could someone please explain to me how to stipple i would appreciate it thanks dorothy from tenn

Correct me if I am wrong, but stippling is like corneli work on an iced cake... one continuous wriggly line.... but bigger curves....

What a great description! Absolutely right! Never really looked at it like that, but it is...! Imagine a little caterpillar dipped in color and allowed to wander all over the quilt top...or a snake..though those images could be disturbing to some I guess, ...anyway it is squiggles all over. Some modes of stippling also include the more graphic geometric stitching. Some quilt police would debate that. It is simply put...even ,consistent patterned stitching used to fill an area. These stitches be very close and often help to define. All over stippling is a true meandering appearance covering the entire quilt.

Wow! So we can marry my two favorite hobbies!?!?!?! :)

you betcha' ! think of some of the icing patterns....scrolls for instance....as a wonderful quilting pattern.....hhhmmmm!!! And those wonderfully made cakes with the almond paste and fine iceing designs...what a whole cloth quilt they would make...yummy.

Stippling to me looks like jig saw puzzle pieces. I love doing it.

Sounds funny, but my mother in law taught me " Big Head Little Neck"
It made it easier for me to remember the pattern as I was going along. 8)

I heard to not cross over previous stitching. Is there some dire consequence, or is it just design? :oops:

some quilt snob might look down her nose at it but i'm pretty sure the Berlin Wall won't go back up. :wink:

i seem to recall hearing or reading somewhere that in a strictly technical sense it isn't stippling if the lines cross each other anywhere.

i try really hard to not worry much about such technicalities. i'll be happy enough if my first free motion attempt is simply not a complete disaster. (don't place any bets. i still haven't worked up the nerve to try. LOL)

I'm not a quilt snob, but that is what I was taught, and that is what I was told is the technique called stippling.

and you love it.

but ... if you accidentally crossed a line ... wouldn't you still love it? and be proud of how pretty your creation was?

my point isn't to put down anybody who knows all the correct terms and techniques. i envy and admire anybody who can execute any quilting technique with any degree of skill. i haven't tried any kind of freeemotion yet so don't know whether i'll be any good.

i do get upset sometimes when we worry so much about violating rules sent down from on high that we start something new scared to death of breaking them. or worse ... don't try something new because of that fear.

"they" couldn't call themselves experts if we didn't accept "them" as experts. i can't help but wonder how much talent is stifled by fear, self-doubt, and anxiety because we might not do it exactly as "they" say we should.

that's why i like it here so much. i haven't "met" a single quilt snob or member of the quilt police yet. we share what we know ... reluctantly admit what we don't know ... and keep each other laughing as we gather our courage to face the next new challenge.

Patrice is absolutely right. Because of the "rules" we are often too intimidated to try something new for fear of the Earth spinning backward. I was so scared of FMQ before I tried it that I would get this horrible knot in my stomach even at the thought of finishing a quilt top... How will I quilt it? What if I mess up my quilt by attempting a new technique? and about a million other questions including will the walls cave in and the QP take me away to place me on display for public ridicule? Finally I tried it, and when I messed up, I was able to fix my quilt pretty easily with the aid of my handy friend Mr. Seam Ripper, and when I crossed over my lines of stipple the walls didn't cave in and out of all of the people who have seen this quilt, not one has ever ridiculed my work. Instead, I was asked for one many times over, and 2 even asked me to teach them how to do it. :shock:

No one should ever be afraid to try something new just because of the rules and the QP... neither exists in your private sewing area until you are ready to allow them into your quilting processes. As a matter of fact, the only time you will ever encounter them is if you enter a quilt into one of their quilt shows, and then it is different because you have invited their critique.

As far as why we don't cross over the previously sewn lines, I have heard it can cut those threads, but the answer that made most sense to me was crossing over the lines breaks up the background pattern you are trying to accomplish, thereby preventing the flowing movement of the eyes across the quilt... sort of like hitting a visual speed-breaker.

Maybe someone was just trying to make theirself feel more important by making it more difficult on beginners to the technique?? Machine stippling hasn't been around very long has it?

Having just joined the forum I am very interested in the stippling debate. I have tried a bit of machine stippling on my Janome but the stitches get hic-cups.....I know I need lots of practise, but at the moment I am in a hurry and working on a hand quilted project. Problem: Is there a technique for free-motion hand stippling? I need to fill in some areas on faux baltimore blocks. I appeal to the wisdom and expertise of the wonderful world of quilters.

No stippling has'nt been around very long, that I'm aware of, I was given a free lesson about 10 yrs ago in a little sewing machine shop in NC, at that time, I was told it was a new thing. And I was so intimadated to even try it. And I did'nt for about 6 yrs, but I kept seeing more and more of it and made up my mind to do it. And to date I still sometimes cross aline. Which dosen't diminish from my quilt at all. I was also taught that it should look like jig saw puzzle pieces. And for the most part, it dose. But whats wrong with it lookin like large child type puzzle pieces? For me I think it's the consistency of what ever design, as stated, By Patrice it's the flowing of the pattern and motion of the back of the quilt. And it's what YOU want to do, It's your quilt.

You could echo quilt the blocks or draw in the stipple with a chalk pencil or water soluable pen and stitch on your drawn lines. Good luck!!

I was told it was like puzzle pieces also and by the way if anyone can see that you crossed over your lines, they are waaaaaaaaaaaaay to damn close! :D

Good Point!! :lol:

Patrice,


"or worse ... don't try something new because of that fear. "

How do you know me so well?!?!?! :lol:

I have to keep reminding myself that!

most of us have to keep reminding ourselves of that.

we are not alone. ;-)

I may have missed it, but no one has mentioned that the easiest way to practice any continuous line quilting design is to use a large piece of paper and practice with a pencil. The brain doesn't know the difference between fabric and paper. I love the debate on terminology. Stippling is the jig saw puzzle look that doesn't cross itself. Meandering is the wandering designs that fill in. Happy quilting.
Sally
Gammill Classic
Rock Falls, IL

I am poised...ready to plunge.....maybe if I have a glass of wine and look at some pictures first!!!!

i'm practicing this morning. it looks like i did have wine. about a bottle and a half of wine!

:shock: :lol: :shock:

Hi Patrice, No, that's called a tippling stitch :!: :P

I have found when stippling by hand you need to adjust for a larger curve in your stipple.The distance between hand quilting and machine quilting is a little different and for smooth results a medium size is best., to allow for the flow. Otherwise you end up with a rather jaged stipple, which is fine if you are going for a geometric stipple effect. ( I define stipple as even consistent patterned stitches) :D

Hi
I just joined and wanted to answer the "Stippling" question. I went to web search, typed in stippling and found this neat site. Video Tip: For stitching intricate quilt designs by machine-try stippling. The video is very informative.
Thanks

I have been quilting for 20+ years (geez has it been that long?) I just ventured into stippling when I was hand quilting a log cabin for my daughter she got in hurry for the quilt and I thought. hum all that border space yet to do.! :roll: so to appease daughter I tried the stippling! I LOVE IT. The quilt police mat hunt me down but the quilt turned out fine. I just focused on the area I was quilting and let my hands meander. I did cross a few lines but it sure looks ok now that binding is on and she has it on her bed. Let yourself go and enjoy the moment with the quilt. Hard fast rules are always made tro be broken!!!!!!!!!!!! HAVE FUN!

I have been watching many entries on the boards, and have gotten some pretty great ideas from you and others - but your answer about not having tried it yourself, patrice, makes me feel a lot better. I thought i was the only one who was chicken to try the stipple move. I am one of those who told my neighbor that she was nuts to cut up perfectly grand material into little pieces and then stitch it all back up. I AM NOW HOOKED - and she gives me a bad time about it every chance she gets - but she is such a great help and I could not get along without her help.

I'm sure there's a few of us who haven't tried stipping yet. I will some day need to get a good grip on a few other things first I have a problem staying on the lines with a pattern I start wandering all over the place.
Wait a second, I'm probably stippling then aren't I lol

it's either stippling or tippling. :-)

P, did you let the kitten tipple too? LOL

she's the shame of the whole family. a drunk ... a floozy ... you name it.

but she's honest and housebroken, so we keep her.
:mrgreen:

hey she doing good she cut back little. Your just made because she won't share with you anymore, I've been getting your share lately

Well, at least now we know who the Drunkards Path is attributed to.... :lol:

good one Carla!

YA'LL BETTER QUIT PICKIN' ON ME. or i'll take my ball and go home.

[we need a pouty faced emoticon]

even worse ... i'll come back!
:mrgreen:

But its fun and we love you so much

your ball's flat anyway! get a new one THEN come back.lol

Dodge Ball anyone?? (Although, she'd probably catch it then I'd be out!) :lol:

Children, children, children you know better than to pick on someone smaller than you. Shame on you. Now, now Patrice don't you cry. God will get them for that.

Dodge Ball? Haven't you heard? that game is now politically incorrect. too competitive and damaging to self-esteem. Heaven forbid our children should get a taste of real life before they have to live it.