Topography Quilting Tutorial

Hey there!!! Lets have a quick quilting tutorial. My latest favorite quilting design is Topography (or contour lines).

I have always LOVED maps. You can learn so much from a good map (especially military ones like the one above. It is one of my husbands maps. I think it is some part of Texas). You can look to see how to get somewhere, what alternative routes to take if a road is clogged with construction or backed up because of a wreck...where big intersections are where lakes and rivers will be. But did you know that you can actually see elevation on the maps? I am sure you knew that.

The red lines in this map show elevation. The closer the lines are together the more steep the incline.

It also show hilltops which are handy to have a good look around. It is these contours that I love quilting! Let me show you how I do it!

1) Start with a loose curving line.

2) Echo on either side of the line.

3) Add more curving lines

 4) Keep echoing the lines

5) If you get stuck make a hilltop

6) Add more hilltops! Hilltops are cool. This is a really really really fast way to quilt. It is seriously fast and so simple. This about it as a really big, echoed stipple - but light years better.

Here is is on my Doe quilt. I was looking for this one the other day and found it on my sons bed.

Look at that awesome texture!

I quilted contour lines on Elizabeth's Cotton+Steel quilt.

Good heaven it was fun to quilt!

I also used contour lines on the bags I made for Christmas presents for my sisters and mother.

It is great for small projects too!

Try it out next time you have a project! Or you can send your quilt to me and I would love to quilt it. Best design right now.

If you try I would love to see how you go.

xo,
Tia