Skinny borders don’t give us much room to quilt, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun!!

This diamond design looks great all by itself…

…but look what happens when we add a little something inside!

Circles, intersecting lines, and little flowers give the same design three different personalities. You can keep it simple or add a bit more texture.

In this video, I’ll show you the diamonds and a few ways to dress them up.

VIEW VIDEO HERE

Which would you choose for your quilt—plain or filled?

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You’ve finished piecing your quilt top. Now comes the big question: How am I going to quilt it?

In my on-demand free-motion quilting course, I’ll help you get started, practice at your own pace, and build the confidence to quilt that top yourself.

Explore the Free-Motion Quilting Course

Some quilting designs are easy to name. You look at them and immediately know exactly what they are.

This one? Not so much.

Is it a star? Is it a snowflake? Maybe it is a little of both!

That is one of the things I love about free-motion quilting. A simple design can take on a completely different personality depending on the fabric, thread color, and surrounding designs. Quilt this one with white thread on a wintry blue fabric, and it might look like a snowflake. Stitch it in gold thread on a dark background, and suddenly it becomes a sparkling star.

The design begins in the center and works outward, building the points one section at a time. It may look intricate when it is finished, but it is really just a series of simple movements.

VIEW VIDEO HERE

So, what do you think?

Is it a star or a snowflake?

Honestly, I don’t think there is a wrong answer. Just keep quilting and let the design become whatever works for your quilt!

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This border design is in the same vein as last week’s “Dancing Branches” border design, except we are quilting loops instead of branches.

The loops don’t have to be perfectly shaped or exactly the same size. Simply travel along the border, forming one double loop after another. Once you step back and look at the finished border, all you will notice is the wonderful texture!

VIEW VIDEO HERE

Remember: You don’t have to quilt perfectly to beautifully quilt your own quilts!

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You’ve finished piecing your quilt top. Now comes the big question: How am I going to quilt it?

In my on-demand free-motion quilting course, I’ll help you get started, practice at your own pace, and build the confidence to quilt that top yourself.

Explore the Free-Motion Quilting Course

What could be better than a quilting design that is FAST, EASY, and FORGIVING?

Dancing Branches meets All of those requirements…..

This design was so fast to quilt and would look great on a narrower border too!!

Give it a try the next time you are looking for something easy to fill that border!!

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You’ve finished piecing your quilt top. Now comes the big question: How am I going to quilt it?

In my on-demand free-motion quilting course, I’ll help you get started, practice at your own pace, and build the confidence to quilt that top yourself.

Explore the Free-Motion Quilting Course

Back in 2015, Michael and I spent 10 days trekking in the Himalayas. As we walked along, we passed many stacked stone monuments and I marveled at how they stayed in place.

At our highest point, I made a small one for myself…..

…including a few daisy-esque flowers that were in the field.

Now, why am I talking about the Himalayas on Free-Motion Friday?

That’s because today’s border is called “STACKED STONES” and I thought about this sweet memory as I quilted.

Check it out…..

This design will definitely go into my “use often” folder!!

———————————————————————-

You’ve finished piecing your quilt top. Now comes the big question: How am I going to quilt it?

In my on-demand free-motion quilting course, I’ll help you get started, practice at your own pace, and build the confidence to quilt that top yourself.

Explore the Free-Motion Quilting Course