Machine Quilting the Swirl Hook: A Swirl Variation Tutorial

[@SewTexas]

I checked your web page. I'd like to travel to take your classes you have offered. I need to check my schedule and think it will work. Your have so much to offer and teach. It is wonderful that you share your talent with others. Thank you so much.

[@dianaslater8865]

Love love LOVE this design!!!!! I know this is an old video. But Angela, your videos never get old for me!

[@lauraohare8207]

I was having a devil of a time with this hook swirl, but watching this video was the key!! thank you so much!! the way you broke down each step made the light go on for me.!!!

[@deborahreiss4747]

Looks like fun , thanks for the video. I have some left over strips I’m going to see what it would look like done like this.

[@little1942]

I know this video is a few years old, but I just ran across it. I wanted to share my story with you. I have a LOT of medical problems and have been a little wary of doing free motion quilting. I have spams in my hands that cause me a few problems and never know when they will happen. But I had a baby quilt I needed to finish. I decided to try the swirl and hope for the best. (I figured the baby wouldn’t complain to much.) After about 15 min of practice, I bit the bullet and put the quilt under the needle. Everything went real well until just after my first bobbin change. I had a huge spasm and lost control. I took a deep breath and looked to see how bad it was. I was stunned to see a beautifully formed swirl hook! I thought, “so that’s how you do it!” And that’s how I leaned the swirl hook meander. The quilt turned out so beautiful! It was my first fully free motioned quilt and I was so proud of it. Thanks to your awesome quilt skills and teaching prowess, I have become so much more confident in my own quilting and willing to try anything.

[@AngelaWaltersfmq]

I love this so much!! This is why quilting is so important!

[@little1942]

Thank you for the encouragement that “finished IS better than perfect”! I always wanted to tell you, I got into quilting as a form of therapy for PTSD. Little did I know that barely 6 weeks after piecing my first quilt top, I would be nearly completely bed ridden. That was many years and I have improved a lot, but there still isn’t too much that I can do. Quilting/piecing is one of the few things that i can do. When I informed my Dr of my “ fabric fondling” addiction, he was thrilled! So I guess I have my doctors ok for this addiction. Lol. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reminding us that it’s “ok not to be perfect”.

[@michellebiason8829]

You have been so helpful with all your designs. Thank you for sharing!

[@AngelaWaltersfmq]

Of course!! Talking about quilting is as much fun as actually quilting!

[@countrylogcabin]

Thanks so much, Angela, for these tutorials! I just found them after listening to the APQ podcast . I have your first book where you show this hooked swirl and I have used the book a lot. I used the hooked swirl when I quilted Bonnie Hunter' s design for Virginia Bound. It took me quite a while to catch on to the hook. There are probably a lot of "bad" sections, but with the scrappy men's shirt pattern, I'm pretty sure nobody will notice. I have gotten so much help and ideas from that first book of yours! I have been FMQing for several years on my Janome 6600 and love to quilt. I wanted to be able to make the whole quilt myself including the quilting and I achieve so much satisfaction from it.

[@charleneappel7120]

I love your techniques & beautiful designs. Thanks for sharing.

[@meliswilkie]

Thanks Angela! I took a class with you in Sisters last year, and I've struggled with this. I'm going to go do this on a couple charity quilts for practice!

[@susandenton2132]

Great tutorial-- really like that you break it down and explain it. That helps so much! Thank you.

[@AngelaWaltersfmq]

You are so welcome!! Glad you love it!

[@alisongundel62]

Love this design. I have just started taking your Crafty course. You are a wonderful teacher. Can't wait to try this new design.

[@AngelaWaltersfmq]

Thanks so much!! That is the best compliment that you can give to me!!

[@roenahensler3232]

what a great all over design!

[@KamleshGuptaArts]

Awesome Quilting 👌👌 Lovely design 👍👍👍👍

[@wadoit46]

I wish you could show it using a basic machine. We all cant afford a free arm expensive machine, I do love what your showing us.

[@drmichaelelinski6992]

I love this hook design with the echo. You make it so sharp and crisp. I don’t see you using micro handlebars. Do you ever use them?

[@drmichaelelinski6992]

Hi Angela. When you do detailed or micro-quilting, like these small swirls, do you ever use micro-handlebars on your Avanté machine? I would think it might help with control, as your hands are next to your needle. Not that you need any help. Your work always impresses me. I recently bought a Babylock Coronet, and I tried attaching micro-handlebars that are actually mage fir the HQ Avanté. In the instructions, they sad you could use them or the Simply Sixteen, for the hand control in microquilting. Since the Coronet and the Simply Sixteen are essentially the same machine, I was so dummed when I could not attach the micro handlebars. All the other accessories are interchangeable. Please tell me about your experience with detailed micro quilting with or without micro handlebars. I just feel that I need my hands closer to the needle for control and precision in my quilting. What do you find? Something tells me you don’t use micro handlebars, as I’ve never seen them in your videos. Than you for any advice. I know your time is valuable and precious, and I do not want to abuse your kindness in helping others quilt.

[@catherinegoaack1629]

Hi Angela, I’m very new to quilting and just started quilting in the ditch with the walking foot, I would like to try some ruler foot quilting and free motion quilting, which book of yours would be the best for me? Btw you are amazing!!

[@patriciastein]

Angela, I seem to struggle with where to go after the first swirl is done. The transition seems to my stumbling block.

[@buffycleaveland8116]

I would called these hooked whale tails. See what I mean. I am not saying start calling it that but...or waves and tails! I love love this one!

[@kookyjoeb5524]

That was helpful, but I am having trouble with how to start, where to start, how to get the hooks to lay over the top of the swirls the way yours do. ( I got points sticking out in odd places and it doesn’t look right. also, what to do when you get stuck in an area without enough room to get out. Help!

[@havinago6981]

thank you

[@glennieshann4609]

Lovely. This reminds me of whales tail

[@AngelaWaltersfmq]

It sure does!! I hadn't thought of that!

[@BuildAQuilt]

your video is great, I'm not getting this one. can it because I'm left handed? It seems that swirls and feathers give me the hardest time and I'm wondering if it's my handedness that messes me up. Thanks for any advice.

[@AngelaWaltersfmq]

I don't think being left handed should make it harder. Usually when I teach this in classes, the biggest mistake quilters make is not making the petals big enough. this design looks much better when it's bigger!!

[@BuildAQuilt]

Angela Walters - Thanks, I will continue to practice. When I looked at your book with this pattern, I did find that I was making the original swirl in the opposite direction. changing that has helped a bit.

[@idakb1]

Sew Me Sew You .

[@lizzylouscreations3037]

I have a Thin twin spread... But it is one print. It is the tree of life and I was trying to see how to go about quilting this.

[@bikrgran]

Can stuff like this be done on a sewing machine? It seems to be a lot of movement in a very small space. I'm trying to learn FMQ on a domestic machine, and the long arm stuff frustrates me, since I'll never have a long arm.

[@eepsers1]

Absolutely can be done on a home machine! Just takes a LOT of practice, but once you get it, it is amazing fun!

[@kransberg1]

how do you do this.????? I thank you very much to show us how you did it..!!!

[@lilychua7866]

But you make it look so easy and then when I try drawing on paper I couldn’t even manage beyond 2 or 3 swirls without them going out of shape.... 😭

[@carmenbailey1560]

👍❤️😊

[@martakurtesi6383]

❤👍

[@TheFlatbedChick]

You make that look way too easy....