Quiltingboard Forums - Machine Quilting a "Thinking Outside the Block"????

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I will be no help here because I like all the suggestions you were given.

Your quilt is beautiful.... Congratulations to the happy couple.

My friend quilts all of her quilts on the diagonal - spacing 2 to 3 inches apart. Start in one corner....stitch straight to the opposite corner. Follow that line...one side then the other. They always turn out beautiful. Hard part is choosing the right color thread! Good luck :-D

I agree with the circle suggestions...you can do very large ones so that the curves are gentle, then randomly place a few smaller ones floating around (by then you will be more comfortable doing them at the end)...this will soften the straight lines and add movement to it. Very pretty BTW...

Last year I made a charity quilt with all rectangles, and got brave and quilted it with circles. I used a thread with a pretty strong contrast at the suggestion of a few friends. The big circles weren't too hard, so I got braver and made some random intersecting smaller circles.

I really loved the result! Unfortunately I was running against the clock, and didn't take time to photograph it. Ah well...

Several others have recommended circles. Since I tried it once and loved it, I agree.

I know I'm waiting to see, I have to do one for this week's class too, but only on a scrap quilt so I don't have to worry about ruining anything.

Hi QuiltnCowgirl,

Very nice quilt. I like the blue colors. I would do straight stitch quilting. I would quilt 1/4 away from each seam line on each side of the seam line. I would use a variegated thread that had most of the blue colors that are in your quilt.

I liked one person's suggestion of diagonal lines and this might work for a larger quilt. But, for this size quilt I think I would do as I suggested above.

I like the look of hand quilting and I've noticed that they do not STID but rather stitch away from the seam lines. I've come to like the look of this quilting very much. It also will ensure the quilt to last through years of use. The straight stitching will be easy with the machine that you have to use.

Pam M

Quote:

Originally Posted by eiltcoq

Your quilt is gorgeous. I love the colors you chose. I would do a flower design, swirls and leaves. Eiltcoq.

Quote:

Originally Posted by labtechkty

How about using the design in your light material...then SITD around each indivdual block...could make a real interesting affect for the backside of the quilt...love your quilt by the way...

Quote:

Originally Posted by msmariab5

I think for the center of your block stitch in the ditch and then make a leaf pattern hitting all 4 corners and centers. Then for the next stripping around that follow the pattern and do curly q's again follow the pattern. Then make straight lines on the next strips and so on. Look at the fabric and it will tell you what it needs. Good luck!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeanniebelle

I am new to machine quilting--taking a class right now for this. It is just a thought, but how about doing feathers in the 2 outside borders and then echo or stipple in the rest. Another thought about the inner portions is making small circles to look like bubbles. Jeanniebelle

Quote:

Originally Posted by coachmatthewsvhs

I don't quilt mine.... but would love to see something that followed the "scroll" of your lighter fabric on that fabric and the border, feathers on the blues!

All of these are WONDERFUL ideas. However, as I said, all I can do at this time is SITD & straight stitching. All of these require FMQ (free-motion quilting). So...maybe for one in the future after I learn FMQ. Far, far in the future :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gleniveve

Hi There, I am a very symmetrical person and to me this looks like it is on three levels. The bottom one is the largest and on a lower level. The next one looks to be higher up than the first and the top one is higher again. Symmetry is wonderful, so eyecatching, so magical. It can deceive the eyes and look like different things to different people. This appears to me as though there is a platform of air under each separate layer. If this were mine - I would SITD to emphasise the different height of each level to make them really stand out. This has been very cleverly designed, colour co-ordinated and sewn to bring this effect into play. I just love it. As a wall-hanging it would appear to be projected out into the room in these layers as in 3D.
Beautiful, absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
lol from Gleniveve

You sound like me! Very symmetrical. Discovered it years ago doing home interiors. One time argued with a girlfriend about hanging a collage of pictures. She had them all over the place, I had them all lined up. Several years later I had her come help me hang things in a room I was re-decorating. Came out beautiful, but not like if I had done it.

I'm going to stand back & look at the wallhanging thru your eyes. See what happens. Thanks for your input.

I love the spider web idea!

So Stitch in the ditch should be done next to the seam, not on it? Arghhh, I'm setting up to do mine now and thought I would follow the seam line, now I'm confused...help!