How to Quilt Inside of Squares
Often, the trickiest part of making a quilt is the quilting itself. Whether you want to quilt inside of squares, or any other shape, the key is to plan your quilting pattern ahead of time to decide on something that fits the style of the quilt. Square shapes and other straight seams can be contrasted with curved quilting or enhanced by quilting straight line patterns. As you select your pattern, be sure to use an image that fills the space available rather than place a small pattern in the center of a large square.
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Things You'll Need
- Pieced quilt top
- Water-soluble fabric pen or pencil
- Quilting stencil, if desired
- Backing fabric
- Batting
- Safety pins
- Quilt frame
- Sewing machine
- Hand quilting thread
- Betweens (hand quilting needles)
- Water
- Clean cloth
- Binding
Instructions
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Spread your quilt out and look over your blocks as you consider your quilting pattern. Select outline quilting a ¼-inch away from seams on squares which are heavily pieced, such as log cabin, court house and pineapple blocks. Often, because you are following a seam, you do not need to draw your quilt lines before you begin.
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Look to distinguish the background from the pattern of your blocks for fans, Dresden plates or drunkard's path. Dense quilting in the background area will allow the pieced pattern to stand out with minimal quilting, keeping you from having to quilt over several seams.
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Create a secondary effect with your quilting by ignoring the piecing patterns of your blocks. Squares, such as the double nine-patch, birds in the air or storm at sea, already hold such visually strong patterns through the piecing, that quilting diagonal or wavy lines, or stippling across the square can help the eye flow over the quilt surface.
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Form a motif, like a feather wreath, a star or grapevine on quilts that use alternating solid blocks and pieced blocks. Quilting a motif can add interest to the plain blocks and, if the same quilting pattern is repeated over each solid block, the motif gives you a well thought out, finished look.
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Draw freehand or stencil your pattern in the squares once you have selected the right design for your quilt. Use a water soluble or disappearing fabric pen or fabric pencil to mark the quilt, but be sure to make your lines easily visible but not wide or dark.
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Pin your quilt layers together to sandwich them and quilt either by hand or machine. When you are finished and have added binding, be sure to label your quilt with your name, date and what or who the quilt was made for.
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Blot your pen lines gently with water, but do not soak the quilt. Some lines will reappear once the fabric dries. Simply blot them again and allow them to dry. Repeat if necessary until all the pen lines are removed.
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Tips & Warnings
As you draw the quilting pattern on your quilt top, be sure to fill the space available in your squares and along the body of the quilt. Stay even across the quilt with the density of quilting throughout, or some areas will look heavily quilted while others appear bare.
If you are a hand quilting beginner, do not be discouraged if your stitches are large. Just focus on making consistent, evenly spaced stitches. Once your technique is consistent, then you can work on the size of the stitches.
Fabric markers are not the same as water-soluble marking pens. Be certain you are using the correct pen for your quilt or you will not be able to remove the lines, ruining the value of your quilt.
