I've finally basted the crazy patchwork block swap quilt, and am now staring at it trying to work out how I will quilt this.

* I am quilting by hand, using perle #8 threads in various colours and bigger stitches.
* The blocks range from 6" to 11", and some of them have a foundation on them which will make them harder to quilt through.
* The sashing, which uses four different fabrics, ranges from 1.5" to 3.25", and the border is 4".
* The quilting motifs will be lots of leaf shapes, and the odd heart or flower. Think individual motifs rather than the continuous line quilting you get with machine quilting.
* The batting is QD Poly Request, which claims it can be quilted up to 12" apart.

What I'm trying to work out is where to put these little motifs. Anything in the sashing will have to be fairly small and simple, though there's a bit more space in the border. Some of the blocks will be very difficult to quilt through. I've never made a crazy quilt before, I'm not really familiar with how they are generally quilted, and to be honest I don't think they are quilted all that often anyway, just embellished. I don't want to spoil it by overdoing anything in the blocks. I was thinking of possibly a small shape in the centre of each block and various shapes sailing around the sashing. Two blocks which aren't as satisfying visually are the top right (no colour contrast; no foundation backing) and the one beneath the heart block (little value contrast; this was my block, and it has a foundation backing). So perhaps quilt something bigger in at least the top right block, such as a large flower?

I'm also wondering whether I really have to start from the middle and work my way out, or whether I can quilt random bits all over the place. With my last quilt, a 3 x 3 with 2" sashing, I started quilting the blocks, got into a bit of sashing, and then decided to quilt all of the sashing and get it out of the way before going back to the blocks. As well as quilting a cable design in the sashing, I also quilted in the ditch around all of the blocks. When I got back to quilting the rest of the blocks, I found that the quilting must have pulled taut around the edges of each block (or something), because while it had been impeccably basted, it was now as if the blocks had shrunk a bit and it was difficult to get the fabric to lie flat. I wrestled it into submission in the end, but I was left swearing not to make that mistake again.

I suspect that instead of random shrinkage, the main problem was the stitching in the ditch around each block. Since I won't be doing that here, and will be doing little motifs spaced rather in the way you space ties on a tied quilt, is it likely to cause enough distortion while quilting to be a problem, or can I just go ahead and, say, start off with the top right block and then ramble about the sashing and then do the other blocks?

No advice...just wanted to say this is a gorgeous quilt~

Wow, love it! Sorry can't help with quilting it.

Annie,
PS I love Edinburg

It's beautiful. I love the idea of the big stitch and would probably do very simple quilting. You are brave to try hand quilting on all those foundation pieced blocks. You might consider larger motifs.

sorry, don't have advice. that is a gorgeous quilt.

I would start in the middle, work out to all four sides and fill in the corners. I think rambling around will get you in trouble.

Agree!

What sort of trouble?

Start in the dead center of the quilt! even with basting, things could still shift around.

Your's is a most interesting project as normally the foundation crazy quilts are not really quilted but tied.
But after looking at the picture and reading your description, on first thought I might suggest the following.
Do the motif quilting in the sashing. The vines would be good and easy. Even tho the sashing is different width, I would keep the same motif for all. This would connect the blocks together.
SID around each block and then SID within each block but selectively. The blocks need interior SID quilting.
Then select sections of each block for the motif quilting.
For example the separated heart in the center could have a feather motif. What I'm saying is that the old crazy patch quilts had embroideried motifs scattered around them. Do the same with your quilting. Make these as detailed as the space will allow. Scatter the leaf shape from the sashing throoughout the blocks.
And definitely start in the middle. You could do all the SID around blocks or sashing first. This would baste the quilt and would make the other quilting easier.
Just some thoughts.

Agree. Tough to hand stitch over all those seams

shifting, bunching, etc.

Very useful, thank you! Starting in the middle it is, then.

I forgot to mention that this is going to be a modern-looking quilt, so feathers aren't quite what I'm aiming at. I know that traditionally the seams were embellished with embroidery and such, and I can see how that fits in, it's just not the style I'm going for here. I'm definitely not planning to SID around the blocks before filling them in, that's exactly how I got into trouble last time! The quilt is thoroughly basted anyway, don't worry, with herringbone thread basting. I'll probably only SID around the blocks if I really need to, but with this sort of batting I reckon I can get away without it. I'm not going to SID inside the blocks, there are too many fabric layers to make that feasible with hand quilting. Some of the blocks are going to be incredibly difficult to get a needle through due to foundation piecing, and the heart appears to have been fused onto crazy-quilting and was noticeably tough to baste. It also hasn't been properly pieced, the pieces have been appliquéd down with a zigzag and some fraying edges are already beginning to show, so somehow I will have to repair that.

I'm thinking of separate leaves rather than a vine, plus the odd spiral. Where there's space to get a big enough leaf in, I'll put a simple pattern inside, a spiral or similar. This isn't going to be dense quilting. If quilts can handle being tied, presumably they can cope with this level of quilting as well.

Your discussion of how to spread the leaves around is giving me a much better feel for how to unify this quilt with motifs, so thank you again.

Another question: do you think this quilt is likely to run like crazy if washed with a colour catcher, considering that not all of the fabrics will have been prewashed (you know block swaps, especially when you ask for scrappy) and that it's largely reds? Because if it's going to be safe to wash, then I can mark it all over with a washable marker and thus mark up the whole thing in advance. If not, I'll have to use a chalk pencil and mark as I go, since that tends to rub off if it's on a section of the quilt I'm not currently working on, especially if it's the bit that gets the Q-snap clamped over it.

To answer this question:

"I don't know how they were generally quilted"

They were tied becaue of the layers and heavier fabric.
I certainly admire you to even consider hand quilting with pearl cotton through all those layers.

How do you plan on using the quilt. Do you plan on entering in a show, use on the bed, wallhanging. etc.

It's being given to a charity to raffle off, and it's designed as a sofa quilt.

I'm currently planning to do only minimal quilting in the blocks, which still leaves lots of space with the sashing and borders. I'm just not used to dealing with this sort of quilt, design-wise.

Many thanks this is the way we learn. Cant wait to see the end product, please share then with us.

Love the randomness (is that a word?) of your quilt. Sorry, no advice on the quilting - I am a piecer not a quilter LOL
Pippa

Basting is the key both directions and start in the center.
Very pretty.
Good luck.

My advice for making sure the colors won't bleed would be to dip the entire quilt in a salt water bath. My dad told me to do this years ago with a red outfit my daughter just loved and it never lost a bit of color. The salt seems to set the dyes. Since then I always do this with any outfit or item that has red in it and it hasn't failed me yet. Fill your tub with lukewarm or room temp. water and disolve a couple of cups of table salt in it. Soak the quilt for about 10 minutes or so then run it through a rinse cyle in the washer. If the idea of soaking the entire quilt makes you nervous you could try it in a small basin with some scraps.

I say quilt in a tornado circular pattern. but that is just me. that is i what I would see from the patterns. hope this helps.

I think most true crazy quilts are actually tied with hidden stitches, rather than quilted. I shudder to even think of trying to hand quilt one through the foundation. But yours is actually more of a log cabin, and so pretty!! Love the color!

I took a class on crazy quilting only to learn how to 'quilt' the quilt since I already knew the basics of how to make the crazy quilt front/blocks. The instructor had crazy quilts from the 1800's to the present and she said they never machine or hand quilted the quilts. She said they are always tied them. Since the blocks are sewed onto a base fabric of muslin or such, she said to use batting and backing, then tie them only from the back by only going into the quilt as far as the muslin base and not clear through to the front of the designed block. Just hook the yarn into that and come back out and tie it in a square knot. You would still need to keep the ties close so the batting wouldn't fall later. I love to make crazy quilts and use tons of embellishments...beads, stitches, lace on each seam and so on. I embroidery a little picture by hand to use as the center of each block and work around it. If you want ideas of where to get yarn for the stitching and embellishments pm me. Your quilt is really pretty. It will be great when it is done. It is so ballanced and the colors are so pretty together.

Eagle Hawk - Thanks, but I'm really not trying to make a traditional crazy quilt here. As long as I can manage to do it physically, I don't see any reason not to quilt it the way I want to. However, if practically no one is quilting crazy quilts then that's a pretty good sign that it's going to be very hard to get the needle through, not to mention avoiding clutter visually, so I think I will keep the quilting within the blocks to the bare minimum, probably just a small motif in the centre. There's plenty of space in the sashing, after all.

sahm4605 - tornado circular pattern? Could you explain further? I am intrigued but confused!

candledish - ooh, that's handy to know, thanks. It probably wouldn't help if I had used some sort of washable marking pen, though, as we don't know how they'll react to salt. Right now I'm thinking of marking it with a silver quilting pencil, as they strike a good balance between rubbing off by the time you've quilted over them, but not rubbing off the rest of the quilt while you're generally handling it. This would save me having to wash it at all.

The colours have worked out nicely, I'm very pleased with it. It was a block swap quilt and the block description I gave was fairly vague, so I'm lucky that it turned out this well. Two blocks didn't make the quilt due to not working well with the others, of which one (crazy block made from three near-indistinguishable fabrics) will become an accompanying cushion where I can have fun with embroidery, and the other (not a crazy block at all) will become a wall hanging where i can have fun with beading.

please let us see the quilt in your avatar love everything from egypt

Thank you!

[img]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4146/...038fb67380.jpg[/img]

I took several classes on crazy quilts and we were told not to quilt them. Tie them. this was because of the heavy to light materials and they already had so much stitching in them. But each one is different and you will learn the method which ever one you use! My best.

Good point about the materials, I hadn't thought of that. These are all made with quilting cotton. The only thing I've noticed so far is the ones with foundation being a bit heavier, plus that one where there's the heart fused on.

Then if you are going to quilt instead of tie, then that is great. That is the best thing about crazy quilts...they are so individual and personalized in the way they are made. I'm sure that your idea of quilting instead of tieing yours will work out great and there is just no right or wrong as long as it works. I really do think that your layout, pattern and colors are so pretty together. I can hardly wait to see it done. I have made several scrap quilts that are strips layed on muslin the same way of making a crazy quilt, but without all of the fancy stitching either and I do a free motion stiple on those. They are a bit heavier, but they still quilt up great, so you shouldn't have a problem with your crazy quilt for sure. Just have fun with that beautiful quilt.

Lobster, I have to agree with Eagle Hawk...I have made several crazy quilts, and have tied all of them. Crazy quilts are normally just the front and a backing<although I did do one with thick batting for my parents 45th wedding anniversary quilt>. Now I am not saying you can't, but going through those seams and embellishments is going to be a difficult job. I did mine mainly out of velvet, satin, silk and materials that do not take to quilting easily<You have to do different techniques with many of the "fancy fabrics" to even applique them together. What type of fabric are you using?<It is hard to tell from the picture.>
If you are adding beads, charms, buttons, etc, be sure and add them AFTER quilting. The places where you fused may make the needle "gummy". I am looking forward to seeing your result!!! Great colors. I will also echo - Only YOU can decide what advice to take to make it your quilt, so as I say to my friends - take what you like and leave the rest!
p.s. Your avatar is lovely!

I've answered your questions in the rest of the comments in this post, if you have a look through them. The issues you raise shouldn't be a problem in this case.

And thank you!

I love your quilt! I'm saving the picture to my "Inspirations" album (with link) because it's just the type of work I enjoy seeing and would love to have on a wall.

I think your idea of random rather than continuous motifs is the best choice for this project, both in style and execution. You could put motifs in the blocks wherever needed to embellish and/or fasten down, even if just a few random running lines or tiny motif in a larger blank area. If you run into a problem area that's difficult to get a needle through, just change to a different spot--using separate motifs, exact placement won't matter as long as you have balance overall. And the layout of your blocks tells me you know all about visual balance. Beautiful so far, I look forward to seeing the finished product.

What a hot-looking top, love it.

I did lots of experimental perle cotton embroidery this winter with #8, #5 and #3. I realize you have basted this project but to save your fingers, would you consider removing the basting stitches and then doing the stitches and designs you choose on the top only? I think you would get better results. Then instead of batting use a layer of woven material such as flannel, then the lining and tack all three together.

One other unconventional way of embellishment would be to couch your motifs in heavier thread either by hand or machine. A wow in metalic.

Whatever you choose to do---enjoy! :thumbup:

Very beautiful work. Love the colors.

I'm no help with this, I just wanted to say how beautiful it is! Good luck with finishing this the way you have described, it sounds great.

I have done a few that I held together with scattered buttons.

And I did not do batting. Flannel is the most I ever do and sometimes not even that. But I do decorative machine stitches first. Sometimes I do the machine stitching to be pretty and then put back on which i held all together with buttons.

Can't wait to see it finished, and can't wait to see all of the answers......

It'll probably be a few months, but thank you! I am honestly a bit bewildered as to why so many people are telling me sternly that I mustn't quilt it, as I've said repeatedly that I'm looking at this afresh rather than taking the traditional approach. The piecing is no more complex than any other quilt that I've made, and apart from a few bits of foundation here and there which I can easily work round, the top is no heavier than any other standard quilting top. My seashell quilt top is the one that'll be really hard to quilt through, as the pieces are all tiny and there are seam allowances everywhere. But anyway, everyone's being very helpful and it's nice to get so much input.