Straight line quilting with the PFAFF performance icon

This week’s project is all about quilting with the PFAFF performance icon. In yesterday’s post, I shared the instructions for piecing the placemats and quilting the layers together. Each of the four placemats will be quilted in different ways using the PFAFF performance icon.

Quilting Thread

The choice of thread can be quite personal and depends on what you have on hand. In this case, I decided to use a Gütermann Cotton 50wt Thread in light blue. It will blend into the background borders of the placemat and will show more on the focus floral fabric and the green squares. I wound a bobbin of the same thread using the bobbin winder located on the top of the performance icon.

Topstitching

At this point I already knew I wanted to topstitch each of the placemats with this thread color. I used the ¼ inch Quilting Foot to help me get a consistent topstitch.

In making this project, I considered the placemats as small quilt samples to try out different types of quilting. The envelope method of finishing the edge before the quilting is done is not ideal for this type of adventure – however, I didn’t want to add binding so I was willing to risk the possibility of bumps or excess fabric when quilting. I’ll tell you now; I wasn’t disappointed in my results!

Straight-line quilting

The first type of quilting that came to mind when I thought of modern stitching was straight line quilting – sometimes called matchstick quilting. To look modern the stitching lines are kept a close, consistent distance from each other. I decided to use the edge of the standard presser foot as my guide for spacing my stitches, which happens to be ¼″, and to stitch the lines the width of the placemat not the length. I started my lines at the right edge of the focus fabric square. Each time I got to the end of a line I turned the placemat and took four stitches to get to the next starting place.

Once I got to the edge, I turned the placemat so the finished quilting side was to the right of the needle. I started on a line of stitches ¼″ from the focus fabric square edge and continued left across the remaining unquilted placemat. The wide harp space and LED lights make it easy to turn and continue quilting the second half of the placemat.

I have to admit I enjoyed this dense quilting! Doing it on a small area like a placemat made me see the appeal and may have convinced me to try it on at least a wall hanging 😉 I felt confident to try out this new to me quilting using the PFAFF performance icon. If I hadn’t already decided to try different options I just might have used the straight line stitching on all of the placemats!

This is part 2 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 1: Modern placemats made easy with the PFAFF performance icon

Go to part 3: How to use decorative stitches for a perfect quilted finish