60 Degree Diamond Grids

I want to show you a couple of diamond designs.  If you remember the first $100,000 Quilt challenge winner, "Bela,"you might recognize some of these designs.  Linda McCuean  made that gorgeous whole cloth quilt that we all drooled over.  The diamond grid is marked the same way you would any other grid just find the 60 degree markings on your ruler or grid marker.  The first two are versions of a basket weave done in a diamond.  I highly recommend marking the directions on your diamond grid as it is VERY easy to forget which direction you need to be stitching.

This one is pretty straight forward.  It is a vertical vs. horizontal basket weave done in the diamond grid.

I think this one is much more interesting as it is a basket weave design stitched parallel to the bottom line on the diamond.  This one is in "Bella."

This next one has a funny discovery behind it.  If you fly American Airlines you might recognize this design.  It is the design from the upholstery on the seats.  Yes, I always have pencil and paper and that's where this one came from.  So, thank you American Airlines as this is a really pretty design and looks light and airy.

Use the empty grids I provided and grab your pencil.  Make up some designs of your own and please share with the rest of us.  I will be doing the same.  A great hint is that you can find lots of grid designs on some of the blogs listed in my favorites...such as Sharon Schamber, 365 Free Motion Quilting Designs, etc.  comb the internet and you will find even more!

Give it a try!  Keep doodling!

Square Gridwork

Here are some examples of square gridwork.  See if you can draw off each design.

Here is a better example of a checkerboard.

And here is the basketweave.

Here is a checkerboard with a diagonal design stitched in.

Here is another square grid using a design.

See what happens when you change from the checkerboard to every square!  A whole new design!

This is actually a basketweave design done on the diagonal.  I love this one!  It makes such an interesting texture.

Really--take a pencil and draw these out so you get the direction and the motion.  Then take it to the machine with a grid drawn on your practice fabric.  See what other designs you can come up with.  Please share!!!  We all collect quilting designs.  Remember to draw as many registration marks on your fabric as you need--it all comes out in the wash!

Keep doodling!
Happy Holidays!

Grids

I am posting some "empty" grids for you to print out to play on.  You can use these to design some gridwork of your own or just to take pencil to learn some of these designs.

This grid is one inch squares--both straight and on point.  Double click on the picture and it should come up full size so you can print it off.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

This one has a 60 degree diamond on the top and a wavy crosshatch on the bottom.  Play with these and see what you come up with.

Have fun playing.  Now on to some examples.

Keep doodling--whether with pencil or needle--you get better every day!