I quilted across this line a few times, trying to follow the flow of the design and get the right spacing of the hearts within the narrow space.
Space estimation is one of the biggest challenges with learning free motion quilting. It's the ability to look at a space and quilt your design so it fits Goldilocks-style - not too big, not too small - within the space you're quilting.
This is a lot like the ability to sign your name into a tiny space on a check, and a big space too. Sometimes you need to expand the lines, sometimes you need to shrink them.
What do you look at, where is your focus, and how does this work for you? Space estimation can only be learned through practice and experience. The more you stitch Loopy Hearts into quilt sashing, the better you will get fitting and filling the hearts into any area.
Free Hand, Free Motion Quilting Loopy Hearts
I've loaded my bigger frame with my Qnique 21 longarm with the Chain of Beads quilt, which is going to be perfect for practicing new free motion quilting designs. Click Here to check out our free download Chain of Beads quilt pattern.
I decided to stitch Loopy Hearts free hand, meaning no marks or guidelines for the design. Because the hearts can be hard to form on the fly, I also incorporated loops, or tear drop shapes, into the design:
