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Today on the blog, experienced quilter, Mary Beth Krapil, shares quilting panel ideas for 2024. She shares different techniques and how-to steps to quilt your very own panel! Mary Beth is one of the National Educators at Handi Quilter, with decades of experiencing in longarm quilting.
Easy Quilting Project – Panels
At Handi Quilter we are all about the quilting. That is, stitching the 3 layers of quilt top, batting, and backing together to turn it into what we know as a quilt. I like to piece, and applique, but I absolutely LOVE to quilt. Adding the extra dimension of quilting texture to a quilt top is the best part of the whole process. Quilting panels is, sometimes, the quickest way to get my “fix”! So if you’re looking for a fun project and just want to get to the best part, the quilting, a panel is just the thing.
What is a quilting panel?
A panel is a piece of cotton fabric printed with a design or motif.
How do I quilt a panel? | Longarm Quilting Machine
There are no rules! Once you’ve chosen your panel, the real magic begins as you unleash your creativity through quilting. Longarm quilting offers unparalleled freedom, allowing you to experiment with different stitch patterns, thread colors, and quilting techniques to enhance the panel’s design. Whether you opt for free-motion quilting or precise ruler work or Pro-Stitcher computerized quilting, each stitch adds depth and texture, transforming the panel into a work of art.
Panels offer an excellent opportunity for quilters to develop quilting confidence, hone their skills and experiment with new techniques. Whether you’re a seasoned quilter looking to push your boundaries or a novice eager to learn, quilting with panels provides a low-pressure way to explore and grow. You’re not going to worry about ruining the quilt top that you spent hundreds of hours piecing. You can just relax and have some fun! Panels have the best blend of convenience and stress-free quilting practice potential. And if you’ve been reading the Handi Quilter blog for a while, you know I am a great proponent of practice! 🙂
Helpful Tools for Quilting Panels
There are many ways to quilt panels using your longarm quilting machine! Because there are so many ways, there are a variety fo tools that can help you quilt, including:
- Quilting Rulers to quilt around designs
- Special marking tools to know when to start/stop quilting
- Glide Foot 3 for quilting appliques and embellishments
Quilting Panel Ideas for 2024
Here are some panels from my resource library (stash). Some I’ve already quilted and others are patiently waiting. Pulling these out and photographing them was challenging. I just wanted to stop and quilt each one in turn.
#1 Quilting Panel Ideas: Edge-to-edge
Busy panels are great for edge-to-edge style quilting. All this one needs is a nice water texture. If you wanted to get really fancy you could do something different in the land masses.
#2 Quilting Panel Ideas: Outlining
Outlining shapes on the quilt defines those shapes and makes them stand out. It’s great for panels that look like pieced tops. Outlining is great for practicing ruler work.
I outlined the pieces on this panel and then added a design in the blue part. Those little triangle shapes are small, about 1 1/2 inches. Some people call these types of panels “cheater panels” or “cheater cloth”. This particular one was definitely a cheater for me. I needed a quilt for a guest bed quickly. No time to piece! I went to the quilt shop to purchase a wide back and I fell in love with this fabric. It took a while to quilt, but I found it very relaxing. I was able to find a continuous path for the ruler work so I just put on some music and quilted away for a few hours each day. Before I knew it it was done!
This is a panel that I use as a table runner.
I outlined the pieces and added designs in some of the “blocks”.
Interesting quilting texture on the back.
Here’s one that I would not outline the piecing of each of those tiny pieced blocks. The red blocks are about 2 inches square. That would be too labor intensive! I might outline the entire stripes and add some background quilting to make them pop.
Define the shapes and fill them in
The Dream Big panel by Hoffman might be the most famous and most popular of panels with quilters. Thos beautiful petal on the gigantic bloom just beg to be filled with the texture of quilting.
Notice how I outlined each petal and then added another outline to create a channel. This really separates the shapes and makes them stad out from one another.
A cool Lone Star panel called Sweet Tea Star by Hoffman is the perfect place to define those triangles that form the star and place designs into them.
#3 Quilting Panel Ideas: Background Quilting
The Star quilt above is a great place to get some practice with background quilting. All that cream negative space in the background of the star! It’s something that makes us quilters drool!
When I quilted the Love panel I outlined the letters using rulers. Then I outlined the smaller shapes within the letters using free motion. And I set up an edge-to-edge background design in Pro-Stitcher and cropped out the letters.
This sunflower panel is a nice one to practice placing background quilting in individual blocks. It could be fun to come up with a different design for each of the blocks.
#4 Quilting Panel Ideas: Unique Panels
Ice dyed fabric panels are not your run-of-the-mill printed panel. They are pieces of fabric hand dyed using a technique called ice dying. The result is a totally unique piece that lends itself to just about any kind of quilting. My favorite way to quilt these is a wholecloth mandala.
More Ideas for Quilting Panels
Below, I’ve shared more ideas for quilting panels in 2024 on your longarm quilting machine. The designs available in panels span a diverse range of themes. You’re likely to find a panel that appeals to you no matter your tastes or preferences. There’s a panel to suit every style and aesthetic.
#1:Â Quilting Panels to Look Like a Pieced Quilt
#2:Â Quilting Panels that are Appliqued!
Some panels have an image such as a tree or flowers or an animal or whimsical character.
Questions?
Do you have any questions about getting started with panel quilting on your long arm quilting machine? Share them below!
Quilt Every Day!
by Mary Beth Krapil
Quilting Panels on a Longarm Machine – YouTube Tutorial
Here you can watch a Handi Quilter Watch & Learn from Kim and Kristina on quilting a panel. Join us every Tuesday at 12noon Mountain Time, when Kristina and Kim will answer questions live in the YouTube comments!
More Longarm Quilting Blog Posts
Below, we’ve shared additional quilting blog posts with tips and ideas!
I have a bunch of QOV panels. I think I’ll give your great tips a try. Thank you.
Thanks Pam! Glad I could help.
I’d like to see more watch and learn episodes about how to set up an edge-to-edge background design in Pro-Stitcher and crop out the letters.
Thanks for the suggestion, Judy. We’ll add it to our list.