How much quilting is too much?
 

How do you determine that quilting is too much on a quilt? I have seen some that the quilting overtakes the piecing...the quilting is making the quilt stiff.
I have seen where the quilting takes OVER the quilt and almost becomes the quilt instead of the piecing of the blocks or quilt.
What is too much and where do you draw the line?
Curious minds want to know.
Kirsten

It is all a matter of the opinion of the quilter. I have always enjoyed the look of hand quilting when I machine quilt o my Bernina. I want the pieced quilt to be what catches the eye.

I like quilts to be soft and snugly and in my opinion, when a quilt starts feeling hard and the quilting affects the drape then it's been over quilted. I love beautiful, intricate quilting but for me, function is more important.

I agree with Tartan. I like to see the piecing, but with a less intricate quilt top, the more intricate quilting can really make an otherwise boring quilt pop :)

It depends what the quilt is being used for. Less quilting makes it soft and snugly. Medium quilting is more decorative, say for a bed cover. Intense would put you in the custom and show catagory.

The question is: How much quilting is too much, FOR YOU. Quilting density is in the eye of the beholder. A finished quilt may have not enough quilting for some folks, too much for others and just enough for the maker. The quilting community is made up of folks with different tastes, so for your quilts, just add enough for you, and if you are having your quilts quilted, make sure you convey this info to the quilter. Just remember to read the label on the batting package and follow the manufacturer's instructions for the minimum required.

Ditto! I was going to say the same thing.

It is not typical for people to wash quilts before entering them into shows and densely quilted quilts are stiff straight off the machine. Once washed, the only thing that determines whether a quilt will be stiff or not is the batting itself. Quilts with quality high loft batting like Warm & Plush and cotton thread quickly soften up after a couple of washes even when quilted at 1/2".

For me, there's no such thing as too much quilting, only not enough. I want my quilts to last so I now always quilt no farther than 2" apart & prefer 1/2-1" spacing, but even 1/4" quilting lines I think look good when done properly. When you are quilting that close together, it's generally for one of 3 purposes -- either to add texture to the quilt (using a matching or 1 shade greyer thread) or to make the sections around it pop (faux trapunto) or to add color by using a specific color of thread (typically an art quilt). It really just depends on what look you're going for.

That said, yes there are densely quilted quilts that do not look attractive, in my opinion. By the same measure, there are also quilts with less quilting that are equally unattractive. It really just depends, for me, on the design of the quilting itself. It should not compete with the piecing or applique work.

Certainly, the amount of quilting is personal preference. For me, I have done some dense machine quilting and felt it made the quilt less cuddly--more like a pad which I wasn't happy with. Washing will soften it up, but I prefer a softer feel.

Making a "quilt" has progressed from something necessary to a work of thread/textile art, in some cases And, in my opinion, that should determine the density and type of the thread work design. That being said, I have seen some very nicely pieced quilts- I'm thinking body covers, be it bed, lap,throw,- that are so loosely quilted it will be lumpy and saggy after a few washings. And, conversely, some that are so densely quilted, they could greet you at the door.....the eye is drawn to the quilted thread design and not the fabric piecing and are as stiff as "boards". But, it is what it is.

I am not a fan of densely quilted quilts. I think the quilting should not take over the pattern of the fabrics. I strive for a happy medium. There are always a few quilts in the shows that the pattern and quilting don't jive well together. One or the other takes over. Sometimes they win sometimes they don't. It all depends on the judges.

I think people tend to quilt more heavily with long arms simply because they can. There aren't the practical barriers of time and physical effort that you have when stitching by hand or when trying to move a heavy quilt under a needle.

I think what people are referring to when they say that a lightly quilted quilt is more snuggly, is that the batting retains more of the air. For any particular stitch in hand quilting, you have the thread either on the top of the quilt or on the bottom, but not both. With machine quilting, a top and bottom thread meet in the middle with every stitch and compress the batting.

I try to keep that in mind when considering a design for a machine-quilted quilt. I figure that I should have about half the amount of stitching when machine quilting that I would have when hand quilting if I want a similar effect, since I am using twice as much thread and compressing the batting with each stitch. I think this is why heavily quilted machine-stitched quilts seem stiff. The air has been quilted out.

I grew up with most of my quilts tied with yarn, so I tend to prefer a less-quilted quilt over one with a lot of quilting. I usually look for batting that allows quilting to be very spaced out, so I can quilt minimally if I want to, but of course more is fine too.

I tend to quilt baby/child quilts a little more densely than quilts for adults. I assume it's going to be washed more often, and I'm hoping it'll be used for things like blanket forts and superhero capes too, so I try to build those to be extra rugged.

I've seen some quilts before quilting that are lovely with pretty, pastel colored prints and are a sweet design. I've seen the same quilts after quilting that look like a "gravel road"!
For me mostly, less is more, unless its a wholecloth.

I have changed over the years. I used to be a "less" fan and liked minimal quilting. I am now a "more" fan, but still not heavy. Right now I am liking the texture that close straight or wavy lines create.

I try to go for balance. I also let the quilt lead the direction i'm going in when I am deciding how to quilt it.

I will also admit that I like more quilting than less quilting.

Totally dependent on the quilter. I tend to quilt more densely on some quilts and less on others. There is no right or wrong.

Ditto luvspaper.

Could not agree more. The amount of quilting is completely subjective. I will quilt much more heavily for a wall hanging or a show quilt. In the case of show quilts the judges always look for balance and continuity. Does the quilting compliment and enhance the piecing, is it well balanced throughout? this is a common criteria I see on comment/score sheets. It really boils down to personal preference. One person's "too much quilting" is another person's "just right".

I go according to the batting. I've been to some quilting shows and even changing distances from the quilt it was often hard to determine the pattern because of the extreme dense quilting.

I like a lot of quiliting. FMQ is my favorite stage of the process, and it's where I add my own personal vibe to a quilt. It's not just about structure -- it's adding texture, secondary design, and subtle color additions to the pieced work. I think when it's done purposefully and and with some skill, you can't over-quilt. Not saying that every quilt ever can support heavy quilting. A case in point -- I'm working on the 365 quilt block challenge -- lots of tiny blocks heavily pieced, and that quilt is all about the piecing, so the quilting will have to take a backseat and be more structural rather than a design element in itself.

Those who love to go on about how stiff and cardboard-like heavy quilting makes a quilt -- that's a problem of not using the optimal batting type and/or an unfortunate thread choice more than a density of quilting issue. Sometimes too there is an element of sour grapes that sneaks into those comments. I get it somewhat -- before I had the ability to do FMQ myself, I claimed to like stitch in the ditch / invisible quilting. That's what I felt was attainable on my equipment and with my time and skill set, so I didn't really key into FMQ as an art in and of itself. With a machine upgrade and some time devoted to learning how to do it, I love it and really admire and appreciate the masters who share their work and tutorials online.

I think it's sad that quilters seem to think it's fine to be rather rude about heavily quilted work -- or dismissive with broad strokes, while they would be outraged if similar comments were made about under-quilted work. There's a real double standard for the level of rude that's tolerated in comments about quilting. What ever happened to just saying "I really like doing it this way because I think it looks best or works well for my skills" and leaving out the negative comments about the opposite>

Very well stated RST.

I make mostly lap quilts or baby quilts. Usually I end up with more quilting. My hands and brain just start swirling or doing wavy lines and the denseness is set! Once you start out denser, you need to keep that denseness in the whole quilt so it's flat. I've seen quilts that I think are over or under quilted and detract from the piecing. When I go to a show, I'm more apt to feel sad about the under quilted ones.

The purpose of quilting is to anchor the three layers of the sandwich together so that the batting doesn't shift. After that, it becomes personal preference. The quilting can become an art form in itself going beyond function or an enhancement of the piecing or applique. The question of this topic seems to ask if there is a standard to go by. There might be, probably is, a standard for show or competition quilts. In my opinion, with quilts for function and enjoyment, after the basic purpose of quilting is met, whatever the quilter likes is okay. If someone wants to be critical, well, it just shows that our tastes are all different. I think we just need to quilt in away that is pleasing to ourselves.

Very well put. I also think if some one quilts a quilt for another person, long arm quilter, they should try and keep the piecing forefront unless the person who pieced the quilt wants a lot of quilting. Definitely keep the purpose of the quilt in mind. It reminds me of two beautiful quilts made by a grand mother for her grand daughters, the quilts were quilted by a long arm quilter and the work was gorgeous but the quilts ende dup stiff and heavy. They lost their snuggle factor and had turned into beaufiul wall hangings.

If I paid a long arm quilter to do custom quilting, I would be very disappointed if they under-quilted my project -- I would be looking for added artistry and design elements -- think of the work by Angela Walters or the name escapes me, but Green Fairy Quilters. Otherwise, I see no point in paying for professional longarming. So I would say the take away is to find ways to communicate very clearly what your expectations are if you are a customer. And if you're a pro, be clear and honest about your skill set and what you can reasonably deliver.

I wish we had "Like" buttons.

PP you are correct, it is in the eye of the beholder, or cuddler. A woman in my MQG did an incredible quilt with match stick quilting. It was spectacular, it made the quilt, but it was not for cuddling under.

Agree with what Tartan said.

I have a quilt right now that I turning out more dense than I planned for exactly the reason you state Doggramma!

I totally agree with you.

Quilting density is such a personal preference - to each his own.

I like less quilting than more. When excess quilting causes the actual pattern of the top to be lost, that is entirely too much quilting, IMO.

I totally agree with Bree 123-I love the densely quilted look and after washing they felt much softer. This is the reason I stop sending my quilts to the longarmer. She did'nt like densely quilts so she did them the way she wanted. Ever time I brought one said to do it very small ... she didn't

I prefer a soft quilt. I like beautiful feathers and other designs, but the current trend of intense quilting doesn't appeal to me. I have used matchstick quilting on a wallhanging, but it would not feel good as a throw. A whole cloth quilt is beautiful when quilted with an intricate design, but it doesn't need to be taken to the level of completely stiff. My more intensely quilted projects require blocking. I like to wash and immediately use my quilts.

Ditto! Must be useable and snuggley.

to me making a quilt is a 2 step/2 senses process--the piecing and design are all about color and the quilting is all about texture. I love to play with strong colors and I love to quilt--so for some people, I probaly quilt too densely--that is always a question I ask customers so that they are happy with the level of quilting done. if your LA doesn't ask you about that, then you need to let them know.
Even with dense quilting, I think the 2 most important reasons the quilt may be stiffer (before washing) is the type of bat used and the type of thread--a cotton thread like King Tut is going to feel a lot stiffer and "heavier" than a #50 poly like SoFine with the same density of quilting. Same for color--thread that blends with the fabric doesn't appear as dense while a high contrast thread will always seem more visible and denser.

It's a matter of personal preference. I personally like the fabric design to show and less quilting. I like softer quilts and will never enter a quilt contest-ever.

If I have something with really gorgeous fabric I tend to quilt less, maybe SITD so the fabric doesn't get drowned out.

If my fabric is kind of meh then I'll quilt a lot. The extra quilting can really bring a quilt to life even if it's made from bottom of the barrel scraps.

quilting
 

personally I like very little quilting and my last wall hanging i specified NO feathers. am tired of them