HOW TO HAND QUILT WITH CIRCLE TEMPLATES
YOU WILL NEED
Needles: The choice of needle you use will come down to personal preference but a good place to start is a needle called a ‘between’ or sometimes referred to as a quilting needle. These short and sharp needles will easily pierce the three layers, although the eyes do tend to be quite small so they're not easy to thread if you are using a heavier weight thread. One of Paula’s favourite needles is a gold eye embroidery needle: these are sharp and strong, but have a nice big eye for thicker thread.
Thimble: If you are going to be pushing a needle through three layers then it is probably wise to use a thimble. It’s not essential, but most likely your fingertips will thank you!
Thread: All types of thread can be used for hand quilting, from a regular 50wt cotton to embroidery thread. In the spirit of embracing the look of hand quilting and wanting it to stand out, many people tend to use a thicker thread. Paula loves to hand quilt with Aurifil 12wt which stands out nicely on the quilt. A 28wt thread is a lovely in-between if you would like some definition but you’d like the thread to be more subtle.
Stitch length: The consistency of the stitch length is more important than the actual stitch length itself. Practicing your hand quilting will help you get consistency. The more you do it, the more of a feel you will get for what works for you. If you are hand quilting as an embellishment, then you are likely to want to use longer stitches and a thicker thread. However, if you are hand quilting a background then a smaller stitch length in a more neutral and thinner thread may be more appropriate.
MARKING OUT DESIGNS
Marking out your quilting design is a great way to start hand quilting, as it will help you to keep your stitches in a straight line. The circle templates included in this issue are perfect for marking out circular designs and can be combined to create some striking embellishments to your hand quilting.
Here are four designs you may like to try. Paula has used a 4½in marked square for these designs, but feel free to play around with the square sizes or the circles used.
DESIGN 1: BULLSEYE
Start by marking out your square 1
and its centre, using a removable fabric marker. Using the circle template, line up the centre marks and then draw all around the template, as shown in Fig A.
Complete the design by using 2 two smaller circle templates to create three centred rings (Fig B).
DESIGN 2: DOUBLE RAINBOW
Start with a marked out square and 1 then make a small mark at the centre points of each side.
Line up the centre of the largest
2
circle template with centre of the bottom side. The circle template also includes a quarter circle marking so you can make sure the circle is centred correctly (Fig C).
Draw around the top half of the
3
circle template and then repeat with all of the circle templates. Once the bottom is complete use the same method to mark out the second rainbow, as shown in Fig D.
DESIGN 3: CORNER RAINBOWS
Start with a marked out square and 1
then make a mark at the centre points of each side. Line up the centre of the largest circle templates with the bottom left corner of the marked out square, making sure that the quarter circle markings are in line with the sides of the square (Fig E).
Draw around the quarter circle and 2 then repeat this process with all of the circle templates. Once one corner is completed, do the same for the other three corners (Fig F).
Make a centre mark within the
3 square and the use the small circle template to create an extra circle in the centre, as shown in Fig G.
DESIGN 4: FLOWER BLOOM
Start with a marked out square and 1
then make a mark at the centre points of each side and the centre of the square. Lining up the large circle template with the centre of the bottom side, mark out a semi circle (Fig H). Repeat so that all sides have a marked out semi circle.
Line up the large circle with the 2
corners of the square and draw around the template to create a quarter circle (Fig I). Repeat this process in all four corners.
Line up the 3½in circle template 3
with the centre of the square and draw around the template. Repeat with the 2in circle template to create a smaller centred circle (Fig J).