I have so much fun quilting with rulers. The designs you can create with a simple ruler can be beautiful, intricate, and inspiring. This year I'm writing a series of articles for Quiltmaker Magazine and APQS all about machine quilting with rulers. My latest article was recently published in the July/August issue of Quiltemaker and it's available here. Let's take a look at ruler work on patriotic quilts!

Simple Ruler Work on a Patriotic Tumbler Quilt

I quilted two patriotic quilts for this article. The first was this simple red, white, and blue tumbler quilt. Doesn't this table runner look like a flag waving in the wind? I wanted to add to that effect with the quilting lines. I used a large scallop ruler to add free flowing curves down the length of the quilt. Click here to find templates for this quilting design.

Custom Ruler Work on a Patriotic Quilt

For my second table runner I wanted to share ideas for custom ruler work on patriotic quilts. In my two solid red blocks I added some fun firework motifs using my Lavender Lines 2 ruler by Bethanne Nemesh. Does anything say Independence Day quite like fireworks?

And what do you think of my scalloped borders? I used my Lavender Lines 2 ruler again to quilt my scallops. I wanted you to see how the designs look amazing left open and with fills like ribbon candy and wishbones.

These are just a few ways to add ruler work on patriotic quilts. If you'd like to see how to quilt these designs and more, check out my full Rule Your Quilt article here. And don't miss the free downloadable student bundle at the end of the article. We created print outs just for you that show the continuous paths for the more challenging designs!