Free-Motion Quilting by Sue Nickels

Advanced | 2 hours

Taught by Sue Nickels

In Part 1, you will learn how to design your own quilting patterns and create custom templates. Using an already-pieced quilt top, Sue demonstrates how to create a design concept and sketch patterns. All of the basics are covered here, including how to design patterns using rulers, how to cut out your own template plastic, and how to create a cable pattern using a paper folding technique. She also shows how to draw her signature feather motif and turn it into a circular template. Once you have completed this class, you will be ready to move on to marking your quilt.

Learn how to:

Which motifs should go in various areas of the quilt
How to space out patterns on quilt
How to transform a small-scale quilting design to a full-size design
How to draw a feather motif
How to create a circular feather template
How to use rulers to create grids, rays, and triangles
How to create a scallop pattern in two different ways
How to design cable patterns using a paper folding technique

Chapters

Series Overview01:04

Materials00:42

Designing Patterns and Templates
Sketching and feather patterns09:01
Drawing a feather wreath07:58
Using rulers to create straight lines and angles08:02
Creating scallops two ways03:52
Designing cables with a paper folding technique06:17

Other Options
Using stencils and designs from books00:57

Materials

Here’s what you’ll need:

Assembled quilt top

Small scale drawing of quilt top

Large heavyweight drawing paper (18” x 24”)

Tracing paper

Copy paper

Sharp Pencils

Eraser

Black marker

Removable tape

Compass

Circle templates

Template plastic

Scissors

Nail file

Rulers: 24” x 6” and a variety of other sizes

Buy materials for this project at JOANN.com

Member Gallery

Browse members' projects from this class, add them to your Favorites, and share your own work!

ADD YOUR IMAGE

Discussion

Notes

Your timecode tags and notes for this section

Transcript

Free-Motion Quilting

Now Playing

Part 1:

Create Your Own Quilting Design

Sue Nickels

Watch Preview

Chapters Materials Gallery

Part 2:

Marking and Basting

Sue Nickels

Once you have designed your quilting motif, the next step is to mark your quilt top. Sue teaches several methods for transferring your pattern to fabric, including tracing patterns using a lightbox, freehand drawing, tracing plastic templates and using rulers as guides to create geometric patterns. Finally, Sue covers basting your quilt sandwich to prepare it for machine quilting.

Watch Preview

Chapters Materials Gallery

Part 3:

Machine Quilting Like a Pro

Sue Nickels

Now for the fun part—machine quilting! Sue teaches you all about her favorite part of the quilting process in this final class. Learn how to work with a large quilt and use free-motion quilting techniques to create feathers, straight-line geometric shapes, scallops, and cables. You will be amazed at what you can do with a sewing machine and a darning foot.

Watch Preview

Chapters Materials Gallery