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250 Continuous-Line
Quilting Designs
for Hand, Machine & Long-Arm Quilters

Laura Lee Fritz

LEGAL PAGE
250 Continuous-Line Quilting Designs Download
Copyright © 2009 by C&T Publishing, Inc.
ISBN 978-1-57120-880-4
Published by C&T Publishing, Inc.,
PO Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549.
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We take great care to ensure that the information included in our products is accurate
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 This book is gratefully dedicated to the makers
of over 12,000 quilts upon which I doodled my
designs while learning how to draw these quilt-
ing designs. Thank you to Karen Nelson, Bernice
Townsend, Meg Blau, Carolyn Griffin, and
Cathryn Zeleny for producing some
Contents
quilted samples of these designs. Thanks to Ron
Paul for keeping me swept off my feet.

Copyright © 2001 by Laura Lee Fritz

Development Editor: Cyndy Lyle Rymer
Technical Editor: Sara Kate MacFarland
Copy Editor: Carol Barrett
Book Design: Staci Harpole, Cubic Design
Cover Design: Kris Yenche
Graphic Illustrations: Kate Reed
Design Direction: Diane Pedersen
Production Assistant: Stephanie Muir What You Can Do with Sewing machine 1 16
Photography: Steven Buckley, Photographic Reflections These Designs 4 Sewing machine 2 16
Front Cover and Title Page Photos: Quilted images by
Laura Lee Fritz, photo by Bagley Tauber Photography
The Quilt Top as a Stage: Sewing notions 16
Back Cover Photo: A Woodland Tale by Laura Lee Fritz, 60” Planning the Design 4 Shop broom 13
x 80”, 2001. Sizing Your Designs 6 Silverware 15
Negative Space 6 Simple chair 15
All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by Hints for Repeated Images 6 Soccer players 17
the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in
Transitional Quilting Lines 6 Steak knife 15
any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or Transferring the Designs 6 Steaming cup and saucer 14
information storage and retrieval system—without written Tools to Make Your Watering can 13
permission of the publisher. Exception: The (Quilting) Life Easier 8 Wheelbarrow 13
publisher gives permission to photocopy—including Wrench 12
reductions and enlargements—all pages (except pages 33-
40) for personal use only.
Home & Garden 9
Trademarked ™ and Registered Trademarked ® names are Ball on tee 17 Birds 21
used throughout this book. Rather than use the symbols Baseball player 20 Adult quail 25
with every occurrence of a trademark and registered trade- Basketball player 19 Albatross 28
mark name, we have only used the symbol the first time Baby quail 25
Bowl and steaming mug 14
the product appears. We are using the names only in an
editorial fashion and to the benefit of the owner, with no Carrot 10 Blackbird 25
intention of infringement. Chef’s knife 15 Blackbird flying 25
Cherry tomatoes 10 Chickadee 24
We take great care to ensure that the information Coffeepot 14 China knob goose 28
included in this book is accurate and presented in good Crescent wrench 12 Crane landing 29
faith, but no warranty is provided nor results guaranteed.
Since we have no control over the choice of materials or Electric guitar 19 Crane ogling 29
procedures used, neither the author nor C&T Publishing, Fancy chair 15 Crane prancing 29
Inc. shall have any liability to any person or entity Football tackle 20 Duck landing 28
with respect to any loss or damage caused directly or indi- Golf putt 17 Duck swimming 27
rectly by the information contained in this book. Hammer 12 Eagle with fish over
Attention Teachers: Hanging pots 11 mountain backdrop 22
C&T Publishing, Inc. encourages you to use this book as a Hockey player 20 Egret flying 27
text for teaching. Contact us at 800-284-1114 or Hole-in-one 17 Elegant hummingbird 26
www.ctpub.com for more information about the C&T Kitchen blender 11 Feeding pelican 24
Teachers Program. Kitchen mixer 11 Free-hand bird 22
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Long shears 16 Great blue heron 25
Published by C&T Publishing, Inc. Mixing whisk and Hawk soaring 27
P.O. Box 1456 tea kettle 14 Hummingbird feeding 26
Lafayette, California 94549 Monster truck 18 Large avocet 29
Motorcycle 18 Mallard swimming 28
Fritz, Laura Lee.
Mr. Toaster 15 Macaw 28
250 continuous-line quilting designs for hand, machine
& long-arm quilters / Laura Lee Fritz. Nail 12 Jay 24
p. cm. Peas 10 Mourning dove with
ISBN 1-57120-171-8 Pitcher 14 gingko 26
1. Quilting. 2. Quilts—Design. I. Title: Two hundred Rake 13 Nuthatch 22
fifty continuous-line quilting designs for hand, machine
Pots on stovetop 11 Penguin looking up/down 23
& long-arm quilters.
II. Title. Saw 12 Pelican perched 23
TT835 .F756 2001 Scissors 16 Pelican swimming 23
746.46’041—dc21 Screwdriver 12 Pheasant in flight 25
2001002357 Serrated knife 15 Tall penguin 23
Printed in China
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
Tern flying in wispy sky 23 Sideview of butterfly 44 Horse walking 49 Oyster drill/Periwinkle
Toucan 28 Simple moth 44 Little sheep 56 shell 65
Wading avocets 29 Stem of locust leaves 42 Longhorn steer 52 Rock fish 67
Wading egret 27 Strawberry patch 45 Pig 52 Rocking seahorse 66
Walking bird 24 Stylized wild plants 31 Ram 56 Sea lion 70
Stylized woodland leaf 41 Rooster 53 Seal barking 70
Sunflowers 47 Running hound 54 Seahorse garden 71
Flora & Fauna 30 Swallowtail butterfly 44 Scotty dog 55 Seahorse stretching 66
Bamboo, a vertical border 46 Three wild irises 43 Singing rooster 53 Seahorse with sea leaves 66
Box turtle 41 Trillium leaf 43 Tracking hound 54 Seahorse with seaweed 66
Butterfly 44 Tropical split leaf 41 Wolf/German shepherd 55 Sea plant 65
Columbine 47 Western soapberry leaf 42 Young alpaca 57 Sea turtle 66
Dragonfly 44 Wheatgrass 47 Seaweed leaves 65
Duck potato 46 Whimsical bee 31 Striped bass 67
Eucalyptus 32 Whimsical beetle 43 Woodland Animals 58 Swimming elephant seal 70
Fancy iris 46 Wild bud 42 Arctic hare 59 Tiny whale 64
Fern leaf 31 Wild lily 43 Bounding deer 61 Whales in waves 71
Fly mushroom 45 Wild orchid 41 Coyote howling 62 Whelk shell 65
Frog looking up 32 Wild orchids 47 Deer feeding 61 Whimsical rock fish 67
Fucshia 47 Wild violet 43 Field rabbit 59 Whimsical whale 64
Gingko leaf 42 Willow/eucalyptus leaves 41 Fox looking back 62
Gingko/willow leaves 42 Wood sorrel blossom 43 Fox sitting 62
Goosefoot 46 Young fern 41 Hare sitting 59 Textures 72
Half mum 32 Young mushrooms 45 Kodiak bear 59 A mix of seeds and
Harp leaf 31 Leaping deer 61 right-angle meander 74
Iris blossom 46 Moose 60 Beetle back 76
Jungle leaf and fruit 42 Domestic Animals 48 Mule deer doe 61 Clouds 77
Leaf and seed medley 31 Alpaca mom 57 Posing buck 60 Cloudy landscape
Leafy branch 45 Angora billy goat 57 Running hare 59 with river 73
Leaping frog 32 Angora goat 57 Tracking fox 62 Concentric teardrops 75
Lily 46 Bison 52 Whitetail buck 60 Endless mums 78
Little mum, Wild butterfly Boxer 55 Laura’s meandering 75
orchid 31 Cat leaping 51 Orange peel/Diamond
Lunaria 32 Cat lying 50 Under the Sea 63 plate facets 78
Lupine 47 Cat preening 50 Blue gill 67 Overall leaves 78
Maple leaf 31 Cat reaching 51 Bowhead whale 64 Random Baptist fan 74
Maple leaf and Cat sitting 50 Crab 70 Right-angle meander 76
serviceberry leaf 32 Cat stalking 50 Dolphins 68 Split circle 75
Maple leaves 47 Cat stretching 51 Finback whale 64 Split triangles 73
Mature mushroom 45 Cat walking 51 Friendly shark 69 90° meander shaped
Mushroom stand 45 Cornish rooster 53 Goldfish 70 like cordwood 77
Oak leaf 43 Cow 52 Great white shark 69
Overall leaves 46 Dachsund 55 Hammerhead shark 69 About the Author 79
Palm-like leaf 41 Ewe 56 Happy shark 69
Pond turtle 41 Frolicking hound 54 Humpback whale 64
Poppy 45 Hen 53 Kelp 65
Seed 42 Horse jogging 49 Kelp frond 65
Sharp leaf 31 Horse running 49 Largemouth bass 67
 What You Can Do The Quilt Top as a
with These Designs Stage: Planning the
You can add beauty and special meaning to your quilt-
Design
ing projects by using the graceful continuous-line
If you think of your quilt in terms of a stage, and the
images shown in the following pages. Whether you are
quilting designs as the actors on that stage, designing
quilting by hand, home sewing machine, or with a long-
your overall quilting plan will be easy.
arm machine, this collection of designs will be a gener-
ous resource library.
One design will act as the lead character on center stage,
with a supporting cast of one or more secondary design
You can combine them with each other and with inter-
ideas. Provide some backdrops, such as a
esting background-filling textures, as shown in the quilt-
background grid and some architecture, and your story
ed samples.
will unfold.

Here are two examples.

Please enlarge or reduce any of the designs to
use on your quilts, and feel free to arrange and
Quilt a complete circle, and add another circle just inside
combine these ideas with more of your own.
to form a ring (the architecture).

Quilt a perched mourning dove (the lead character)

(see page 26) just inside the ring, and add two lovely

The back of Dove Vest, shown on

page 34, illustrates the use of a lead
character within a beautiful setting.

4 250 Continuous-Line Quilting Designs

blossoms (see page 43). Fill in the open spaces inside
and outside the ring with a mix of woodland leaves
(pages 31, 32, 41) and nuts. These form a backdrop.
Quilt a pair of deer (the lead characters) with a stream
running in front of them (the stream can be formed by
quilting a few vaguely parallel wavy lines). Add a ridge of
tree-lined mountains (the secondary characters), and fill
in behind the mountains with a backdrop of thunder-
clouds. For example, combine the top part of the cloudy
landscape on page 73 with any or all of the deer figures
on pages 60-61.
Not every quilt top needs such a complete drama. The
quilting designs shouldn’t upstage the patchwork. A tra-
ditional favorite like an Irish Chain needs some character
and backdrop in the alternate blocks, and a “transparent”
design in the patchwork blocks.
Details from the back cover quilt, A Woodland Tail,
are used in the alternate plain blocks.
Another traditional favorite, the Log Cabin pattern,
made with the 1930s reproduction fabrics currently
available, is perfectly quilted using only the Baptist fan
(page 74) or Orange Peel design (page 78).
Many of the nineteenth century reproduction fabrics are
used in quilts now, and I often use a concentric teardrop
(page 75) or paisley feather quilting design
as they seem to be evocative of that era. In these exam-
ples, it is the era of the fabric that is the lead character;
all we add by using these simple textures
is the backdrop.
Some contemporary quilts don’t require much added
imagery to be effective. You can rely on a single texture in
one color area, and a second texture for the other. For
example, a “weaver fever” is a bargello of two color
planes zigzagging across the quilt; I would choose a ver-
tical/horizontal straight-line texture opposite a curvy-
loopy texture to accentuate the change in direction.
For a stack ‘n whack quilt, quilt the background with
one texture, and the
pinwheel fabrics with another.
Transparent designs combine interesting shapes, but
they are not made up of recognizable imagery. An over-
all meandering design is one example. Because
of their simplicity, transparent designs don’t jump
out at you as you study a quilt. Other examples of trans-
parent designs can be found in the textures section.
Some practice samples of transparent designs
You can also combine recognizable images with
transparent designs; floating an occasional oak leaf
on a still-waters texture is a subtle example of this blend-
ing of design ideas.
250 Continuous-Line Quilting Designs 5
 Sizing Your Designs Transitional Quilting
The primary design for a block should fill about two-
Lines
thirds of the block. If the background is closely quilted, a
When you are planning the background design for
recessed dimension will make the primary design stand
the borders, consider “crossing the lines” into the
out more clearly. A loosely quilted background with a
quilt block area. This creates a smooth transition
highly detailed primary image will have the opposite
between the two areas, and you can work all your side
effect; the background will puff up around the detailed
borders as you progress down the quilt. The
image.
quilt on page 33 provides a good example of crossing
the lines.
Negative Space
Unquilted areas of a quilt are referred to as negative
space. Between your leaves and textures, for example,
the blank shapes can be large or small, clumsy shapes or
graceful. Be observant of them. A poorly balanced
design will have a negative space that is confused with
the image; a negative space can be so large that the
quilt seems to be underquilted, or so small that the quilt-
ing lines are hard to interpret.

Hints for Repeated

Images
When you repeat designs to create a row or border, con-
nect the designs with part of your supporting or back-
drop design. The quilted details on the jackets on page
35 are good examples of this treatment.

If you are planning a leafy border, avoid using a

“row” of leaves. Create a more natural look by tilting
each leaf in a different direction. Varying the size—
or shape—of the leaves will help them fit within
the space of the border, and will make the design
less static.

Keep transition and escape routes in mind;

they need to be consistent with the shape or feel
of the background quilting in order to remain invisible.

A row of leaves in varying directions looks more natural.

6 250 Continuous-Line Quilting Designs

Transferring the
Designs
If you aren’t ready to make the leap into free-motion
quilting, there are simple steps to follow to transfer the
designs onto your quilt top.
1. Trace the designs onto paper with a black permanent
pen so you can use a copy machine to resize any image
for your block or border. Trace the tracing again onto
stencil plastic and cut it out with a “hot knife.”
OR
Trace the design onto bridal illusion (tulle), which is
available at most of the larger chain fabric stores.
Both of these methods are a means to draw directly
onto your quilt top with chalk, washout pencil,
clean-erase pencil or a water/air-soluble pen.
2. You can also trace your designs onto water-soluble
stabilizer with a water-soluble pen and quilt through
it as the topmost layer of your quilt. Try the Solvy
stabilizers made by Sulky®, or Dissolve™ from Superior
Threads, as they really do wash out of the cloth.
Trace the pattern onto a piece of the Solvy or Dissolve
using a pencil that washes out for light-colored fabrics or
a permanent pen for darker fabrics. Pin the drawing in
place on your quilt; it won’t need many pins because it
won’t move much. Because the medium is transparent, it
will be easy to place the drawing where lines won’t need
to be sewn over bulky seam junctions. Sew directly on
your pattern lines. Pull away the largest chunks of the
plastic-like material, then mop up the remaining frag-
ments with a wet piece of cloth or a damp scrap of bat-
ting. I prefer using the batting
to mop up because it holds water, scrubs without rough-
ing up your quilt top, and doesn’t leave shreds of itself
behind.
A warning: If you leave larger pieces of the Solvy
or Dissolve on the quilt after wetting, they will
turn to slime which dries on the quilt; the quilt
will need a thorough washing.
3. Another option is to draw directly onto your quilt top
with a washable marker. You will need a light source for
this method.
Tip: A recycled sliding-window pane (still framed)
or glass door panel from a shower enclosure will
serve you well as a light table.
Lay this glass panel over a quilt frame or sawhorse
set, place a light source such as a four foot
fluorescent shop light below the “table.” Now
spread your quilt top on top of the glass and turn
the light on.
Slide your drawings under the quilt, and position
as desired.
It becomes evident that clean white paper and
bold black drawing lines will project best through
the cloth.
In time this tracing will train your eye and hand,
and you can draw your own patterns to increase
your collection.
Tools to Make Your
(Quilting) Life Easier
Some materials and tools have been designed to make
home-machine quilting easier. Here are a few you may
find mentioned in the descriptions of the quilts in the
gallery section of this book.
I use a wide variety of threads and needles, and feel that
experimentation is the best way to decide your favorites.
I recommend Harriet Hargrave’s Heirloom Machine
Quilting as a source of information for any supplies.
The tools for small machine quilting are many. The
simplest “rule” to remember is that any of the modern
threads can be used by choosing a needle to be larger
than the thread so the thread won’t get roughed up or
overheated during its journey in and out of the fabric.
250 Continuous-Line Quilting Designs 7
 • You can use stenographers’ rubber finger tips, or rub-
ber-spotted cotton gloves; both provide a non-grip,
non-slip contact with your quilt sandwich as you slide
the quilt over the machine throat.
• I recommend cotton batting because it sticks well to
cotton fabric, which allows for less basting. But be sure
to follow the manufacturer’s directions for the amount
of basting you do.
• Sullivan and Sulky make basting adhesive sprays to
hold your quilt layers together; use a light spray or you
may get a sticky needle.
• Both the Flynn Multi Frame™ System and HandiQuilter
solve the problems of holding the quilt layers so you
don’t get them pleated, and holding the layers so that
you can smoothly move them under your sewing
machine needle.
Both systems have three roller frames to hold your
quilt. You slide the quilt under your darning foot
before closing up the end of the frames.
To work larger patterns than will fit within the reach of
your sewing machine throat you scroll your quilt along
the rollers back and forth as you progress.
Most of the designs in this book are already the right
size to work without scrolling.
John Flynn has a small frame and roller system for under
$100 that stretches your quilt sandwich for an easy
rolling freehand movement. You roll your quilt onto a set
of wood rails—whatever length suits the project—and
have about 4”-5” of quilt all along that length for your
patternwork. This makes you think of small imagery,
overall patterning, or quilting the imagery in seg-
ments—half of a dog image on one
pass and the second half of the dog as you pass after re-
rolling the quilt. Another convenience of this frame sys-
tem is that your project can be quickly moved to lean
against a wall out of the way, while still rolled in the
frame.
HandiQuilter has a larger frame set-up plus wheeled
tracks and cross tracks that you set your home machine
onto; these create a small-scale quilting machine. You
mount your quilt sandwich onto a quilt frame and direct
your home sewing machine with your hands, rolling it
8 250 Continuous-Line Quilting Designs
along the tracks on the multitude of wheels. You still
work in a small section, creating your designs in more
than one pass because your quilting area is only as deep
as your machine throat allows. This is a very well-made,
sturdy tool, and it can be mounted on a table as a tem-
porary set-up or screwed to a work surface for more per-
manence. This frame can also be detached from the
support structure to set aside the project without
unrolling the quilt.
The HandiQuilter allows you to roll your machine as you
work, but you will still need to use your foot pedal and
may want to arrange a method of attaching it to a
wheeled frame also.
Start Quilting
You just need to practice machine quilting in order to
find your rhythm, and learn to sew at a constant speed.
Warm-up Tip: Begin by tracing the designs with
your fingertips to practice the paths, and you
will learn to stitch many of them free-hand. This
tracing makes the pattern a physical memory and
helps you quilt more smoothly.
When you start or end a line of quilting, or when your
top thread or bobbin is depleted, knot the end(s) of your
stitching line and thread a needle with the thread tails.
Use a long-eye sharp embroidery needle for the tail
sewing so both threads will fit through at once.
Try wrapping the pair of threads around the eye
tightly, pinch the thread to hold the tiny loops as you
withdraw the needle, then slip the eye over these tight
little loops. Sew these ends by sliding the needle back
along your quilting line, pull the needle out, bury the
knot into the batting, and cut the tail.
Please Note: All designs featured in the black and
white photographs can also be traced and used in
your quilts.
Home & Garden

9
Home & Garden

Cherry Tomatoes

Carrot

Peas

10
 Home & Garden
Kitchen mixer

Kitchen blender

Hanging pots

Pots on stovetop 11
Home & Garden

Hammer Wrench Nail

Saw Screwdriver Crescent wrench

12
 Home & Garden
Wheelbarrow

Watering can

Shop broom
Rake

13
Home & Garden

Mixing whisk and tea kettle

Steaming cup and saucer

Bowl and steaming mug

Pitcher
Coffeepot

14
 Mr. Toaster

Home & Garden

Serrated knife Steak knife

Chef ’s knife

Silverware

Fancy chair Simple chair

15
Home & Garden

Sewing machine 1

Sewing machine 2

Scissors

Long shears

Sewing notions

16
 Home & Garden
Ball on tee

Golf putt

Hole-in-one

17
Home & Garden

Monster truck

Motorcycle

18
 Soccer players

Home & Garden

Electric guitar

Basketball player

19
 Baseball player
Home & Garden

Hockey player

Football tackle

20
Birds

21
 Nuthatch

Free-hand bird

Eagle with fish

over mountain backdrop
Birds

22
Pelican perched
Tall penguin

Penguin looking down

Pelican swimming

Penguin looking up

Birds

Tern flying in wispy sky 23

 Chickadee

Jay

Feeding pelican
Birds

Walking bird
24
 Blackbird flying

Blackbird

Adult quail

Pheasant in flight

Birds

Baby quail

Great blue heron

25
 Elegant hummingbird

Hummingbird feeding
Birds

Mourning dove with gingko

26
Egret flying

Hawk soaring

Duck swimming

Birds

Wading egret

27
 Mallard swimming

Duck landing

Macaw

Toucan

Tip: Flying creatures

Birds

enter and exit from

a wing or tail tip.

China knob goose

Albatross
28
 Crane landing

Crane prancing

Crane ogling

Large avocet

Birds

Wading avocets

29
 Flora & Fauna

30
 Little mum
Wild butterfly orchid
Harp leaf

Flora & Fauna

Whimsical bee

Fern leaf

Stylized wild plants Leaf and seed medley

Maple leaf
31
 Eucalyptus leaves and pods

Lunaria
Flora & Fauna

Leaping frog
Maple leaf and
Serviceberry leaf

Half mum

Frog looking up
32
CHICKENS IN THE VEGETABLES by Laura Lee Fritz, 47" x 56", 2000.
Our chickens keep the bugs out of my garden, but they are pests them-
selves, eating their fill of whatever they want.This quilt is a chicken-eye
view of the sumptuous feast ahead of them.

250 Continuous-Line Quilting Designs 33

 LINEN BARN JACKET by Laura Lee
Fritz, 2000. One year I entered three
quilts in a show: Alpaca Watch,
Hound Dog Dreams, and The
Roosters quilt.The following year I
was able to go to the show myself,
wearing this jacket. Because it features
a sampling of characters from each of
those quilts, it worked well as a calling
card; everyone recognized the work.

DOVE VEST by Laura Lee Fritz, 2000. The

flowers and leaves on the front of this vest
were chosen to complement the framed
dove seen on page 4.

VELVETEEN NIGHT JACKET by Laura Lee Fritz,

2001. What a contrast: a velvet jacket with
glow-in-the-dark thread! Sometimes just a
touch of quilting is all a wearable item needs
to set it apart.

34 250 Continuous-Line Quilting Designs

SHARKS AND OCTOPUS JACKET
by Laura Lee Fritz, 2000. Black and
red is my uniform, and the octopus
is one of my favorite creatures, the
most intelligent invertebrate in the
sea. In addition, I’ve done my share
of shark fishing, so combined the
fun of all these elements to make
my own ultimate fishing jacket.

FISHING VEST by Laura Lee Fritz, 2000.

I have a hard time keeping Ron in fishing
vests: they get bought right off his back.
I asked him to use this one plenty so it
would get dirty enough that no one
would want to buy it.

INDIGO GARDEN JACKET by Laura

Lee Fritz, 2000. Using the straight line
bursts to offset the flowing leaves and
blossoms makes this jacket far more
interesting than versions I have done
with simply floral designs.

250 Continuous-Line Quilting Designs 35

 AMISH HOURGLASS by Laura Lee Fritz, 60" square, 2000.
This is my “remake” of a quilt in the Esprit Collection that dates to the 1880s.
I knew it needed to be quilted with the random Baptist fan, but wanted to
make it showier. I think the mix of gingko and eucalyptus leaves comes close
to engaging the same flow. After quilting, I fitted some open negative space
with flies to better balance the design.

36 250 Continuous-Line Quilting Designs

HOUND DOG DREAMS by Laura Lee Fritz, 70" x 76", 1997.
I used to walk Amos, my bluetick hound, around Napa for his daily exercise,
and would tell him stories of all the wild animals he would meet when we
finally found our country home. I am certain he has met everyone on this
quilt by now.

250 Continuous-Line Quilting Designs 37

 THE GREAT OUTDOORS by Karen Nelson,
Vacaville, CA, 50" x 67", 2000. Karen’s English
Pointers are an important part of her life.
She added her own line drawing of her dog
to make my design more personal.

ALPACA WATCH by Laura

Lee Fritz, 60" x 51", 1999.
Our alpacas are not only an
abundant source of spinnable
fleece, they are fascinating
neighbors.

38 250 Continuous-Line Quilting Designs

 LAURA’S CRANES by Bernice Townsend, Rohnert Park, CA,
26" x 36", 2000. I have always admired Bernice’s hand
quilting. How perfect that she was planning a crane wall
quilt just as I was designing the crane quilting patterns.
“The quilting on Cranes went really fast because of the
non-stop quilting pattern,” Bernice said.

GOD’S PROVIDENCE by Meg Blau, Seattle, WA, 32" x 43",

2000. Meg truly loves her garden, and designed this piece
as a thanksgiving for the gifts of abundance she enjoys
when working among her beds.

250 Continuous-Line Quilting Designs 39

 MONUMENT VALLEY VIEW by Laura Lee Fritz, 60" x 72", 2000.
Our dream came true: a horseback camping trip through Monument Valley.This
is a tribal park straddling Utah and Arizona, a very spiritual place for many of us.
I tried to capture the unique elements of the land and its people: the mustangs,
the Navajo ladies spinning and weaving, the Navajo-Churro sheep, petroglyphs,
and of course the magnificent monuments of weathered rock prominently rising
here and there across the valley.

40 250 Continuous-Line Quilting Designs

 Box turtle

Willow or
eucalyptus leaves

Flora & Fauna

Pond turtle

Young fern

Wild orchid

Stylized woodland leaf

Palm-like leaf
Tropical split leaf
41
 Stem of locust leaves

Wild bud
Flora & Fauna

Seed

Jungle leaf and fruit

Gingko leaves with

willow leaves

Gingko leaf

Western soapberry leaf

42
 Oak leaf

Wild lily

Flora & Fauna

Wild violet

Trillium leaf

Wood sorrel blossom

Three wild irises

Whimsical beetle

43
 Dragonfly

Simple moth
Flora & Fauna

Swallowtail butterfly

Butterfly

Side view of butterfly

44
 Young mushrooms

Mature mushroom

Fly mushroom

Flora & Fauna

Mushroom stand

Strawberry patch

Leafy branch

Poppy

45
 Fancy iris

Duck potato
Flora & Fauna

Goosefoot

Lily

Bamboo, a vertical border

Iris blossom Overall leaves

46
Fuchsia Columbine

Flora & Fauna

Lupine

Sunflowers

Wheatgrass

Wild Orchids
Maple leaves
47
 Domestic Animals

48
 Domestic Animals
Horse running

Horse walking

Horse jogging

49
Domestic Animals

Cat stalking 1
Cat sitting

Tip: Ground-based animals

enter and exit from the
lowest point on the ground.

Cat stalking 2

Cat preening

Cat lying

50
 Domestic Animals
Cat Stretching

Cat leaping

Cat reaching

Cat walking

51
Domestic Animals

Pig

Longhorn steer

Cow

Bison

52
 Domestic Animals
Cornish rooster

Hen

Rooster

Singing rooster

53
Domestic Animals

Running hound

Frolicking hound

Tracking hound

54
 Domestic Animals
Boxer

Wolf/German shepherd

Dachsund

Scotty dog

55
Domestic Animals

Ram

Ewe

Ram

Little sheep

56
 Angora goat

Domestic Animals
Angora billy goat

Young alpaca

Alpaca mom

57
 Woodland Animals

58
Arctic hare

Woodland Animals
Hare sitting

Field rabbit

Kodiak bear

Running hare
59
 Moose
Woodland Animals

Whitetail buck

Posing buck

60
 Leaping deer

Woodland Animals
Bounding deer

Deer feeding

Mule deer doe

61
 Coyote howling

Fox looking back

Woodland Animals

Tracking fox

Fox sitting

62
Under the Sea

63
 Whimsical whale

Finback whale

Tiny whale

Bowhead whale
Under the Sea

Humpback whale

64
 Sea plant

Oyster drill shell Periwinkle shell

Seaweed leaves

Whelk shell

Under the Sea

Kelp frond

Kelp

65
 Rocking seahorse

Seahorse with seaweed

Seahorse stretching
Under the Sea

Seahorse with sea leaves

Sea turtle

66
 Blue gill

Largemouth bass

Striped bass

Under the Sea

Whimsical rock fish

Rock fish
67
 Dolphin diving

Intent dolphin

Talking dolphin

Top view of dolphin

Under the Sea

Side view of dolphin swimming

68
 Great white shark

Friendly shark

Tip: Swimming fish enter

and exit from the tail

Happy shark Under the Sea

Hammerhead shark

69
 Crab

Goldfish

Swimming elephant seal

Seal barking
Under the Sea

Sea lion

70
Whales in waves

Under the Sea

Seahorse garden
71
 Textures

72
 Textures
Cloudy landscape with river

Split triangles

73
 A mix of seeds and right-angle meander
Textures

Random Baptist fan

74
 Textures
Laura’s meandering

Concentric teardrops

Split circle

75
Textures

Right-angle meander

Beetle back
76
 Textures
90° meander shaped like cordwood

Clouds

77
Textures

Orange peel Diamond plate facets

Overall leaves

Endless mums

78
About the Author Resources
Laura Lee Fritz is widely known for her hand appliqué
quilts and her fanciful wholecloth quiltings filled with
American & Efird (A & E) Inc. (Threads)
narrative images from the stories surrounding her life.
400 East Central Ave.
Laura raises alpacas and rare sheep in rural Middletown,
Mount Holly, NC 28120
California, but slips off of the farm to teach quilting class-
800-438-0545
es everywhere from her weekly class at a local college to
www.amefird.com
her long-arm machine quilting classes at the annual
International Quilt Festival in Houston.
Gammill Quilting Systems™
1452 West Gibson
West Plains, MS 65775
800-659-8224
Gammill@townsqr.com

Hobbs Bonded Fibers

P.O. Box 2521
Waco, TX 76702
817-741-0040
usasorb@netexpress.com

Kelsul Batting
3205 Foxgrove Lane
Chesapeake, VA 23321
Photo by Ron Paul, Spring 2001 888-268-8664

Superior Threads
P.O. Box 1672
St. George, UT 84771
800-499-1777
www.superiorthreads.com

The Warm Company

954 E. Union Street
Seattle, WA 98122
800-234-WARM
www.warmcompany.com

YLI Corporation
161 West Main St.
Rock Hill, SC 29730
800-296-8139
www.ylicorp.com

250 Continuous-Line Quilting Designs 79

For a list of other fine books from
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Note: Fabrics used in the quilts shown

may not be currently available, as
fabric manufacturers keep most
fabrics in print for only a short time.
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