Chicken Wire Quilting

Today is a quilting tutorial. Chicken wire to be exact, like that used on Fred, the Fugitive, one of my most favorite quilts.

A request for instructions comes from Sue S., who is working on her own adorable chicken, and wanted to know how to quilt the chicken wire. So how better to explain it than with a tutorial? This is for you Sue!

The chicken wire requires a grid to be marked on the quilt. Since I don't have a current quilt to demo this on, I'm using drawings on paper. Here, I marked a grid 2 1/2" x 2 1/2".

This is sub marked, in the middle of each line and square.

Now to stitch the chicken wire, which is a series of Y's. Starting at the red dot in the middle left of the upper left square, stitch down to the line, 

then back up to the start point, and over to the mark in the middle of the upper line.

Stitch down and over to the mark in the middle of the vertical line,

and straight down on the line to horizontal line.

Stitch back up over that line, and up and over to the next upper middle mark. Repeat this process to make Row 1.

Row 2 starts at the bottom of the downward stitching on the left edge, and goes down and over to the center of the grid square.

Stitch straight down to the mark on the horizontal line, then back up and over to meet the downward stitching from Row 1.

Continue in the same manner to complete Row 2.

Row 3 starts just like Row 1, in the middle of the left grid mark, stitching straight down, back up, and over to meet the previous stitching from Row 2.

Continuing the Y stitching completes Row 3.

Alternating the two rows completes the chicken wire.

Here's two closeups of it on Fred.

Pretty easy, huh? If you're really creative, you could put some fills in the wire and have more designs! And be sure to pop over and read Fred's story!

Enjoy!