Hello all. I was wondering if someone might help me figure out how to decide what quilting design to use. I made a baby/childs quilt for Downy and it has kitties and big pokka dots on it. Bright colors and stripes. How do I figure out what quilting design to use. Any info is greatly appreciated. LOL in Christ, you guys are the BEST for sure. Happy Stitchin

I'm new at quilting and I share your issue on design. That's the hardest thing. Many say to let the quilt tell you, but perhaps I'm hard of hearing. lol. Anyway, I'll be following this post to get some info, too. Thanks for asking the question.

I am also new to quilting, having only been doing it about a year. What I tend to do is search online for "easy quilts"or "quilts for beginners." Then I get some ideas and then I look for colors I like. I have found that I prefer sewing in plain colors or variations of one color. I am VERY fond of purple and have made three quilts that are mainly purple.

So....I look for simple things. Does that help any?

I also worry a great deal about what I select, as I can't visualize what my quilt will look like. I am always surprised by my results, but so far I have liked them.

I am anxious to read what others say. I know my sister likes to select patterns that will challenge her. She likes to learn new techniques. THAT scares me silly, but she has been quilting 12 more years than I have.

I think it's a curse, but I can look at fabric and think of a dozen ways to use it, or look at a pattern and see a few dozen color sets. I look and think-----------if I spent as much time sewing as I do thinking, I'd be covered up in quilting!

I know they want them to be pretty heavily quilted since they will get a lot of use and lots of washing.That might help you decide.... :-D

One thing that might help you to decide on a quilting design is to hang your top someplace you can stare at it for about a week. Look at the whole pattern and the patterns that makes if you squint at it, or cross your eyes at it. Don't laugh at the squinting and crossing. I guarantee you this works. LOL

The quilting of any quilt depends on what part of your pattern you wish to accentuate, and as Ditter said, its intended use.

With your big polka dots and kitty shapes, perhaps quilting around each cat and adding some inner cat quilting to define their catness, and quilting around some or all of those polka dots might be nice. And maybe quilt along the edges of those stripes to bring them out. And for further background quilting, perhaps different sized circles, to reflect those dots might work.

Or you could show us your quilt and make it easier for us to help you think of something.

If you post a pic there are a lot of people on the board who can help.

i just dive right in with one block and if i like it then i keep going, but i try to make the same block in two different color choices, especially if I don't like the way it turned out mostly because of the colors. it is more fun and all the blocks that you make that you don't like you can turn into an I hate these blocks quilt. I have yet to hit a block that i hate. getting ready to start my third block. (If you haven't guessed I am very new to quilting also.)

I just meander all over; that's all I can do and I really like the look of it and I don't the difference. I don't think it will come apart after all the washings and tuggings.

Here is the pics. Thanks everyone for your info.