Quiltingboard Forums - looking for help

Quiltingboard Forums (https://www.quiltingboard.com/)

- Main (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/)

- - looking for help (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/looking-help-t18761.html)

I have finished a large D9P top for a wedding gift. I want some ideas on quilting it. I have a small sewing machine, so I'd like something easy. I've never tried free motion quilting and don't want to do this as FM practice. I'd appreciate some ideas. Thank you.

I would either stitch in the ditch, or around each 1/4 block, or something. The last two D9P I did were FM, but I think in the ditch would look really cool on the back, I want to try that.

D9P? I get the 9-patch part but am blanking out on the D.

I found stitch-in-the ditch to be somewhat difficult, perhaps because I am a perfectionist. Even with an edge foot, I found it difficult to stay exactly in the ditch or precisely on the edge.

My suggestion for an easy quilting approach would be a "wave" pattern using a walking foot. Basicacally this would be just wavy lines. You would start in the center of the quilt and work you way out on each side. No line has to exactly match the line before; in fact, a little random variation would would make it very natural looking.

You could add more quilting by cross-hatching the whole thing. That is, once you have lines going one way you can turn the quilt and make lines going diagonally across.

Alternatively, you can sew one line down the middle one way and then turn the quilt and sew one line down the middle the other way. This would actually stabilize the quilt sandwich better from the beginning.

I think the crosshatching would be especially effective if you work from one corner of the quilt to the other. Because you would be sewing so much on the bias, I would just be careful to heavily starch the backing fabric and top before layering to ensure they don't stretch on the bias. For diagonal crosshatching, I think I would sew from one corner to the other through the middle and then from and to the other corners through the middle first -- more stability.

The beauty of doing wavy lines is that you don't have to worry about anything being perfectly straight or evenly matched. You can just relax as you sew. Variations will look natural. Plus, you don't have to worry about stitch length because your feed dogs are up and you are sewing as usual. I would really want to use a walking foot, though, to make sure the top is moving evenly with the bottom layer.

D9P - disappearing 9 patch... let me see if I can find you a pic
[img]http://www.quilt.com/BulletinBoard/b...ock-755098.jpg[/img]

Love the colors. Had to stare for awhile to find the 9 patch!! :shock:

I'm a fan of stitch in the ditch for this one.

Absolutely beautiful!
My SIL uses a walking foot and does diagonals ... if you really MUST keep the line straight, you can use PAINTERS' TAPE ... lay out your diagonal one way and then go the opposite direction.
Painters tape because the adhesive holds but doesn't adhere so much as masking tape does.

Oh, my goodness, that is GORGEOUS!!!!!! :shock: :D :!: :!:

I have done many D9P's, but yours really takes the cake! Your fabric choices are incredible, and your work is very precise. GREAT JOB!!!

As for the quilting, I would definitely KEEP IT SIMPLE. Depending on the type of batting (thus, how far apart your seams can be), I would probably go with the diagonal cross-hatching: Left to right through the black squares, then right to left through the flowered squares. Additional lines could be done between these rows if needed. Does that make sense?

Whatever you do, I have no doubt it will be an AMAZING quilt! After all, how can it not be, with a top like that? :D

All of my quilts so far have been quilted in the ditch and a diagonal line across the larger squares. I generally eyeball the diagonal, but I think the idea with the tape is great.

Beautiful quilt btw.