mermaid

[QUOTE=QuiltE;5962890]I know this is not what you want to hear, but I'll give you some Food for Thought on this ......... IMHO when you have such an antique (for real? or recently made, looking as such?) hand worked piece, I would honour it with the handquilting.[/QUOTE
I would def agree with you QuiltE--but this is a huge king size,; I think it's going to hang 'way over' my K bed, and I don't think I could endure that many 1" blocks in hand quilting--tho I do love to quilt by hand and am fairly good after yrs of practice. I don't know if the value is enhanced by costing a mere $15.00, tho I don't suppose you could replace it for a fraction of that. I'm just not "lovey dovey" about hand quilting this one. Maybe if I were to 'hand it down', or to sell it....?
ELLIEGIRL...that is a unique suggestion--the thread color changes. I've put a backing of off white domestic (in keeping with the age of the top) and that would mean colored lines on the back. Oh why am I even concerned since I've already admitted I am keeping it for myself as a coverlet.!!
And Prism99--yes I have done a number of lap quilts and couch size quilts with FMQ, tho I am not good enough to do the fancy feathers yet. Wish I could do them on this top.
Thanks all you guys for your suggestions. I'll bring it back SOMEDAY! ha when I've finished.

Tartan

Great quilt tops! I think that FMQ in an all over pattern would help stabilize the hand stitching. Bonnie Hunter was talking about a Bow Tie top someone had bought this week on Quilt Cam. She said since it's a common quilt and never going to be a museum piece, slap it on the machine and quilt it fairly closely. A finished quilt is better than it hanging around in a drawer for the next 20 years.

barny

No wonder you purchased it. I can't imagine the work that went into that quilt. It is wonderful.

nannyrick

That was my thought too. That is absolutely beautiful!!!

Rebecca_S

If it is hand pieced I would definitely not stitch in the ditch, you need something that will add stability. Can you do a baptist fan or orange peel? Something regular but with curved lines would enhance the pattern IMO.

michelleoc

Those quilts are beautiful! I can't be of much help with quilting options, but I just had to say "wow"!

mermaid

Well...the decision was made. QuiltE suggested I hand quilt it because of it's heirloom quality. I began to FMQ this afternoon--it is such a large heavy quilt for moving around, even tho I have a large throat opening and a large table--I found it very difficult to work with. I have never machine quilted a big King size before. So the 1st time my thread broke (Oh yeah it did) that was that. I put it in a hoop and away I go--as soon as I rip the machine stitches out! I plan to do straight lines across the little blocks from one corner to the other. Then the same in across direction--making a grid pattern of quilting on the backside. I truly appreciate all the input, and this was what I needed to push me in the right direction (I think). Any rate, it will still be used by me. The other top--the full size, I might attempt that one with machine (or LAQ'r. Thx again everyone.

yngldy

The first one I would just stitch in the dark color between the two strips that change colors, making the "squares" go out around the quilt. (Hope that makes sense.)

The second one I see an eight point compass star in it, with lots of lines inside the star to hold the squares together(?) (You can see the center going out to the mitered right and left hand corners of the quilt.) Maybe not all the way to the corner, but on most of the top part showing on the bed. Don't know how to finish the rest of it.

yel

i might go around some of them ...say the first red and white block then skip some rows and do the inside and outside zigzag of of the next red and white then skip to the green row and out to the end

quiltsRfun

What about cross hatch?