19. Lines & Grids in a Drunkards Path

Let’s go quilt! This week we’re free motion quilting our first Cheater Drunkard’s Path block with straight lines, some zigzags, and more gridlines:

Find the directions to make this block, the template to create the quarter circles, AND the full size quilting design in the Building Blocks Quilt Pattern.

Last week I found a lot of quilters sharing different ways to work around or cover up the raw edges of this block. Are raw edges really THAT bad?!

I know I shouldn’t ask because I used to feel the same way! I’ve come to accept and enjoy raw edges because they add that extra touch of imperfection to the quilt surface. Can this quilt be perfect? Heck no – it’s got raw edges and a few stray threads floating over the surface! Get over it already!

But I certainly understand if you don’t like either the look or the feel, so in today’s video we’re not only learning how to quilt some beautiful straight lines over the quarter circle areas, we’re also learning how to free motion zigzag over the raw edge to cover and conceal that area.

Watch this video to see how it works:

It’s important to play a bit with your zigzag in the outer area of your block before starting to quilt along that line. The most important thing is to make sure the fall of your needle isn’t going to hit your free motion foot!

Once you get the zigzag width setting to your liking, then you just try to line up the right fall of the needle with the raw edge of the quarter circle shape. Slowly and steadily feed the quilt through the machine to produce an even, pretty zigzag over that area.

So why should we free motion zigzag? Why not change feet and do this with a walking foot perfectly?

Well, that choice is entirely yours of course, but I choose to do it this way so I could avoid breaking thread in the middle of my block and fussing around to change feet. It’s also FUN to try things like this and see where they lead.

Remember – It Doesn’t Have to be Perfect!

We’re going to learn many blocks later this year that are going to be far fussier – more intricately pieced, more intricately quilted. Give yourself a break and have fun with this, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone.

Let’s go quilt,

Leah Day