My good friend Jacquelynne Steves has been hosting a gorgeous free Block of the Month program she started over the summer, and I finally have a free minute to tell you about it! It’s a 6-part series called Maggie’s First Dance featuring 5 adorable blocks plus border and finishing instructions.
Click here to sign up and get all of the blocks that have been shared so far.
This month’s design is the setting block, and I thought it would be perfect to showcase one of my favorite free-motion quilting designs: spiral flowers. So I decided to make a cute mini from one of the blocks and take pictures of my process so I can walk you through how I did it. This block uses my no-mark method for free-motion quilting that I teach in both of my machine quilting books.
Step 1 – choose your thread
Look at your beautiful finished block and think about how you want to quilt it. I always like to audition several thread choices to see which one will look the best. In this case I chose to go with a light yellow, 50 weight cotton Aurifil. White or light gray would have looked nice, too. I’m going to quilt it with one color thread only so that I can custom quilt the entire block without starting and stopping.
Step 2 – Sketch Your Design
Print out a color copy of your block on paper and sketch out some design ideas. This allows you to plan out how you will move around the block quickly and efficiently before you try it on the real thing. I chose a large spiral flower in the center of the block surrounded by pebbles. I’ll repeat the flower petal design in the white areas, and add some more pebbles in the corners. This will allow me to quilt the entire design in one pass, traveling (backtracking) in the seams if needed to quilt each section of the design.
I only sketched enough of the design to give me a general idea of what I was going to quilt. Of course, you can draw the design over the whole block if you prefer. Doesn’t it look like I drew right on the block? Don’t worry, it really is just a color printout of the block. 🙂
Step 3 – Start the Center Spiral
Starting in the middle of the block, pull up the bobbin thread to the top and move it out of the way for now. You can go back and tie off the knot later and bury the thread within the batting. Or just start with a series of teeny-tiny stitches to lock your beginning threads in place.
Quilt a small spiral to start and then immediately turn the spiral into a series of small, irregular flower petals. It doesn’t matter which direction to stitch in, or how many petals you quilt as you spiral around. Aim for nice, smooth stitches, but they don’t have to be perfectly uniform in length.
Step 4 -Complete the Center Block
As you echo back out around the center spiral, quilt a series of petals that don’t quite touch each other. Fill in all of the space, backtracking in the seam if needed to get to any areas you missed. Again, notice that each petal is not perfect or uniform. You are aiming for texture over perfection.
Step 5 – Fill in the Rest of the Block
I quilted the area around the flower with pebbles, a dense texture that would allow the floral quilting to really pop. Because I used the same color thread, I was able to easily switch back and forth between quilting motifs as needed. To create interest in the block, I repeated the petal shapes in the outer portion of the block, with an extra pop of pebbles in the corners.
Although I’m only showing one block as an example, you can easily apply this design to all of the setting blocks. I like dense textural motifs that lend themselves well to any size block or quilt!
Ta-Da! Enjoy Your Finish
If you are new to machine quilting, I recommend making one or two practice blocks like I did to get the hang of it, or to try out different quilting ideas. You can always refer to your practice blocks as a stitch journal of your progress. I turn mine into class samples, so I don’t have to pack up a suitcase full of quilts when I teach. 🙂
Let’s Have a Giveaway!
To celebrate the release of Jacquelynne’s latest BOM installment, 7 other bloggers and I have teamed up to give away a fun prize pack of my PDF patterns, perfect for practicing your machine quilting skills! So that means that 8 people will win, one for each stop on the blog hop below.
Visit each of these blogs to increase your chances of winning. Leave a comment at each for your chance to win! The giveaway is open to everyone and runs through October 10th.
Christa Quilts – You Are Here!
New Around Here? Everyone’s a Winner!
Click here to get my free Puzzle Box quilt pattern.
As an extra bonus for anyone new to my blog, be sure to check out Friendly Threads, my weekly email and get this free PDF pattern instantly. My Puzzle Box pattern uses two Jelly Rolls and goes together super quick!
Christa Quilts 
Love your quilting ideas for Maggie blocks!
Adorable patterns! Would love a chance to win! thank you for all you do!!
Your quilting is beautiful! Thanks for breaking it down to show us the steps. I really want to learn how to quilt on my home machine and one day a longarm.
Thanks for a chance to win.
usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com
I love your quilting on this block! So pretty!
Thanks for all the tutorials.
Thanks so much for the chance to win. I love your blog!
That is perfect for this time of year, it looks like a mum
I really like your quilting design for this block!
You are so motivating with your easy style. Thanks
Thank you, it is great to see a quilting plan in action!
I follow you on Instagram and just love how you make machine quilting so doable.
Thanks for your FMQ demonstration on Maggies block. I’m a little intimidated by FMQ, but your clear illustrations and tips made it seem that I could manage it. I’ll stop being such a sook and get on with trying it. Thanks also for your puzzle box giveaway and the chance to win your 3 pattern pack giveaway.
I “aspire” to move beyond quilt in the ditch……your design gives me inspiration.
Thanks for sharing…you block is gorgeous.
Beautiful quilting, thank you for the tutorial~
As a new free motion quilter, your block looked intimidating until I saw how you broke down the design. Thank you so much for the instructions. I’m going to try the flower on my block. Thank you for the giveaway and all you do.
I would love to win. It would give me some ideas to keep me busy after my knee surgery.
Your machine quilting is beautiful. I wish mine looked this good – althought I keep trying. I will try the spiral flower. I have been doing simple loops and circles so far. Thanks for the giveaway.
Thanks so much for sharing your awesome way of quilting the block ! I love that it’s just freehand . I love to just go for it !
Love and appreciate your work so much !
Helpful quilting advice, I love your quilting of this block, thanks
The quilting is SOOOOO pretty! And so appropriate. I’m a newbie and looking for ideas for quilting. Thanks!
I am a beginner FMQ. I am going to try this on a practice sandwich!
I love the design. I haven’t ventured into free motion quilting yet.
What a nice, easy quilting tutorial…. I am trying to learn to do my own quilting, so this is a very helpful design that I feel I could follow. Thank you!
Christa, Really like your designs.. You make it look so easy! Might just give it a try.
Love your block!! Quilting is AWESOME!!! Thank you for chance to win your Give-a-way too…
Loved visiting your site! Can’t ever get enough about quilting in my book!! Thanks for offering me a chance at the giveaway!!
Love your block. Your quilting is awesome and inspiring..
Love your block, the quilting really sets it off! Thanks for the tips and ideas!
this is such a pretty block. thanks for sharing how you did the FMQ
Your block looks great. What a wonderful idea to draw on a paper copy of your block. I always have trouble choosing the color of thread to use.
The spiral flower petals look great, as does the Puzzle Box. I will please have that free pattern, thank you so much. The First Dance Blocks I have done them with embroidery, and those blocks are now a bag pockets .
Hi Christa I lover your design and your simple no nonsense instructions. I have has a HQ Sweet 16 for some time but have been afraid to use it. I decided to give it a go and follwoed your instructions. Pretttuy pleased with the results!! Thankyou!!
I’m working myself up into FMQing on my home machine and seeing your block is getting me excited to give it a whirl. Thanks.
I have a little swag stitch on my machine. I wonder if it would make me crazy to try to duplicate????
Love love love her BOM and now that I found your site I love everything. Thanks for the awesome posts and the great giveaway. All of the time you all put in on everything you do is so much appreciated. crossing my fingers
Pretty spiral. Looks like a dahlia. Thanks for the free pattern.
Thank you! Your instructions are excellent! Thanks for making it look so easy.
Pretty spiral! Looks like a dahlia. Thanks for the free pattern.
Thanks so much for the tutorial!
Love your quilting! I have your book and have made a couple of the quilts!
I’ve just done straight stitch in the ditch on everything I’ve made up to this point. Perhaps I will attempt something more elaborate next time.
I am taking my first FMQ class on Thursday. This is one of the first designs I want to try out once I have the basics down.
Thanks for the tutorial!
I wish I could learn to free motion quilt as well as you!
I love your quilting, I may try it.
I appreciate your ideas for quilting as well as the tips to help the process go more smoothly. I’m definitely going to try them out! Thank you!!
Free motion quilting is a scary issue to me. I think I am just going to have to take the time to do some practicing till I feel comfortable with it. I think the results of free motion quilting are beautiful, now to just get up the nerve.
I’ve yet to successfully quilt a project. I’ve made several attempts without knowing the basics; they look okay but will not hold in during washing. I am anxious to continue with my journey. Thanks for your ideas and instructions, tutorials and everything else you provide!
Thank you, your instructions are always so easy to follow and encouraging. I am going to try it!
This is such a pretty design! I really like your no-marking approach to FMQ. I think many of us struggle with the best way to mark a quilt top & hope the marks wash out later. I will definitely attempt this spiral flower design soon. Thank you for the giveaway!