Natalia Bonner - Next Steps in Machine Quilting: Free-Motion & Walking-Foot Designs

PUBLISHER: Amy Marson

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Gailen Runge

ART DIRECTOR/COVER DESIGNER: Kristy Zacharias

EDITOR: Karla Menaugh

TECHNICAL EDITORS: Nan Powell and Gailen Runge

BOOK DESIGNER: April Mostek

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: Zinnia Heinzmann

PRODUCTION EDITOR: Katie Van Amburg

ILLUSTRATOR: Wendy Mathson

PHOTO ASSISTANTS: Mary Peyton Peppo and Sarah Frost

STYLE PHOTOGRAPHY by Nissa Brehmer and INSTRUCTIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY by Diane Pedersen, unless otherwise noted

Published by Stash Books, an imprint of C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549

Dedication

This book is dedicated to you, Brad, my husband of the last ten years. Thank you so much for letting me live my crazy dream. Thank you for supporting me. Thank you for doing the laundry, providing for our little family, and taking care of us so that I can quilt. I could never have done this without you.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to my family for the support they provided to me in the journey of writing this book.

Thank you to Kathleen Whiting for binding my quilts. I would never have any completed quilts if it werent for you.

To Moda Fabricsthank you for the beautiful fabrics that you provided for this book. I love the bella solids.

To everyone who reads my blog and attends quilt guilds with me, and the students in my classesyour kind comments and support are more motivation and encouragement than I could have ever imagined.

To all the staff at C&T Publishing and Stash Booksthank you very much for giving me the opportunity to write this book. This journey has been so much fun.

Introduction

I love machine quilting. Even more, I love free-motion quilting. Ever since I wrote my first book, Beginners Guide to Free-Motion Quilting, Ive wanted to write a second book on machine quilting. Ive just been waiting for it to feel right.

Over the last few years, Ive spent a lot of time writing books about piecing. Modern One-Block Quilts and Cabin Fever: 20 Modern Log Cabin Quilts were born in this time. After finishing Cabin Fever, I just felt like it was time to move back to my roots, machine quilting.

In Beginners Guide to Free-Motion Quilting, I taught every basic that I wish I had known when I began machine quilting. I talked about thread, batting, needles, fabric, and where to start.

Now I want to take the skills that I shared in that book and help you move out of your comfort zone, break away from the basics, and add some excitement to your quilts.

In this book I will teach you how to free-motion quilt 50 designs to give your quilts the wow factor that they deserve.

Machine Quilting

Basics

Many people are intimidated by the idea of machine quilting. But if you give it a try and take some time to practice, youll find that its actually easy to do.

My hope is to show you step by step how to machine quilt 50 patterns that will elevate your machine quilting skills.

My previous book, Beginners Guide to Free-Motion Quilting (see ), covered the basicsthreads, needles, machine feet, sewing machines, gloves, and basting. In this book, I will briefly review some of those tools so we can quickly move on to the exciting section, the machine quilting designs.

SEWING MACHINE

Machine quilting can be done successfully on almost any conventional home sewing machine, as long as the machine has a free-motion foot and the ability to drop the feed dogs. I currently have a Bernina Aurora 450. It is most helpful if your machine has a large table; this accessory creates a large working area that can make it easier to maneuver your quilt under the needle.

MACHINE FEET

For straight-line quilting, I recommend a walking foot. This foot helps move the fabric from the top. In connection with your machines feed dogs (the little teeth that move the fabric from underneath), the walking foot helps the quilt move smoothly under the needle and gives you enough control to stitch precise lines.

For free-motion quilting, you lower the machines feed dogs and use a free-motion foot that lets you move the quilt layers freely under the needle. Free-motion feet for different machines vary (they are made in assorted shapes and can be metal or clear plastic) and can be called by different names, such as a darning foot or a hopping foot. A foot with a clear plastic sole is ideal because it provides improved visibility.

NEEDLES

Multiple types of needles can be used for machine quilting on a home sewing machine. The quilting needle, embroidery needle, and topstitch needle are the most popular. Each has advantages. A quilting needle has a slim, tapered point and slightly stronger shaft for stitching through fabric layers and across intersecting seams. Embroidery needles are made with a larger eye and a slightly rounded point. Because they are made for heavy stitching, they are also great for detailed machine quilting. However, most machine quilting can be done using a topstitching needle, which has an extra-sharp point and eye and a larger groove to accommodate heavier threads.

I prefer to use a titanium-coated topstitching needle. Titanium-coated needles last up to five times longer than regular needles. I prefer the needles made by Superior Threads, but you can choose from the many others that are available.

It is very important that you have the correct size of topstitching needle for your thread. I recommend three sizes for quilting: the #80/12 for machine quilting with fine thread, the #90/14 for machine quilting with medium-weight thread, and the #100/16 for machine quilting with heavyweight thread.

THREAD

Choosing the correct thread for machine quilting is very important. The most common types of thread are cotton, polyester, and polyester-wrapped cotton.

Natalias Tip

Never use hand-quilting thread for machine quilting. Hand-quilting thread has a waxy coating that is not compatible with sewing machines.

I always use lightweight threads from Superior ThreadsSo Fine! for the top and Bottom Line for the bobbin. But you can certainly try various threads and brands to determine what look you prefer.

When choosing thread colors, I recommend using the same color on top and in the bobbin, especially when you are first learning to quilt. As you experiment with the correct tension for your machine, the bobbin thread could occasionally pull through to the top of your quilt. If the threads are the same color, no one will notice. As you gain confidence in your machine and your quilting, you can try different threads for special effects.

Natalias Tip

I have stitched the patterns in this book in contrasting thread color, just to show off the quilting. Generally I recommend using a thread color that blends well. My favorite thread colors are 401, a soft white, and 402, an eggshell color, by So Fine! by Superior Threads.

THREAD TENSION