Have you ever gotten your quilt sandwich all basted, your machine all threaded and then… crickets? It’s like the sewing equivalent of stage fright! Maybe you even have a quilting plan, but you second guess it after doing a few lines. Now, I firmly believe that there are no Quilt Police and you should make your quilt whatever makes you happy. But if you want my thoughts on how I make a successful quilting plan (and you probably do want my opinion, or you wouldn’t be reading this, so thanks!) you can pop over to my Instagram story highlights to see some of my process as I walk you through my sketches for Jen’s Meadow Quilt under “Meadow Motifs”

In a word, the key is contrast. I’ve used a few different types of contrast in the picture above to make the quilting really work with the piecing:

• Contrast in scale separates the bigger elements in the background fill from the smaller elements. You can see the same effect in the yellow centers of the flowers.
• Contrast in shape helps the flowy, organic motifs in the petals and background filler stand out from the cross hatching between flowers.
• Contrast in density adds separation. I’ve used echoed lines around the edge of the petals to keep the different motifs from running together. Think of it as a barrier to keep your peas from mixing with your mashed potatoes.

Just like contrast in fabrics, you can use contrast in quilting designs to create subtle or strong definition. How do you use contrast in your quilting?

I’m sharing 12 days of mini-tutorials and sewing tips to help make your sewing merrier! Read all the posts here.