Quilting Design #4 – Swirling Flames

This filler is much more adaptable to various sizes and shapes of quilting spaces and gives your eye a sense of movement from all directions.

Learn more about quilting Swirling Flames

Inspiration – This is the first free motion quilting filler to be inspired by another filler! It just goes to show that even our most tried and true patterns: Stippling, McTavishing, Pebbling, and Paisley could all look different with just a few variations in size, shape or direction.

Difficulty Level – Intermediate. This filler is more challenging because you’re filling in the space from many different directions. The initial curvy “V” shapes are going to be very easy to quilt. Filling in the little spaces around them requires a little more planning.

Just take your time! If you have to, stop and think about it until the stitch becomes naturally ingrained into your brain!

Design Family – Edge to Center. Swirling Flames is quilted from the edge of the quilt into the center, then you’ll need to stitch from the opposite edge into the center to fill in the remaining space.

Directional Texture – All directions! This is an excellent filler for creating movement and drama to your quilt because of all the texture created by the swirling lines of quilting.

Suggestions for Use – Gosh, there are so many: waves, ground, sky, background, sashing, borders, anywhere! This is one versatile filler because it could really go anywhere and look beautiful.

Let’s go quilt,

Leah Day