SusieQOH

Hi everyone,
I'm finishing up that Blazing Star that Craftsy offered when I got a year membership. I have not enjoyed this quilt at all but as I finish up I realize I don't want to spend mega bucks to have it quilted and my skills aren't up to anything that large (98x98). The pattern was challenging( Y seams and partial Y seams) but I totally goofed up the Lone Star part of it. I'm just not inclined to redo it. No way!

So....... I thought of big stitch quilting. I don't want to do my usual hand quilting as I don't like it enough to put in all that work.
MSQC has some nice perle cotton in variegated shades that would be awesome I think.

So my question- do you think big stitch would work for this monster? Any help is greatly appreciated.
And don't worry about hurting my feelings- I've had other successes lol

Susie

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KalamaQuilts

good for you for stretching your skills!! I don't know how hot it gets where you are, but I took a 100X110 top, pieced together a back and quilted it with no batt. without batt it fit through the machine with no bother at all. Quicker done, quicker usable Looks beautiful on the bed.

I enjoyed the big stitch I did on some wall quilts, but never could make the end and start invisible like we can with standard thread

dunster

I'll trust your judgment that there are problems with the quilt, but from here it looks spectacular.

If it weren't already completely pieced, I would suggest quilting it in sections. You could still do that using the method where you divide the batting into thirds. I haven't used that method, so I can't give all the directions, but it's explained in Marti Michell's book Machine Quilting in Sections. You can probably find it online too.

I do think the big stitch would look great on that quilt, but I don't have experience with that either. Big stitch reminds me of sashiko, and I did have a class in that and enjoyed it very much.

My other suggestion is to wait a week or two and see if your feelings about the quilt change. You may find that you like it a lot better when you've had time to forget where the oopsies are.

I have a lonestar kit from Craftsy too (not the same one) and am dreading starting it. The directions aren't for strip piecing, but for cutting and sewing individual diamonds from templates. Sheesh! I'll have to try to figure out how to bring the pattern into the modern world.

MaryKatherine

Go for it!
Big stitches are so satisfying.

NJ Quilter

I've done 'big stitching' but since I'm so used to hand quilting in small stitches, my 'big stitch' comes out fairly small, lol. So...if that works for you - go for it! I have so many tops waiting to be quilted and no clue...

I've done the pearle cotton with my tiny big stitch and it looks awesome. So if that is a look you want, I would definitely say 'go for it'!

stitch678

I think you will get frustrated with 'big stitching'. As a hand quilter ( as well as machine), l find it difficult to get big stitches looking even. Plus with the heavier thread, you can only do a few per needle, as it's difficult to pull through. If it were me, l'd baste, stitch in the ditch by machine, and call it done. The piecing looks fine from any distance.

Sheri.a

I just finished doing my first big stitch quilting and found that the process is much more "organic" than traditional quilting. Keeping the stitches even and the same on top and bottom is not necessary. I enjoyed the process and will be doing it again.

After I was 90% through the quilting, I discovered a Clover Gold Eye Millner needle#5 was perfect. It was very sharp and easy to work with. I was using Aurifil 12 wt, so the small eye worked fine.

Have fun - it's a beautiful quilt and you will be so much happier with it when you have completed it.

Faintly Artistic

First, your top is beautiful! I big stitch 90% of my quilts, so I say go for it! I would use Perle #8, not 5 as #8 is a little smaller and easier to pull through the 3 layers. (May be why some have had issues) I also use 12wt thread by Aurifil or Sulky. Variegated threads are fun to work with. I use Thimblelady XL needles or chenille needles. My stitches are 4-6 per inch, so aren't huge and I have no problems making them even. They look good on the back as well, but that comes with practice. Machine quilting to me is harder and more frustrating as I try to wrestle a big quilt through a small machine. I can big stitch a quilt fairly quickly if I spend some time on it every day and it's a simple pattern.

petthefabric

Can you give it away as a top? Let someone else who likes it finish it. I'd probably let it sit for yrs and then give it away.

Another idea. It might pass as a Mennonite quilt. There's a store in Kingsburg that quilts tops and has a sale in April.

NZquilter

Susie, I think it's beautiful and I think after time, once the memory of how hard it was has faded, you will see it too. I know that's how it is for me.