as I use it as a rotary cutting ruler too.

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  2. Once you have a design you like....really like.....you could then draw/trace it onto a page protector using a sharpie permanent marker.....build up a whole design library....then you could just pull pages for auditioning. LOVE that quilt! Is it wool on cotton.....I am becoming obsessed with wool on cotton

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    1. Thanks, O great Quilt Rat. (Can we followers of your blog be the rat pack?)

      It IS wool on cotton. It’s a customer quilt from the Pennies from Heaven book.

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  3. Amy, this is brilliant! I have a host of those transparency sheets (no clue any longer why I bought them) but they would work great! Plus with the tips from you, Quilt Rat and Laura Davies, I'm all in and playing/planning. Thanks SO much!!! ~ Christina in Cleveland

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    1. I can't take all the credit, but I'll gladly tuck the brilliant moniker in my pocket for a day when I'm less than sun-shiney. Glad you're liking the tips from me and the gals.

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  4. Great idea! I have a hard time figuring out how to quilt some quilts. So nice to be able to audition designs. Great tip!

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  5. LOVE this tip!! Thanks so much for sharing it--it will come in handy. I also like Laura and Quilt Rat's suggestions as well!

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