I'm beginning to think this is too busy..and how would you quilt it?
 

My mother in law loves pink, and I've been dying to actually do a hunter's star. Is it ok or too busy? the photo on the right is 4 squares together.... And how would you quilt it?

http://www.quiltingboard.com/attachm...d=497655&stc=1http://www.quiltingboard.com/attachm...d=497656&stc=1

I agree with you that it is very busy but if you keep it as it is I'd add a white border since you have white in the background and that may help the eyes "rest" a bit. I love pink!

I to agree it is busy but very pretty, I love pink in a quilt...don't know how you would quilt it maybe a large stippling would look good and it wouldn't be to busy... also a white boarder would make the white pop and won't look so pink.. It will be a beautiful quilt when it is done, make sure you post some pictures

love the idea of a white border! thanks!

I don't know if it is my screen, but the star gets lost for me. I love the fabrics and would use both of them in a heartbeat, but I'm not sure there is enough contrast between them to get the effect of the pattern.

I love it, but I am a lover of pink!! I would just keep the quilting simple. Thats a beautiful quilt, hope you will post pix's again!!

I agree that you do loose some of the stars, but I really love the effect!! The white border would be great.

I love pink, but I can hardly see the stars when I look at your blocks.

Sorry to say it, but these blocks are very busy. With all of the patterns in the fabric, it's difficult to pick out the quilt block pattern. Really pretty colors though.

this was my thought, too. to help the star pattern show up, i would med to densely quilt the background of the block with a pink thread. i think that would make the star pop.

I think it's great for a pink loving person. The white border sounds like a good idea. I'd do simple quilting, like a meander, for the pink and something different, like feathers or something circley, in the white border.

The problem you're having is that there isn't enough contrast between the colors in the background and the pinwheel section. You would have been better off using the darkest pink in the print, it would have seemed less 'busy' to you, I believe. Then if you also used some white within the body of the quilt and made this print a larger border, it could change the whole appearance of the top. :)

Jan in VA

Maybe you could just stitch in the ditch to outline the stars. That way the quilting wouldn't add more busyness and it might make the stars stand out more. I love the fabrics you used. I've been wanting to try that pattern.

It is a pretty quilt. To emphasize the stars I would take white thread and a decorative stitch on my sewing machine maybe something that is lacy looking and stitch around the stars to make them pop more. This could be done as part of the quilting.

ah, i like it, i think it is pretty.

Your fabrics are really pretty but not enough contrast for a Hunter's Star. I am not seeing the star effect at all but I am seeing the arrowheads. Not sure there is any quilting that will get the stars to pop out unless maybe a 1/4" echo in a dark gray thread and I don't know if that would work either.

Like it as a single block but, as others have commented, the design seems to get lost when put with more blocks. It's a lot of work to not be fully appreciated! How about making a pillow from a single block?

I agree - larger Quilting maybe even on Diagonal ? or following the Shapes ? I don't care for Stipple... but sure is Pretty.... are you Hand Quilting or machine...? Maybe even applique a round circle in the center of the blocks to break up the pink and add solid pink and white border...

I love your colors and fabrics but I would suggest a third color to create some contrast and to make the inner stars POP!. They are lost in the two color/prints. Perhaps a solid that is lighter or darker. Maybe the darker rosey pink of the dots or that is in the paisley print. Even white or off white would bring some contrast and all the eye to see the stars. I hope this helps and is not too discouraging.

You're right, it is a little busy for me, it is beautiful, though. I too would add white sashings to the quilt - it will tone the business down and add some "pop" to the quilt. I usually just do simple quilting.

I agree with all the others I think you could either add a White on White Sashing between the blocks or just by adding borders but I really like the Blocks I think you just need a little separation. Love the pink!!

I like your quilt, I would add a white border to calm it down. I think it will be fantastic when finished.

When you use two colors in Hunter's Star the quilting becomes even more critical as the stars tend to fade into the more dominant color. If you are going to have this done on a long arm machine, I found a pattern that emphasizes the points of the star and while it did not quite outline the points it did have a pointed geometry and helped defined the unit as an eight pointed star. Because I used three colors I did another geometric shape to fill the star's indentations and then third more dense design to fill the large triangles that formed the large squared background. However, in this case I would choose a rather bland and somewhat densely packed design for the entire background and that should help make the stars "pop" even more. The last thing I might suggest in using a puffy batting. The loft of the batting made the stars even more prominent.

This is not an easy pattern to sew and it looks as though you did a great job in the piecing, so take your time deciding on how to quilt it. What you and others feel is too busy now, can be tastefully "tamed" with the right quilting and ultimately a joy to own.

I'm working on one with Duck Dynasty fabrics like the real tree and mossy oak prints. I agree with nygal. You could also break it up a little by using white sashing around the squares. I think it's really pretty though!

Meandering would be my choice.

I, also, would do a white border, but the fabric should have just a little pink in it.

Basketman mentioned "If you are going to have this done on a long arm machine, I found a pattern that emphasizes the points of the star and while it did not quite outline the points it did have a pointed geometry and helped defined the unit as an eight pointed star."



Can you tell or show me what you found?

You did do a great job on the piecing and I am guessing you like pink since I see pink shoes in the photos!!! The fabric is really beautiful! So, a white or off white border would be great as others have mentioned .... maybe even two white borders with the outer one being wider and a thin pink strip between the two? I was thinking you could do curved quilting from the outside point of the star arching slightly outward and coming back in to the side points where the each diamond meets up with the neighbor diamond. So you would have 16 "arches" going around each star with hopes that that would set them off and making a sort of flower pattern. Then quilt all the areas outside the star with a denser pattern to make the star stand out some. I am hoping this makes some sense but maybe not. Some quilters use a plexi-glass sheet to lay over there blocks and then draw designs on the plexi to sort of audition a quilt pattern. Use a wipe off marker and you can test out different designs. Good luck. I am sure that you will find a solution that will make this a beautiful quilt!

What Jan said. The star gets lost without more contrast between it and the background. You need a third color and white would be great. Your fabrics are lovely!

I agree with QuiltnNan. She has a great idea here; quilting the background of the block. (Leave the stars unquilted.)

I identified the brand of long arm machine that was going to be used and then used Bing as my search engine...typed in the brand and then added digitized patterns and a bunch of companies were listed ( e.g.: Legacy, Three sisters etc) then I searched within those companies. It took a bit of doing but I found exactly what I felt was appropriate. If you like my thinking I can try and find a picture on my Ipad of the quilting I selected and possibly post it if I can figure out the mechanics to do so? I used a couple more colors than you and that made the quilting easier but I still think the right quilting will pull it all together and give you the look you are seeking.

I agree with many that a contrasting border would be a nice touch but it appears that you have a lot of the quilt together and even though I am new to this craft and possibly do not understand some of the suggestions, several ideas seem to suggest taking some of what is already done apart? Anyone who has done this pattern knows it is a beast to do it once and get all those intersections to meet and lie flat! Maybe doing the background and leaving the stars alone might work, but depending on their size that might make them more vulnerable to wear and if it were mine...I would want some quilting there as well?

I would SITD diagonally, vertical and horizontal then outline each star SITD. Love that bright pink!!

Found a photo...hope it helps! http://www.quiltingboard.com/attachm...d=497784&stc=1

I too loose the star so maybe quilting around it with dense white thread would help it pop. The pink is such a pretty shade.

Love the paisley/floral fabric, but I don't think this pattern does it justice, and the stars are lost. I would replace it with a white on white, (even if just in the stars), and use that beautiful floral for a wide border. just my opinion.

I do think it's busy, but I love it. I wouldn't pick the white print to use in making a hunter's star simply because the print is so big, you lose your pattern definition. I do totally love that print though. I also like the idea of a smaller white border, followed by a larger one in your very darkest pink in the print, or maybe even the tan looking color if you like the way that looks.

If I were going to quilt this, I would do an outline stitch, about 1/4" away from the center star and then make a random loose loop on the way to the next star. I would keep the loops going in different directions and different sizes and shapes, just as if you had doodled them on with a pencil, also keeping the lines between the stars and loops loose and curvey, as the lines around the star centers will be straight and pointed.

LOL, Hope I explained it well enough, I can see it perfectly in my mind.

What is that pattern..( just figured out it's a hunter's star)I agree just a bit bz but love the colors though...

White borders and white thread. I would calm the pink down with somewhat heavy white stitching in the pink blocks.

It is very busy... but I like the colors. What if you put white sashing between the blocks to give it more definition. Then add a white border.

I think your fabric is beautiful and it is a nice pattern. You did a great job on it. I would us one of your fancy stitches to out line the star in a white and that would be your quilting.