Today on the blog I’ll give you a step-by-step guide for mastering free-motion quilting pebbles. And, as a bonus, some tips for getting the most from this textural design.

Pebbles

What are pebbles?

Pebbles (for our purposes) is a popular quilting design of small, round-ish shapes usually touching each other. The design got its name because it looks like pebbles or stones.

Why do I want to quilt pebbles?

The design creates texture and depth on your quilts in two ways. Usually pebbles are used as a background filler design. That is, a small design quilted in the background of a larger quilting motif to make the larger motif pop (become more prominent).

Pebbles also create a certain texture of their own. Imagine a bunch of rounded pebbles laying on the ground. Can you see the bumpy texture of them? That’s what the pebbles design looks like on your quilt, an interesting and pleasing bumpy texture.

Why I’m Qualified

Hi! I’m National Handi Quilter Educator, Mary Beth Krapil.  I’ve been teaching longarm quilting for 16 years. I love to share longarm techniques, designs, and the best of Handi Quilter products. I hope you’ll follow our blog each week for lots of fun, information, instruction, and inspiration.

Set-up for success

1. The right thread

Because pebbles are usually quilted small, you will want to use a finer thread. I choose a 50 wt or finer thread for my pebble quilting. The smaller I plan to quilt, the finer the thread I want to choose. Another reason for using a finer thread is that pebbles require some back-tracking (stitching over the same line you already stitched). Back-tracking can cause thread build-up. Finer threads help hide that thread build-up.

2. The right needle

Be sure to use the correct size needle for the thread you choose. If you need help with knowing which needle to use consult this handy chart.

3. Machine settings

Set your stitch-regulated machine to a small stitch length. The smaller the pebbles you plan to quilt, the smaller your stitches need to be to keep them looking smooth and round, not like a stop sign, round but with flat sides.

Steps for learning to quilt pebbles

Pebbles can be a bit tricky to master, but with some practice and patience, you can achieve beautiful results. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get started quilting pebbles:

Step 1: Quilt Loops

I think loops are the easiest design to quilt. So when you’re just learning it makes sense to start with something easy.

Step 2: Alternate direction of loops

Now try quilting one loop up and the next one down and continue to alternate the direction of your loops.

Step 3: Make them Round

Now concentrate on making your loops nice and round.

Step 4: Squish them together

Here’s the tricky part. Squish your Round, Alternating loops together so that they touch each other. This means you will have to do some backtracking, stitching over a part of each loop that’s already been stitched. Step 4 is one you want to practice over and over til you get good at it, before you move on to step 5.

Step 5: Change positioning

Once you have the rhythm and flow with fairly accurate backtracking, you are ready to start changing positioning of the pebbles. Lose the straight line. You accomplish this by changing up the back-tracking distance. Quilt a pebble (circle) and back-track just enough to where you want your next pebble positioned. Keep changing the amount you back-track to get a nice varied placement of pebbles. Sometimes short back-tracking and sometimes almost all the way around the pebble.

As you can see, each step in the process requires slightly more concentration and skill. So take the time to master each step before moving on. You can also see that pebbles are not as intimidating as you thought! They are just loops. Specific precise loops, but still just loops. You got this!

Tips

• If you usually stitch with stitch-regulation, try the manual setting. In manual, the machine stays at one speed. It is up to you to maintain stitch length. With small stitches it is easy to do. The continuous flow of stitching pebbles gets very smooth with the steady hum of the machine motor sound when you stitch in manual mode.
• Use adjustable handlebars in the micro-quilting position with the handles close to the surface of the quilt. This way you can pull a stool or chair up to your movable machine and sit to quilt, resting your forearms on the poles of your frame.
• Practice first, even if you are proficient at quilting pebbles. Practice for a few minutes off to the side of the quilt. It helps if you get comfortable with the rhythm and flow of the motion for a bit. Then move to your quilt. You’ll be glad you did.
• Pebble quilting is meant to look organic. Don’t stress over making perfectly round, all the same size, pebbles. Focus on progress not perfection. In nature pebbles are all different shapes. Some are oval, rounded rectangles or even triangles. Experiment with shapes for the look you want on your quilt.

• Don’t rush. Pebble quilting is slow work. Any time you incorporate back-tracking into your quilting you need to slow down so that you can be accurate. Enjoy the Zen of the repetitive motion of pebble quilting.
• Use batting with some loft for maximum texture from your pebbling. My go-to is wool batting when I want great texture.

• If you mix pebbles with other background fills, try to go for contrasting textures next to each other, like this straight-ish line grid pattern next to the round pebbles.

• When you get comfortable quilting pebbles and want a challenge, try intentionally and dramatically varying the size of your pebbles for a unique look. Don’t get too carried away though. Two or three sizes in one pebble patch is plenty.

What to Read Next

Take the Time

4 Best Free Motion Designs for Beginners | New Quilter Tips

Free-Motion Quilting for Beginners, Part 1

Next Steps

• Watch a video on our YouTube channel.  This shows some beautiful pebbles and traces the path to quilt them.
• Quilt Every Day!

by Mary Beth Krapil