Quilting a spiral

I'm not going to do a tutorial here, as there are good ones already published, just a few tips.

1. Practice! Just like learning piano or anything else, there is no substitute for practice. I did a set of placemats that were just the right size for practice. This one is the last of the set.
2. The most difficult part is the middle where you begin. I used a free motion set up for the middle then switched to my walking foot when the spiral was big enough.

You can see where I started again with back tacking. I'm sure that would never fly with a quilting judge, but for my table it's just fine.

3. The walking foot makes a much more even spiral, keeping the edge of the walking foot lined up with the previous stitching. Pretty soon you easily overlook the wobbly beginnings of the spiral. Be sure to keep your machine in the "needle down" position, so nothing slips as you turn the quilt under the pressure foot.

4. When the quilting is finished, the little imperfections blend into the whole and help create that handmade look!

I love spiral quilt. I have a twin sized quilt waiting in the que. I'm playing with a few other things, so it must wait.

 

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