Need Opinions
 

I finally have the design marked for this wholecloth. For the background, would you use a stipple pattern or 1/2'' grid? It will be hand quilted.

I would use a grid.

My advice would be to quilt the feathers first and then see if it needs any filling in with any background stitching.

It's still spray basted to my original pattern and would be so much easier to mark now. I already know I need background stitching to get the effect I envision, just not sure which I should use. I want the feathers to stand out against the background.

I think a straight line grid would look best to contrast with the curves of the feathers. Would love to see the finished quilt!!!

I agree with others that the straight line grid would contrast best with the feathers. I think stippling would be to confusing next to the feathers.

wow, that's awesome. i love pebbles, but they are easier by machine. a grid might be nice by hand.

I vote for a grid. Any busyness I think would detract from the lovely pattern.

You're going to hand quilt this? Enjoy, we'll be looking for pics about 2018!
As dense as this quilting is, why would you want any other quilting to hide the feather designs?

I'm not at all understanding why you want any more stitching. You are just going to hide the feathers.

Agree with above...all those feathers is more than enough......

I would mark the grid, do the other quilting and then make the call whether you really want to add it. I do agree that I am not sure you actually need it.

I think I'll take your suggestions. I'll mark the grid in pencil, quilt the design and see if it needs the background. I hope to have it finished by summer. It's a gift for a dear friend who just had a baby. It will never actually be used, just put away as a future heirloom.

My opinion
 

As a hand quilter I would quilt everything you have marked. That should be more than enough quilting. It will be lovely when it is finished. If you wanted to jazz it up a little use a colored thread so the quilting will be very visible. The important part of hand quilting is to be consistent with the tension of your stitches. With the pattern you have selected the finished quilt should be lovely.

However, I do get your idea that you want the feathers to appear to 'pop out' from the background to give it a 3 dimensional or textured look. To get that you will need to 'quilt down' the background areas. A tiny grid would do it. You must be a very fast quilter. I am impressed!

I agree with Jeanne that you seem to want the feathers to appear to pop out -- sort of like trapunto without the stuffing -- but I'm the dissenting voice for a very close stipple. In handquilting this stipple is quite different from FMQ stippling. It looks almost like tiny commas packed closely together and does flatten the background with good effect.

On this page, 3rd row down, right in the middle of the row....that quilt clearly shows the difference be tween a close grid and a close stipple.
https://www.google.com/search?site=&...76._xpDPP4Ej0c

Can't wait to see your finished project! I will be starting one soon, preprinted - not my own design - and feel I too may want something in that background.

Jan in VA

I'm sure it will be beautiful whichever way you do it. It all looks so complicated to me.....lots of hard work.

I agree with Jan in VA. A close stipple done by hand would really enhance the feathers. I think many of the quilters here may never have seen hand stippling in a quilt; it looks very different from machine stippling!

Jan and Jeanne have described exactly how I want it to look. I just wasn't sure if the stippling would take away from the feathers or a close grid would enhance it better.

I have never quilted by machine and have only ever pieced two tops on the machine. All the rest have been done entirely by hand.
I finished piecing this one May 4th and finished the quilting on the way to the show Sept 19th. Our club hosted Nationals this yr and the quilt was auctioned off for $500. I don't have a finished photo, but I quilted around the center medallion to create a starburst effect and I quilted the rest of the piece 1/4" from the seams.

I really believe any more quilting would hide the feathers, not make them pop. You have done a beautiful job marking this quilt, I can't await to see it completed!!!

I don't think any fill is needed.

After looking at the samples Jan showed us, I think I like the stippling look best.

I agree with this...the pattern is beautiful the stippling would muddy the water IMHO..

I personally think there is enough going on already (beautiful) so I would not do any more to it once the feathers are quilted.

I agree with ManiacQuilter above. Do the feathers first and then see if additional quilting is necessary. Looking at the top now, I would think the feathers would be sufficient and anything else would detract from this beautiful design. Do the feathers and then reevaluate. Just me!!

I vote for the grid. Your quilt will be awesome. Be sure to share your finished product with us.

grid of one inch or more.

Why do you need more stitching. I think it would take away from the beauty of the feathers. IMHO.

For the dissenters of "fill"---this design looks like it would be "enough" quilting, BUT, if you don't follow up with
background "fill", the parts that have no quilting will puff up and make it difficult to see the lovely feathers.
Something to consider. If you add a tiny hand stipple after all the feathers are quilted, you will not have to premark.
If you go with a 1/2" grid you will need to mark it before any quilting is done or you'll have a hard time keeping the lines
from appearing to wobble as they go across the quilt. In fact, I always mark background grids before layering.

dog mama: What type of marking pen/pencil did you use? That is sure a lot of handwork and it is going to be beautiful when it's done. Good Luck and Happy Quilting.

Glad to have helped, perhaps by posting the Google Images link. When I went to look for that, it was just perfect for showing the difference!
Your raffled quilt is very striking; wish I could have seen it close up and finished. :)

Jan in VA

Did you use various stencil designs or are the feathers all freehand?

You say this is not going to be used, but rather put away to be a future heirloom.....hopefully there will come a time when your lovely and intense handquilting will be seen and greatly admired.......

No,really she won't hide the feathers.She will inhance them.Because when she puts something behind the feathers it will visually push them forward.I'm a longarmer and putting a tight design behind those feathers will give you more bang for your buck.I think the grid would be best.JMHO

No stencils were used. I found part of the image in a search, I then drew 1/4 of the design to fit my dimensions. It was drawn on standard size copy paper that I taped together. When I was happy with it, I carefully took the papers apart and made 4 photocopies of each one of them. I then taped all the photocopies together, sprayed it with basting spray and laid the fabric on top and traced it with one of those water soluable markers.

I'm sure it will be displayed, but never actually used per say. I was already commited on the other quilt that I posted a photo of when they announced her pregnancy. I had mentioned that if I wasn't doing that one, I would have made her a wholecloth baby quilt. She googled what a wholcloth was, fell in love with them and asked if I would do one after the other project. I told her the baby might be a year old before it was finished and it didn't matter to her, she just wanted it as an heirloom.

I thank everybody for their suggestions! I'm going to mark it in a 1/4" grid with pencil. After all the feathering is done, I can then decide what it needs. The hand stippling would be freehand, so it would still be an option. I'll post some photos when I complete all the feathers.

Absolutely beautiful design! Your feathers are close together in some areas, there I would echo the feathers. In open areas between the feathers , I would again echo the feather and then fill in with cross hatching. I would do this in the center medallion and then choose what fits else where. The echo is what will make your feathers stand out! I would love to see it finished.

My thoughts exactly!

I like the grid idea. It will make a nice contrast to the soft curves of the feathers.