Machine Quilting Monday #3

Ribbon quilting

This week's new-to-me machine quilt patterns was Ribbon from Modern Machine Quilter (p. 63). It is done free-motion (with a darning foot and feed-dogs down) and I don't think it is one I will use. 

You quilt a swirl with loops in it and then you go back a short distance from the lines of the swirl to turn it into a ribbon. My test used variegated thread without a lot of contrast to the fabric and it was very hard to follow the first line as I added the second. The variegated thread also weakened the design. Really big loops and a really narrow space between the two lines looked better to me than where the lines were further apart. I did a second try at this with more contrast which was better. 

More contrast worked better