I have a confession to make: one of the perks of being a Craftsy writer is getting to view some of their top classes so I can review them and tell others what I enjoy. I think I need a sign that says “will work for quilting classes!” 🙂

It’s even more exciting when I get to take my friend’s classes, too! I first met the fabulous Debby Brown when I took a feather quilting class from her at Road to California in 2014. Let me tell you – she can rock a feather like no other! I was immediately drawn to her warm, friendly teaching style and this gal really knows her stuff. So without further ado, let me tell you all about Free-Motion Quilting with Lines, Curves and Loops.

Class Overview

The class is broken down into 7 different video lessons, each under 1/2 hour so they are presented in easily digestible chunks of information. And the best part is – you can watch them in any order! (Tip – I like to watch a session before I begin my day’s sewing to really get me in the mood!)

Debby includes great tips like setting up your home sewing machine and how to control the tension. She even shows starting and stopping in detail plus how to easily create temporary guidelines to help balance the motifs.

Debby’s fireworks sample – this would look fantastic on a modern quilt!

Debby then goes onto show you how incorporating simple letter shapes can make for better free-motion quilting. I use a lot of e’s and o’s to create circles in my personal work, but I never really though about i’s (lines), c’s (curves), j’s (curls) and s’s (swirls)!! Yes, she really does walk you through how to turn letters your brain already recognizes into useable (and pretty) free-motion quilting textures! Within each of these basic shapes, Debby includes several easy-to-quilt free-motion textures to try.

My favorite tip that Debby shares is one that I teach my own students: draw first, then quilt! That helps your brain recognize the stitching path and makes it much easier to know where to move when it’s time to quilt. She also includes a few bonus tips and tricks like using free-motion quilting to mimic the look of machine applique, plus trapunto techniques and bobbin work.

Debby rounds out the class by teaching you how to combine motifs to create amazing custom textures. I love it! Complete supply lists are included in the class materials and you can ask questions for Debby at any time via the Craftsy platform.

My Favorites

My all-time favorite motif I learned from Debby is how to quilt swirly feathers. I’m really not much of a feathers gal, but I love this one! It’s so funky and fun and actually pretty easy to stitch.

 My practice sample when I took Debby’s class last year.

I also really like her in-depth section on quilting linear motifs with free-motion. When you know how to do that, the sky really is the limit when it comes to fun free-motion quilting.

Of course, the best part about this class is that you can watch it anytime, on your schedule. Debby is such an amazingly talented instructor that she can’t possibly give enough in-person classes for everyone who wants to learn from her. So I’m extremely grateful that I can watch her class at my convenience, day or nite! In fact, for several of the motifs I found myself using the Craftsy 30-second repeat option so I could watch her form the stitches over and over again.

On Sale Now!

As I was watching and reviewing Free-Motion Quilting with Lines, Curves and Loops, I got the heads up that it is on sale now, along with dozens of other courses, this weekend only. So be sure to sign up while you are thinking about it!

In fact, be sure to click here for all Craftsy classes on sale. Then be a good student and engage with your fellow classmates and share pictures of your work!