How to Quilt Fabric Vegetables
One of the fun things about making a quilt is adding the layer of quilting. You can give your quilt a novel look by adding vegetables drawings or by quilting existing vegetable designs to bring more attention to them. Whether you have made a quilt with a novelty fabric with vegetables already on it or want to fill in bare patches with extra images, you can quilt fabric vegetables easily with free motion quilting.
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Things You'll Need
- Sewing machine
- Darning foot, optional
- Quilt sandwich (top, batting, and backing pinned together)
- Water soluble fabric pen, optional
- Thread
- Paper towels or light colored washcloth
- Clean water
Instructions
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1
Attach the darning foot to your sewing machine. If you don't own a darning foot or don't prefer to work with one, be sure to put the pressure foot of the machine down when you quilt to add tension.
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2
Draw images of vegetables directly on the quilt top starting with the outline of the vegetable. The drawings can line up with the printed vegetables on the fabric so that you are directly quilting the pattern available, or they float in bare areas of background.
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3
Fill in the outline of the vegetable with simple lines to show variations of color, such as peppers and zucchini, or add texture with curves, swirls, or circles for vegetables like broccoli or green beans. Add leaves and stems as desired, but again keep the lines relatively simple with each line coming into contact with the outline at some point.
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4
Select a thread color that blends in or contrasts the color of the fabric you'll be using. Variegated threads are available and often work well on multicolored fabrics. Load the thread you choose onto your sewing machine.
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Start quilting the outline of one vegetable using free motion quilting. With the outline complete, follow the textural and variation lines you drew by traveling along the outline to get to each one. Work one vegetable at a time to completion before moving to the next.
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6
Remove the fabric pen lines by gently dabbing a damp paper towel or wash cloth over your quilted areas as soon as you know you have completed them. Sometimes the lines will reappear after they dry. Repeat the dabbing process.
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Tips & Warnings
If you aren't familiar with free motion quilting or just want to practice some of your vegetable shapes, use some large fabric scraps or muslin with leftover batting to create a practice piece. Quilt on the piece until you are comfortable with the pattern.
Never use a regular pencil or pen in the place of an actual "water soluble fabric pen."
