2. Echo Quilting Around Positive Words

On Thursday last week I started off our new Free Motion Quilting Project with a tutorial on thread painting positive words into your quilt.

free motion quilting | Leah Day

This week let’s learn how to echo around those words, filling the area completely with gorgeous texture and color. Yes, I broke thread and switched to blue, which isn’t quite as clear on video, but the 2 tone combination really rocks:

free motion quilting | Leah Day
free motion quilting | Leah Day

Now let’s see how it’s done in this video:

Just in case you’ve missed the links, you can download and print a free copy of Express Your Love right here.

You can also pick up a printed fabric panel from Spoonflower:

Keep in mind, this is NOT the only way to put words on your quilt! We’re going to learn lots of other ways to add words, from hand stitching to beadwork to couching this year. Personally I like the speed of adding letters and echoing by machine, but hand stitching embroidery is also a wonderful way to slow down and connect with the quilt.

So that’s it for today! Definitely give this technique a try and remember we’ll link up Friday with whatever you’ve free motion quilted this week!

Let’s go quilt!

Leah Day

LeahDay

Leah Day has been teaching online since 2009. She's the creator of the Free Motion Quilting Project, a blog filled with thousands of quilting tutorial videos. Leah has written several books including 365 Free Motion Quilting Designs, Explore Walking Foot Quilting with Leah Day, and Mally the Maker and the Queen in the Quilt.

10 Responses

  1. LAQuilts says:

    Thank you. Can't wait to start on mine

  2. Pat Merkle says:

    I've ordered my panel. I'm looking forward to working on this project, something just for me. Thanks Leah!

  3. Malini says:

    Love this video. But I will have to try it at a later date. Have been tied up with so many different projects right now!

    Leah, love your new hair cut!

  4. Irene says:

    Hi Leah,
    I'd really love to attempt this project.
    I've tried to download the PDF of the pattern. The info says that it will print 12 sheets measuring 8.5 x 11. But I only can get one sheet of the whole picture that measures 8.5 x 11

  5. Loved your video. Makes me want to try adding positive words and echo quilt around them. Now for a question from a novice…Are you thread painting the words and echo quilting just on the panel, or do you also have batting and a quilt back? Thanks, Carolyn

  6. Leah Day says:

    Irene – You'll need to first update your adobe reader software. Then go back to the pattern and in the printing dialog box select "poster" or "tile Pages" This setting will only pop up if you have the updated version of the software.

  7. Leah Day says:

    Carolyn – Yes, this is a basted quilt with backing and batting. If you wanted the letters to only be on one side, or to be embroidered as you described, that would work too, but you would need some seriously thick stabilizer to keep the thread painting from making a mess on the fabric. There's several great wash away stabilizers that could work and be sandwiched with the quilt, then washed out when it's completely finished.

  8. Leah, I am loving using your techniques and I also have the Juki machine. Thank you so much, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to quilt but I am going gangbusters now.

  9. Alice Ridge says:

    Just waiting for my panel to arrive in the mail!!

  10. WOW! I've never seen such beautiful work. Very unique. I haven't sewn for years, but I was searching for simple ideas for making a prayer quilt for a loved one and came across your site. I have all the time in the world but I'm disabled. I won't let that stop me. Continue with your creativity! God Blessings!

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