Day 89 – Oil Slick

This design is also featured in the DVD Beginner Free Motion Quilting Fillers, as well as the ebook From Daisy to Paisley.

Everybody ready for some more free motion designs? I hear you!

Let’s fuel our free motion addictions with Oil Slick:

I know when I need to get back behind my machine when my head starts buzzing with new designs that I can’t stop thinking about.

I’m not an insomniac usually, but I go through phases where I can’t sleep at all because my head is busy busy busy.

I’ve been working through such a phase lately due to working on the new ebook and video series Quilting Beyond the Ditch which will be my beginner guide to everything you could ever want to know about free motion quilting.

I start writing and then I realize I’ve left something out of the beginning. I go back and fix that and then think of three more things I MUST cover and…you get the idea.

It’s fun and challenging and I’m loving every minute of it. I just wish there were more minutes in the day!

Let’s get back to learning how to stitch Oil Slick:

Inspiration – After the success of the wiggly spiral in Stomach Lining, I wanted to see if this could be turned into more of an allover pattern rather than a center fill.

After playing around a bit, this design was born and I’m happy to say that it’s a much more versatile design that can be used even in the tight spaces of your quilt unlike Stomach Lining. 

Difficulty Level – Beginner. Yes, there is some traveling in this design, but overall the design itself is easy to maneuver and stitch on your quilts.

If you find yourself struggling with your threads when you travel, try using a thinner thread. Thick threads will often look terrible if you travel over them even once. 

Design Family – Stacking. This design works a lot like Basic Spiral in that the spiral shapes interlock together to fill the space. It will work in just about every area of your quilt, just work on keeping your lines consistent!

Directional Texture – All Directions. This is an awesome design for background. It fills fairly fast so you’ll cover a lot of distance with no problem.

Suggestions for Use – I see oil slick working as a water fill over a landscape quilt. It could just as easily work around traditional applique blocks, so play with it and see where you like it best!

Let’s go quilt,

Leah Day

Free Motion Quilting Design #5 – Basic Spiral