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Free-motion Quilting the Night Air

Free-motion Quilting the Night Air

by Nancy Devine

Yesterday, we finished embellishing the our Halloween door quilt with some fancy threads and stitches. Today, our spooky little scene is free-motion quilting with some spooky air currents. After all, the wind should always blow a little mystery into Halloween night.

Make a quilt sandwich with a backing, quilt batting, and the quilt top. Spray baste and smooth the layers together.

Use a marking pen to create some swirls to suggest air currents. This will be your free motion quilting motif. It helps to draw a few strategically placed motifs on the quilt, then you can bust loose on the wider areas of the quilt.

Use a marking pen to create some swirls to suggest air currents. This will be your free motion quilting motif. It helps to draw a few strategically placed motifs on the quilt, then you can bust loose on the wider areas of the quilt.

Once you've got the hang of the air current motif, you can bust loose on all areas of the quilt.

Once you’ve got the hang of the air current motif, you can bust loose on all areas of the quilt.

  • Cut 3 inch binding strips. Attach them first to the bottom edge and then to the sides. I like to machine stitch the binding to the front of the quilt, then fold the raw edges to just the edge of the quilt.
  • Press and then fold pressed strip to the back. Press.
  • Slip stitch the binding strip to the back of the quilt.

This quilt will stick to our steel door using super strong magnets encased in four fabric pockets.

  • Using an off cut from the binding strips, right sides together, sew a four inch long tube, turn right side out. Cut four more or less equal squares from this sewn tube.
  • Slip a magnet into each pocket. Stitch closed, using a zigzag stitch. (This step is a bit tricky, because you’re going to convince the fabric to go through the feed dogs, even though the magnet wants to stay put.)
  • Tack the pockets to the corners of the door quilt.

Stitch the magnet pockets to the corners of the Halloween Door Quilt.

Stitch the magnet pockets to the corners of the Halloween Door Quilt.

Free-motion quilting can add so much to the night air indeed! The Halloween door quilt is ready to welcome the Halloween trick or treaters.

Join me tomorrow when we take elements of this same and make a bag to tote the loot of night!

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