Save me before I make a mess of this!
 

After seeing some of the incredible quilts uploaded today, I'm a little embarrassed to share this quickie top. In my defense, I fell in love with the fabric at a quilt show, they offered a super-easy pattern, and I thought it would make a fun charity quilt. But they talked me into a variegated gray thread for the topstitching, and there is going to be no hiding it! This is only my second quilt, and my FMQ is, well... let's say it's free-spirited, shall we? So... how should I quilt this?? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

Quickie top?? It certainly doesn't look like it! It's fabulous. And I think "free spirit" befits the design.

Are you going to FMQ or do you have a longarm?

I'm all for fun and fast. It looks great. No need to defend yourself on any level.

sorry, no quilting suggestions... but it is a beautiful 'quickie'

Wow, if I saw these colors listed on paper, I don't think I'd like them, but your quilt is stunning! If you are nervous about your quilting, how about just doing a meander in the prints and some sort of straight line in the solid, like a cross hatch, or wavy lines in one direction. That would really give the quilting strong contrast.

I can see why you fell for this fabric...it is lovely....just like your 'quickie' quilt....Please post pics when you finish quilting it.

love this quilt, it's gorgeous. meandering is good but hen I'm not good at it

And, you are not stuck with the grey variegated thread. Use something that is more the color of your background if that would make you feel better. Love the quilt and the colors. I would love have the name of the pattern.

Oh I wish I knew how to post a link. there is a picture of a quilt posted on 09/05/12 by sparkys_mom that you should look at. The post is called two more quilts for kids. She posted two quilts, look at the second.

I struggle with FM a lot! So I have tried to come up with some alternatives so I don't wreck my quilt. I have borrowed thes idea from sparkys_mom and it is great. Very easy ! Modern, it would work with your quilt. And looks great

I fell in love with the same fabric this was my quilt. It was my first at following quilting rules. Does my free motion done easy on my home machine help.lease enjoy.

Here's the link: http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...s-t194245.html

this very nice, and whomever gets it will love it.

Free spirited FMQ sounds good to me. I would just do a simple meander.

I can understand why you fell in love with the fabric. I bought a line not long ago (ok maybe longer than I am remembering) but it was Black/Gray/Yellow and I still love it. Never would have thought I would like that combination but started a modified log cabin (now if I can just get back to it) that looks great in the colors.

I love your quilt and if I didn't already have my fabric cut would probably end up using it in this pattern.

I forgot to mention but look at the quilting on the modern quilts (more straight line than what we are used to) I think something like that would work on yours as well. You can Google Modern Quilt Guild and probably get some ideas. I am also sure you could FMQ it but if you are nervous, take a look at the others and see if any inspires you.

I did something not long ago that might be a suggestion. I did stitch in the ditch, but not all the way across the quilt, because there weren't seams all the way across just like this quilt. Just in little bits here and there where it needed to be according to how close the stitching needed to be for the batting. Then I brought the threads to the backside and tied them off. I didn't want any stitching showing on the top and it turned out fine. It is a bit time consuming, stitch in the ditch does also take a bit of practice and skill, but I think over all it is easier to do the FMQ.

You did a beautiful job! Sorry I can not help with the quilting.

Oh my...you shouldn't be embarrassed to post that. I think it's great! I love the colours

How about a medium meandering in the yellow part?

Your quilt is beautiful! You could just do a large meandering design with curves.

I was going to suggest meandering as well. There are so many straight areas, I think it would help 'soften' the look if that is what you are after. Interestingly enough this is the same palette, with many of the same fabs, that our LQS is using in its sampler BOM. Very 'modern' indeed. As another poster suggested, maybe looking at the 'modern' quilting styles would help???? Lovely quilt, btw.

It's great just use a lite yellow or off white.

very nice quilt

Well, I suppose I could buy new thread, but it's a whole cone of King Tut, and I know I paid a small fortune for it. And gray not being my favorite color, I probably wouldn't use it on anything else. But it's always an option, isn't it?

As for the pattern, it really IS a quickie: It's the Austin Blues option from "Bundle of 12" by Amelie Scott Designs. It's made from 12 FQs + borders. After a dozen blocks of nine-patch and matching all those seams on my i spy quilt, this was a breeze!

Oh, I looked! That would be very easy. And since none of those lines are parallel, I think I can pull that off! lol

OH!! I LOVE THIS!! Isn't it fun to see how different the same fabric turns out by using a different pattern? Unfortunately, the pictures aren't large enough for me to see the quilting. :(

I have a hard time with free motion, also. I have made a couple of simple baby quilts pieced with mostly straight lines and then sandwiched with batting and backing, used spray basting to keep in all together and simply quilted by made wavy lines from one side to the other and then cross-hatch the same way. I like a fairly large wave pattern (imagine tracing half way around a large mug, moving it over and tracing half way around the other side .... You can also make it look like a vine with a leaf, a heart or even a butterfly coming off occasionally. Your quilt is really quite nice!

I made the exact quilt top except in black, white and purple for my neice. I sent it to my longarm quilter Bonnie and she did a beautiful allover pattern of swirls with some whimsical flowers. It was beautiful when she was done and my neice loved it too! I love your quilt in the yellow, grey, black and white. Well done, especially for only your 2nd top!!!

I strongly agree. As soon as I saw your wonderful quilt in those fabrics of yellow gray black and white I thought modern quilting ala Angela Walters style. See if you can't get a hold of her book for some great ideas or visit her blog at quiltingismytherapy.com. Actually Charisma just recently posted a quilt on her blog that had overlapping squares. http://charismascorner.com/?p=6804 I think a modern style like that would suit this quilt quite well. And if you are not quite confident in your FMQ this overlapping squares can be done quite easily using your feed dogs and a walking foot.

You can go with the varigated gray thread you purchased or maybe something that will blend in a bit more. Either way it is sure to be quite cute.

Love your quilt and the colours. You could try some Echo Quilting. That's a safe bet, yes maybe change your thread colour to blend in more with your green blocks and yes maybe put your varigated in your bl/wh blocks. Thanks for posting, hope you post a pic with the quilting finished.

Why are you embarrassed? That's a great quilt. Love the fabric. It's so happy!

very pretty

I have fallen in love with the fabric too! Your pattern sets off the fabrics perfectly. I think it might be interesting to stitch an X inside each block corner to corner. It would make an interesting design on the back side. If you aren't sure you could keep your X's straight a ruler and chalk pencil would do the trick. I would also stitch in the ditch around the blocks.

Oh I have those fabrics, I went w/ a much different pattern then yours and I love yours, I am not up to FM so I have no suggestions but you have received some really great tips, would love to see when you are finished.
I am in ahhh, you do very nice work.

I think it is a great quilt top. I am not very good on suggesting a quilting style but I know that many on the board will be able to help you.

This is beautiful, just beautiful. I love the colors

I love it you did a really great job

How about Leah Day's Spiral Knots FMQ? I just used it on a "Thinking Outside the Block" quilt (binding tomorrow, pictures to follow). Your quilt has the circle motif in the fabric and this would duplicate that. It would also soften the lines of the quilt. Here is the link to her site: http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.c...ral-knots.html. You did a beautiful job.

Just love it, great job and thank you for sharing
Have a Blessed day
Ellen