Episode 7 : Using Quilting Template Set F

Episode 7 : Using Quilting Template Set F

Episode 7 : Using Quilting Template Set F: In this episode of the ExQISSite quilt series, Pauline guides you through the final steps of drawing quilting designs using the Set F templates, featuring tulips and leaves. You’ll learn how to create beautiful quilting designs, with plans to applique and make bias stems in future episodes—adding a unique touch to your quilt.

By exploring different design options, you’ll expand your technique range and gain the skills to incorporate these designs into future projects.

Companion Notes: Working With Template Set F — Tulips and Leaves

Set F brings the garden into the series: tulip and leaf templates you can combine into sprays, wreaths, and border motifs. Because the designs are drawn first and stitched along the lines, the shapes stay consistent from block to block — the secret to a quilt that looks designed rather than improvised.

Combining templates into your own arrangements

• Build a spray in threes: a central tulip with a leaf pair angled out on each side is the classic arrangement, and it fits a square block corner beautifully.
• Mirror for symmetry. Flip the template for the opposite side of a design instead of rotating your block — mirrored pairs make arrangements look balanced even when they're hand-drawn.
• Plan the stems now. Pauline previews applique and bias stems in a future episode, so leave a natural channel where stems will sit, and don't quilt through it.
• Test the arrangement on paper at full size before marking a block. Tape sheets together for larger motifs — a paper rehearsal costs nothing and catches crowding early.
• Keep a consistent quilting density. Floral blocks quilted heavily will sit differently next to lightly quilted geometric blocks; echo the leaves once if a block needs more stitching to match its neighbors.

Once you've placed your first tulip spray, try the same shapes at a different scale or as a running border. Template sets reward repetition — the design vocabulary stays the same, but the quilts you can make from it multiply.