Thread: Help please with design

I sandwiched this quilt top a few months ago. Finally decided on a design. I am not sure if I should start quilting the small squares or do the large motif first. Was going to do feathers, but changed my mind. Also do you all think this is a good design for this top?
I did not want anything to busy. Comments are welcome. Thanks in advance for all your help.

Nice. I might do this in straight lines of blocks then fill in the alternating blocks with a Fleur de leis or lotus flower. It looks like you put these blocks on point so I would take every other row and use your design on them then the rows that are still empty, use just the simpler center design. Lotus flower would look great with your pattern.

Originally Posted by feline fanatic

I love the motif you used and it will be perfect for the quilt. If you map it out you should be able to do it continuously. I think you will be best off doing the larger motif first but use one bit of continuous curve (in your small squares) to travel from one block to the next. Then you can go back and do the rest of the smaller squares.

OK I just went back and looked at your design. Do you plan on ditching where you have the straight lines drawn? If so, I would do all the ditching first to anchor everything. Then you can proceed in whatever manner is most easy for you to do. It won't matter what order because everything will be anchored into place from your ditch work.

I hadn't planned on ditching. Those lines were where I drew the design of the quilt to decided on what to put in that
area. Do you think I should ditch? I do all my FMQ on my domestic machine so will be starting from the middle and working out.

Originally Posted by FURBALLS

I hadn't planned on ditching. Those lines were where I drew the design of the quilt to decided on what to put in that
area. Do you think I should ditch? I do all my FMQ on my domestic machine so will be starting from the middle and working out.

There are many schools of thought on that. DSM quilting gurus, Harriett Hargrave and Diane Gaudynski say to always ditch to stabilize the quilt. then go back and do your fancy stitching. It is up to you. My personal opinion is a ditched quilt always looks nicer. It gives definition to the piecing and more importantly, gives you a place to travel inconspicuously so you don't have to tie off as often. There is no right or wrong. I have seen plenty of nice quilts that had no ditching and others that were nothing but SID. I like to use both. But not everyone wants to take the extra time and effort to do the ditch work nor pay the additional charges for ditch work by a LAQ.

I have nothing to offer but anxious to see the finished beauty! Going to be lovely, I just know it. Already gorgeous!

I like your design a lot. I would do SID first and then the designs.

Thanks to all of you that replied. I have decided to do the SID first. If this turns out good, I may enter it in the fair this year.