Learn how to quilt your quilts simply by stitching in the ditch!
The simplest way to quilt your quilts is to stitch them in the ditch. This means that you run a line of stitching within the channel made by piecing or along the edges of your applique motifs.
Just because it's the simplest way to quilt your quilt, that doesn't mean it's the easiest method! Learn how to get started and what tools and materials will make this easier for you stay in the ditch throughout your quilt.
Learn how to stitch in the ditch on your home sewing machine:
To make this easier, I'm using the following tools:
Supreme Slider - This is a Teflon sheet that goes on the surface of your machine and makes your quilt much easier to move and control while quilting.
Machingers Quilting Gloves - Your hands aren't naturally grippy! Getting control over your quilt is essential for beautiful free motion quilting so you can easily shift your quilt without wearing out your body.
Little Genie Magic Bobbin Washers - This is a little washer that goes inside your bobbin case and makes your thread feed more evenly. Fewer thread breaks and birds nests makes all quilters happier!
Flatbed Sewing Table - Having your sewing machine on a flush surface makes a HUGE different for free motion quilting because you're not pulling and pushing the quilt over the surface of your machine. It's really doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg to get your machine on a flush surface so this is easier to do.
Stitching in the Ditch
To quilt a quilt in the ditch, you'll want to start in the center of the quilt and work out. This way you're securing the hardest area of the quilt first (the center) and working out towards the easier areas.
Your quilting lines shouldn't show up after Stitching in the Ditch:
Always remember - there is no WRONG way to quilt your quilts!
While Stitching in the Ditch doesn't add any texture or design to the surface of your quilt, it also doesn't distract from your pieced or applique designs. This is a good choice for quilts that are very complex that just need to be finished quickly and easily on your home machine.
This isn't the only way to quilt your quilts! Learn about the other methods and styles of quilting by clicking the links below:
