I love feathers especially on log cabin quilts. I have been practicing feathers on my domestic machine. They do cover quite a bit of space but require practice. I like swirls and that has come easier. However, I don't like panto's on quilts

When I quilted by check I knew nothing of the process, so asked her what did she recommend? She showed me a panto graph that perfectly complemented my quilt and saved me a lot of money, which I don't have much of. I think they are only too perfect if they are too obviously wrong for the design of the quilt. Your statement of having "no soul" tells me your are a true artist, and as such I understand your feelings, but I just like to make hugs to leave behind when I am gone, and I love piecing, just have no desire to be an artistic quilter. I respect those that are, but there needs to be something available for newbie LAQs, fixed income customers, and people like me who just want to keep the layers together. I have even been known to tie quilts. (Gasp!) After saying all of this, I do love to see the quilting artists displaying their art at shows and here, because I now know what it really takes to do it. Peace

phbbbtt. that's funny. but the thread has been enjoyable.

As a long arm quilter, I try to find out what the customer is thinking--both design, thread choice, etc. Often they don't really have a clear design in mind--so I'll suggest a couple of designs. But first and foremost is finding out her price range--like most quilters, I charge more for hand quided vs. panto, dense quilting vs light meander/stipple.

Regarding panto--while I much prefer to work at the front of the machine and do hand guided/custom, sometimes a complex piecing quilt is best highlighted by a panto or edge to edge.

Exactly this! Sometimes - especially in times where I'm not as creative as usual - little to no guidance from the customer makes the job extremely difficult. I would rather they came in with an example or one I saw in the shop I service machines at, there was a whole plan drawn out before the guy even brought his gorgeous denim quilt in to be quilted.

I try to start with "how dense do you like you're quilting? Do you like more traditional quilting (though sometimes the top itself will give that away) or more modern? What's your price range?" but even these questions are vulnerable to "Oh I like everything!"

The last quilt I did, she liked everything and had a million vague ideas and was sure anything I chose would be fine. Then the final nail in the coffin: Take your time, no rush at all. The only saving grace was a mutual friend telling me what the first friend was hoping the quilt to stay in the range of price wise. I still probably worked for $5 an hour by the time you figure in the time spent auditioning designs and creating a custom panto and the SITD.

Sometimes I find the design lends itself to an easily repeatable pattern but not a full panto. For that braid I mentioned, I created a custom panto for just the braid portions of the quilt, so I knew I'd have the same spacing on all 8 braid pieces. It doesn't look like a panto but a small portion of it is pantoed.

Just for you all who wonder, my quilt was a scrappy hearts made of squares and triangles. The squares were 2" and had 2.5" sashing which was unbleached muslin on muslin (if it were white on white, I would know how to describe it). There were so many colors among the white/beige that she suggested a loop de loop with hearts stitched every so often. She even helped me name my quilt. It is called "Happy Hearts". My blocks were 10"x10" and her hearts were about 5" so it was stitched approximately 4 inches apart at most.

I don't know about becoming too common or trending because haven't they been around for a very long time? Take a look at the traditional Durham quilts from England. They are not exactly very modern. Nor are the French quilts. I like them but I think the point you are making is that they can be over done and look a bit messy. I like them to fill the space without a lot of fillers or stippling.

It takes time to learn different techniques. McTavishing is fairly easy to learn, much easier than feathers. I love doing the technique, not near as good as Karen McT. is, but customers like it.

Most of my customers let me decide what to put on their quilts. I do have an automated system (TL18LS w/Qbot V3), but I don't use it very often. I look at the quilt and the pattern...and sometimes it takes a day or even a week just staring at the quilt...I decide what I want on the top. Sometimes, it needs a feather block or a feather border. Usually, the old gramma's tops I do, well they just need something that gramma would have hand quilted on them. I do a lot of SID (Stitch in the Ditch), also 1/4" outside the ditch on some items...it really depends on the top.

I've gotten some really wonky quilts & I have to take that into consideration. If the person was not the best at piecing...or tension was not great on their sewing machine...that is taken into consideration. Out of about 20 quilts in the past two months...I think I used a feather border once, a block motif maybe 3 times, Qbot designs about 6 times (alternated blocks on an appliqued quilt). Right now I have a 1920's quilt that is 8" squares on point. Customer wanted the quilt "Floppy", so she could cuddle in it while remembering here gramma, who made the quilt. She wanted an allover open "squiggle, or something like that." I am using an end to end design with the robot...it's called Chantilly Lace. Very pretty when done, looks nice...and I've done it large and open...this quilt will be real "Floppy", but will not be a simple meandering line. And even though it's on point, I'm surprised that it's done well, no issues really at all.

I LOVE feathers......I like other types of quilting too, but feathers just seem to make a quilt smile and they can be done in so many styles......

I love feathers. As soon as I am brave enough to try them on my dsm, I will probably use feathers a lot. To me, they are graceful and feminine.

To each his own ... I love it all! For my own quilts, however, I want to do it all myself, so that limits my quilting style. The size of the quilt will sometimes dictate whether I use my DMC or hand quilt. So "less is more" is usually the theme of my quilting. LOL

I sent out my "showstopper!" to my fav la. We decided on a price and I wanted feathers and the whole shebang. She called me while working on it. We had decided on a motif in each plain block, but they were surrounded by 4,000 hst - very busy. I used wool batting and she just said that feathers would really pack it down and it looked nice plainer. I went along with her idea. It ended up costing me less and I do like it. So glad she spoke up. But I still love feathers and will do them another time.

"but I just like to make hugs to leave behind when I am gone, "

I find this is true of many customers. Cost of longarm quilting determines their choice also most do not want a stiff quilt as the quilt is meant to be used. If you look around you might find longarm quilters that will do a basic all over and or some custom free hand for the same price as a panto.

I like feathers, but they don't fit every quilt. I do my own quilting so making a long arrmer aware isn't an issue. My friend, who make gorgeous quilts, has all her quilting done by a long armer and the results are stunning.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/images/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by HouseDragon http://www.quiltingboard.com/images/...post-right.png

Oh! And the last thing I'd pay for would be a computerized design! To me they are too perfect and have no soul.


I agree that all over patterns like pantos can be perfect for those with limited funds who cannot do the quilting themselves or just simply love piecing but not quilting.

With that said, my retirement funds are reserved for paid quilting on my most precious quilts which beg for quilting I cannot do myself. So far that is one quilt. PINKS & Fairies took me two years to finally finish the top (in between numerous other quilts and "quilty" projects). It's a log cabin that in my mind begs for handcrafted feathers and curls.

Something I'm working at achieving but my skills don't match this special quilt for my DGD. Meanwhile, I do the best I can on the rest. AKA Practice! Practice! Practice!

I'll add that my BFF had one of her quilts pantographed with an all over dragonfly design. I love Dragonflies! And if one of my quilts tells me that that design is what it needs, I won't hesitate to go for it. :D

Thanks for the link. I just learned something totally new today.

IMHO Feathers are a time honored traditional quilting design motif. They have been used in quilting for about as long as quilting has been in existence. So they are certainly not a new trend. It is no surprise that they continue to be used in today's quilting and not just by LAQ. Beautifully executed feathers are still done by hand and also by DSM quilters. I love the look of well done feathers and I enjoy quilting them too. When I got my LA feathers were most definitely the motif I wanted to master first and foremost. Once feathers are mastered, countless other motifs can be made using the same principal as making feathers, such as leaf and vine, ferns, waves etc.
Are they being over used as a quilting motif? Well that is a matter of opinion. Just like what is over quilted to one, may be just right to another. As far as quilting all over with no regard to piecing, sometimes an all over design is just right for some quilts. I have done many that all over design is exactly what the quilt needed. And I have done others where SITD and just a bit of embellishment quilting to get the quilt to sing is what is needed.
It all boils down to preference and what your pocketbook can bear.

I agree. Generally, I think the piecing should be the star. I have seen beautifully feathered quilting which is appropriate for the quilt. I have also seen quilts overwhelmed by the quilting design - not just feathers.

However, I think many of the recent long arm quilting I have seen here lately complements the quilt design.
I wish I could afford to have one of my tops professionally done.

You haven't seen my computerized quilting or you would never say that computerized designs are "too perfect".:D

I use a large stipple on many of the charity quilts I do. Some look better than others, but if I go fancier they won't get done. However, I make sure that the entire quilt has quilting no more than 4 inches apart since the quilts are likely to get rough treatment during use and laundering.

Haha! This is exactly what I thought when I read that comment. Lately I've been doing all over meandering because it's faster so I can get things done and move on. I love piecing, so that is the focus of my time and my finished quilts, but i do appreciate the skill and time that goes into more intricate quilting, including feathers.

I recently finished an Omigosh quilt (9,911 pieces) and took it to a longarm quilter who did a beautiful job. She thought about feathers in the border but did something simpler because she wanted to show off the piecing. I think those who look at the quilt carefully often give it their best design.

IMHO, the quilting should enhance the quilt. Any type of quilting can be overused. The quilting also should coincide with the owner's budget & tastes.
It can be difficult to get all components aligned.

I doubt I will ever get tired of seeing beautiful feathers that compliment the piecing.