How to Quilt Abstract Checkerboard, Design #496
Checkerboard is a terrific quilting design and one of the best ways to add lines and funky texture to your quilt. Let’s try making a checkerboard with Crazy Lines! Learn how to quilt Abstract Checkerboard in this new quilting tutorial:
Quick links to tools and supplies mentioned in this quilting tutorial:
Eversewn Sparrow 20 Sewing Machine – I’ve been playing with this fun little sewing machine for several months now and really love the simple features that make basic sewing and quilting easy.
I’m using a low shank darning foot that I’ve modified to increase visibility and stop the foot from hopping as I stitch. Click Here to find this darning foot.
I always free motion quilt using Isacord polyester thread. Yes, this is embroidery thread and yes, it’s 100% polyester! It’s thin, very strong, and has virtually no limit which is very important when quilting large quilt on a home machine (or lots and lots of little squares).
Be sure to check the bobbin area of your machine often and brush it out, especially if you’re using a thread that sheds lots of lint. Click Here to check out Isacord Polyester Thread.
Now let’s learn more about quilting Abstract Checkerboard!
Design Family – Edge to Edge Design. This design begins with a very simple base of Crazy Lines. You can break up your quilt into large sections or simply stitch the lines through one section of your quilt.
Click Here to find another tutorial on quilting Crazy Lines with walking foot quilting.
You might be feeling confused about how often I was rotating the quilt as I filled in the little lines. It’s perfectly fine to rotate your quilt around any time it doesn’t feel comfortable.
No, you won’t be able to rotate a giant quilt on your machine, but if you’re working on a smaller project and rotating that quilt is the difference between being able to see and not see what you are doing, then it makes sense to rotate it!
Difficulty Level – Intermediate. Abstract checkerboard isn’t super challenging, but there’s a good bit of careful travel stitching and echoing involved in this design. I think this would be a great design to play with ruler foot quilting and a straight edged ruler!
Click Here to check out the slice quilting ruler.
Suggestions for Use – Abstract Checkerboard is going to work great in spaces where you have enough space to quilt the Crazy Lines base and establish that design before filling it with the extra checkerboard lines.
Yes, you can quilt this around other shapes like feathers and other complicated motifs, but I would at least mark the Crazy Lines first to ensure the lines are straight behind more complicated motifs. Abstract Checkerboard is going to be a great choice for quilting the background, blocks, or border of any quilt.
I hope you’re enjoying the new free motion quilting designs I’ve been sharing every week! Click Here to find more free motion quilting designs to quilt on your home sewing machine or long arm.
Let’s go quilt,
Leah Day
