Quilting Design #2 – Etch n’ Sketch

On to Day 2 with a fun little quilting filler that my husband named “Etch n’ Sketch” because the shape reminded him of the pictures you can draw with that classic toy.

free motion quilting design etch and sketch

This free motion quilting design is another that looks good in small places, but is also very versatile. If you increased the size dramatically, Etch n’ Sketch would look great as a large continuous quilting design over the surface of a whole quilt.

Learn how to quilt Etch n’ Sketch in this quilting tutorial:

Inspiration – Honestly, an Etch n’ Sketch toy did not influence this quilting design despite its name. I was thinking of the lines in a Pacman maze (yes! one of my favorite video games).

Difficulty LevelBeginner. Again, the big issue with this filler, like Shadow Waves, is keeping your quilting lines straight and the distance between them even and consistent.

If your space is large or you can’t seem to keep the lines straight, mark it! Marking is not the end of the world. Just make sure you use a marking pen or pencil that you’ve tested and are sure will either erase or wash out of your fabrics completely. Here are my two favorite fabric markers for quilting.

Design Family – Edge to Edge. This design is quilted from one edge of your quilt to another. On a big bed quilt that could be from the actual edge of the quilt and it would cover the quilt top with really nice texture. You can also shrink the design down and quilt it from edge to edge in borders or sashing spaces.

Directional Texture – 2 directions. This is absolutely either a horizontal or vertical quilting filler. It has very little flashy movement so this could easily work as a background filler.

Suggestions for Use – Oooo…This filler would look awesome with oriental print fabrics. It would also look great in water areas (very placid water like a pond) or as background anywhere on a quilt.

Feel free to use this free motion filler design in your quilts, but if anyone asks, tell them you learned it at the Free Motion Quilting Project! Click here to support the project by visiting our online quilt shop.

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.

4 Responses

  1. Patty says:

    Hi, I found your blog through Crazy Mom Quilts and am very excited about your 365-filler designs. Currently I am reading your blog entries from the beginning. This design, what you call Etch n’ Sketch, is very similar to a design I used on a quilt last year. I used the design to fill in the spaces between blocks. It wasn’t as concentrated as your Etch n’ Sketch but I loved the effect and the texture. I am so excited about what I will be learning from your blog.

  2. Josepha says:

    Dear Lea- just found your blog and it's amazing. i started doodling with your desigs and both the design and the information included are really very clear and inspiring. thank you so much for sharing. i'll keep reading your posts every day from now on.
    Josepha

  3. Felicia says:

    unquaI find your tutorials so useful. I was so interested in quilting and in Sri Lanka I couldn't find the free motion quilting foot and at last I got it from ebay. I am following your lessons now, and now I am getting some where. Thanks a million for sharing your talent in the internet and You are a blessing to so many like me!
    Felicia

  4. Mendy Kay says:

    I'm just now starting to go through your blog from beginning to end. Thank you so much for your work and inspiration. I have a question about your quilting foot. In the etch-n-sketch video you talk about keeping your right hand next to the foot. it looks like there might be a clear plastic guide to rest your hand on. Is that right? Or am I seeing things? Is there a place in your blog where you discuss your equipment up close?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *