Sometimes deciding what machine quilting designs to use on sampler quilt can be a little overwhelming. To make the process a little easier, I often turn to one of my “go-to” designs: the Dot to Dot “V”.

dot to dot quilting

It might look basic, but don’t let it’s simplicity fool you, there are so many different ways you can use it on your quilts.

I’m going to show you I used this simple shape on Tula Pink’s Decorative Stitches quilt. This quilt features her newest fabric collection, HomeMade, and was a complete blast to quilt!

tula pink decorative stitches quilt

Pattern Designed by Stacey Day, Pieced by Tula Pink

So let’s see just how many different ways I used the Dot to Dot V on her quilt. (At the end of the blog post, I will have a list of resources to help you master this handy design.)

Triangle Shaped Blocks

It’s so perfect for triangles! It works in flying geese blocks, such as the ones along the top and bottom of the quilt, while still fitting into the taller triangles.

tula pink decorative stitches quilt

Depending on the size of the block, or if I want a lot of quilting, I can add more or less echo lines inside. This is incredibly helpful when working on a quilt that has blocks of multiple sizes or irregular shapes.

Plus Blocks

This design really shines when quilted in more complex blocks. In this Plus block, quilting a V in each of the sides helps group the pieces of the block together and also highlights Tula Pink’s perfect piecing.

decorative stitches quilt kit

If you like a lot of quilting on your quilts (you know I do!), you can add more echo lines just as I did in the green plus block.

dot to dot quilting

If this design looks familiar, it’s because we learned how to quilt in during the “Help! How Do I Quilt It” Free-motion Challenge Quilting Along

Star Blocks

The points of a star quilt block are perfect for quilting the V shape.

tula pink homemade quilt kit

Pointing them towards the middle helps draw attention to the center of the block and creates a more complex-looking design.

This is another design we learned during the “Help! How Do I Quilt It?” Free-motion Challenge Quilting Along.

how to machine quilt star blocks

Around Quilt Blocks

It’s obvious that this design can be used in a lot of differently shaped blocks, but it also looks amazing around the blocks.

machine quilting ideas

Using it outside of the blocks can create stunning secondary designs and might even change the look of the block a bit.

tula pink homemade quilt fabric

This adorable little square block takes on a completely different look with the dot to dot lines quilted around it. This separates the block from the background filler and helps it stand out. If you try this, be sure to play around with different arrangements of the design. You just might be amazed by the different effects you can create.

Grouping Blocks Together

Quilting it in between several blocks can help group them together. Instead of showing off a single block, this will show them off as a group.

quilting designs for star blocks

It not only makes a cool secondary design, it’s way easier than it might look. If you aren’t sure if it will work on your quilt, try sketching it out first. Having a rough idea of where you are going will help make the quilting process a lot easier.

I did the same thing in between the heart blocks as well.

machine quilting heart shaped blocks

Quilting the dot to dot Vs in this area was more about efficiency than aesthetics. It allowed me to move from block to block without having to break thread. Less stopping means more quilting….and more fun!

Combined with Other Designs

As much as I love this design, it would definitely get boring if it was the only thing I ever quilted. But I never have to worry about that because it pairs so nicely with contrasting filler designs, including wavy lines, feathers and swirls, just to name a few.

wishbone filler

I think that this gorgeous quilt is the perfect example that a basic quilting design can have amazing impact on a quilt!

tula pink decorative stitches quilt kit

Your Turn!

Now it’s your turn, what are your thoughts the V design? Is it something that you have tried before? Let me know how it turned out in the comments section of the blog post.

Additional Resources

Want to dive into this design even more? Check out these resources:

Get the Kit-Want to learn more about the fabric or get the quilt kit for yourself? Click here.

Dot to Dot Quilting Free-motion Challenge Quilting Along: Learn how to machine quilt this and other geometric designs with this free video series.

“Help! How Do I Quilt It?’ Video Series – Get ideas for quilting blocks of all shapes in this series of videos.

Weekly Video Update

This quilt pattern and Tula Pink’s newest fabric collection were featured in my latest Quilting Is My Therapy video update.

Click here to watch it.

Happy Quilting!