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How do you decide on quilting design?

How do you decide on quilting design?

Old 01-30-2013, 01:58 PM
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Default How do you decide on quilting design?

I have yet to sandwich and quilt my Chicken Quilt, and I'm not even sure how to go about it. Do beginners typically just start with sewing just outside the seam lines? I've drawn this out on paper and doodled all kinds of designs (this from someone who barely knows what "FMQ" is, let alone actually ever done it), but I can't seem to find one that 'fits.' Should I just start with the outlining method (is there a real quilting term for that?)
Thoughts?
TIA!

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Old 01-30-2013, 02:16 PM
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Yes,I suggest in the ditch or outline if you have never done it before. takes a lot of practice to do free motion.
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Old 01-30-2013, 02:17 PM
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If this were my quilt top, I think I would "stitch in the ditch" around all the squares. I think you call it outlining. And then I would do "stippling" in the brown areas just inside the yellow border. You can find you tube video's to show you how. Beautiful quilt top by the way.
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Old 01-30-2013, 02:20 PM
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Very pretty and great job for a beginner. Stitch around blocks and stippling. There is a method I just learned on a Craftsy class called scribbling. You can cross your lines and do dense quilting. Might be good for your first quilt. Warning once you learn fmq you will be hooked.
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Old 01-30-2013, 02:26 PM
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sid or stitch in the ditch is usually the easiest to do. then in the bigger areas stipple or scribble. take your time.
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Old 01-30-2013, 03:33 PM
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Beautiful quilt!!!
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Old 01-30-2013, 04:40 PM
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First ... decide what you want to do then pick up some scrap fabric and scrap batting ... 9" or 12" square will do ... and PRACTICE!! DON'T TOUCH THE QUILT until you've practiced each type of stitch that you plan on doing ... even if it's straight line stitch in the ditch (in which case practice on scrap fabric that has been pieced - not a single piece of fabric). Stitch in the ditch sounds easy ... but it's not for everyone.

that's a very pretty quilt and you would be sorry if you used it to practice on and your skills were not up to snuff.
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Old 01-30-2013, 04:42 PM
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I have a piece of clear tablecloth plastic with painter's tape around the perimeter. I lay this sheet over an area of my quilt and draw my idea with a draw erase marker on the plastic. This allows me to see if I like it and to erase it off the plastic and try again until I find a design I like.
I would start by SITD along the yellow sashing in the center of the quilt to stabilize it. I would then try different designs for the blocks. I wonder if you could quilt chicken wire over the chicken blocks? If that sounds too hard, maybe a simple cross hatch in the blocks would look like chicken wire and you could do it with a regular foot on your machine.
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Old 01-30-2013, 06:57 PM
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I agree stitch in the ditch!!
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Old 01-31-2013, 04:38 AM
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I agree with stitch in the ditch. I sewed 1/4" from the seam on my first quilt since SITD is not what I would call easy. I've taken a couple lessons in FMQ and wouldn't try it on a quilt as nice as that. Stippling is harder than it looks, especially for someone who's never done it before. Takes a lot of practice for something that looks so "random."

Beautiful quilt.
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