Straight Stitching vs. Free Motion Quilting

If you are intimidated by free-motion quilting, this is an easy way to straight stitch your quilt with a cross-hatch pattern. All you need is some blue painters' tape in the width of the cross hatch you want. Lay the tape out and stitch along the side of the tape. I laid mine out diagonally, but you could lay it out to achieve a square pattern instead of a diamond. Then, keep moving the tape until you have quilted up one side and down the other.

I wanted to cross-hatch this table runner. I thought the appliqued flowers needed a trellis to ground them. I decided that the wide painters' tape was best. However, I have used a smaller width on smaller projects.

Easy Peazy. Hope this helps.