I don't care for stiff quilts, and I've made a few! Don't take them out and use them 'cause they're not comfy. Pretty though!! I like the free flowing curves and loops of FMQ done simply and just close enough to assure that batting doesn't shift.

For a quilt that is going to get used a lot I ask for light quilting to keep the quilt softer, but for a display quilt I don't mind heavy quilting.... it is so beautiful to look at...

My sentements exactly. I have found, if youquilt heavily it takes away from the insulating components of the batting. It is the same principle of insulating your house. When you compact the insulation fabric you lose your insulating factor you start with, in other words you are defeating the purpose of you quilt being warm!

Do you really think anyone sleeps with some of those heavily quilted quilts??? I think most are just to look at, to oooooo and ahhhhhh over. Kind of like a status symbol.

I kind of agree with this. I would love to do more shows but I'm new to long arming and very bad at it. I want to finish a bunch of tops that I have but I keep thinking that if I quilt it, I wouldn't show it. I can't do all that intricate work and that's what I see as winning in ANYTHING. How can I compete even with a very well pieced quilt if I can't quilt it to death?

I think I am the odd woman out here. I love generous quilting when done in good taste with reference to the piecework. These quilts will wear forever. I feel a lot of quilts today are all about the fabric and colors. I think that is just 50% of the formula. I live in a cold climate and most quilts are not that warm any ways. A wool batting would not be stiff and is still warm and cuddly with closer quilting.

Talking about thread useage - besides learning quilting, I am also getting into machine embroidery - Over the weekend I saw a site selling digitized patterns of quilting blocks. These were not just a simple open pattern look (many of those are pretty for "a block" - but the whole of each block was stitched as we would use fabric - - the first thing that came to mind was - (A) can you imagine how expensive in thread that would be to make? (scraps being much cheaper) - and (B) the stiffness it would cause? I am sure somebody out there will love them and I think probably would have to be a wall hanging. But to me, it didn't seem too practical.
Marysewfun

I too am in favor of soft, snuggly quilts. I hand quilt.

BUT -- I just had a baby quilt done by Charismah and she did what I liked -- soft and snuggly with just enough machine quilting to be creative as well as tighten up the edges so if the parents want they can use it as a wall hanging until he grows enough to drag it aroung. I always put a sleeve on my quilts that I give just in case they want to hang it.

So I have changed my opion -- hard to do -- but I admit that both sides have a purpose.

Overdoing isn't good no mater what the siruation is

Mim

Some of the quilting I have seen is just stunning and some leaves me questioning the need to waste that much thread. I guess that beauty will always be in the eyes of the beholder

Some of the quilting I have seen is just stunning and some leaves me questioning the need to waste that much thread. I guess that beauty will always be in the eyes of the beholder