Guide to Crosshatch Machine Quilting
A simple and effective way to finish off your Cosmic Cactus Pillow or other quilting project is to machine quilt crosshatch lines.
Crosshatch quilting adds beautiful texture to this pillow.
ASSUMPTIONS: These instructions presume you have already prepared you quilt sandwich and basted with pins or spray glue. In this tutorial the crosshatch quilting is spaced 3/4 inch apart.
GET READY TO QUILT:
Attach a walking foot to your sewing machine.
Change your sewing machine needle to 90/14 or one that suits the thread weight you’ve selected.
Select a 40 weight cotton thread in a contrasting colour. Ensure you have plenty of thread before you start.
Use a longer stitch length between 2.5 to 3 for quilting
Use an erasable fabric marker or painters tape for marking out the lines.
Optional: Quilting guide bar will help keep the stitching line straight without the need for marking the entire pillow. Simply sew while guiding the quilting guide bar over the previous row of stitching. If you don’t have a quilting guide bar, then mark out each line with an erasable marker or painters tape.
Do a test swatch: Put together a mini quilt sandwich with scrap fabric and leftover batting. Check you are happy with the stitch length and that no adjustments need to be made to the sewing machine. If using a quilting guide bar, then test you have 3/4 inch between each row of stitching (or as desired).
QUILTING CROSSHATCH LINES:
1. Mark two 45 degree lines through the centre of the patchwork making an X using an air erasable marker or painters tape. Use the corners of the square-in-a-square block as a guide, as shown.
2. With your walking foot attached, stitch along the marked lines.
3. With your quilting guide bar attached and using the centre line as your guide, stitch lines 3/4” apart (or as desired), until you completely fill one half of the pillow.
Sew while guiding the quilting guide bar over the previous row of stitching.
4. Rotate the pillow and repeat the steps to complete the other half.
5. Rotate the pillow again, using the other centre stitched line as your guide, complete one half and then the other half with stitch lines 3/4” apart.
Once you have finished machine quilting your pillow, square up the pillow front and follow the directions in the pattern for completing your pillow or quilt.
