Once the piecing is done, a quilt becomes a blank canvas for the quilter.  What elements do you want to highlight? What stitching patterns can you add to enhance and complement the overall look of the quilt?  I came up with the Double DNA quilting design to fill a sashing/border section on this Angle Play quilt.

Stitching the Double DNA quilting design

Start with a ribbon wave (tutorial here). Overlap these ribbons to create the classic DNA pattern.  

The DNA strand makes an elegant texture all by itself, but I thought this quilt needed a little more.  I added pebbles between the ribbons.

I rarely mark my quilts, so my stitching gets a little wobbly.  If you prefer a uniform look to your quilting designs, grab a chalk pencil and mark the guidelines for the top, bottom, and middle of the quilting design.

Two ways to stitch pebbles

Stitch the pebbles in the same way you stitched the ribbons – start with a wave, and then repeat in the opposite direction.  The alternative is to stitch the pebbles as circles.

Additional free motion quilting designs

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There are many shapes and colors in this quilt, which was cut using the Angle Play templates.  I selected matching thread for each section and that makes some of the stitching difficult to see unless you are taking a close look.  I used long worms/wavy lines in some of the triangles, coffee beans in the orange squares, and lots of feathers in the light areas.

The designs are easier to see on the background, where the thread has more contrast.  

Thread choice is an important decision. Consider the skills of both the piecer and quilter – a novice who is more likely to make mistakes and wobbles may want to hide their stitching, while a experienced quilter may want his/her work to take center stage.

Are there any designs you would like to see?  Please comment or send an email to info@truebluequilts.com.  I’d love to hear from you!