Crap!! I just typed out this whole huge post and accidentally x'd out of the window!

Okay. Here we go again!

My MIL was a quilter for a number of years. She has incredible talent and has taken up knitting in the last 5 years or so and has put down the quilting. She frequently gives things to her FIL (GFIL) to sell at flea markets and recently she gave him a quilt top that was her first hand applique attempt. GMIL grabbed it out of the for sale bin and told MIL that she wanted it. MIL said she wanted nothing to do with it and that GMIL could have it if she wanted but that MIL didn't want to quilt it. She was just done with it.

Then MIL called me and asked if I would do it for GMIL. I said sure. I just got the quilt top in the mail today. I feel like I don't want to take the time to quilt this whole top with it looking like this.

Basically, as you will see, the stitches are freaking huge. MIL didn't know when she made this that the applique stitches are supposed to be invisible or as close to that as possible, so she did these enormous stitches all over the whole quilt. I thought okay, I'll just re-do the hand applique. No big deal right? Well there is a TON of applique. It is 12 14" (maybe that's a guess) but big blocks full of applique. So I did one petal and I can clearly see that my redoing it makes a huge difference. But, I have also come to the unfortunate realization that when MIL did the applique, each of the blocks were separate so she had a lot of freedom to twist and turn each block, and then after she was done, she sewed them all together with sashing to form the quilt top.

Unfortunately, I don't have that luxury so I'm wrestling with this big quilt top and struggling with each stitch and I just did one petal! So I'm thinking that I want to do that top stitching in matching thread on the top near the edge of each piece, not that machine applique where it's solid thread, where you use tons and tons, but just normal top stitching. I think that would look good on this quilt and it would be much easier than hand applique-ing the whole thing.

help!

What do you think??

This is the petal that I redid- you can see that I did the light pink petal.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e/DSC00719.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e/DSC00725.jpg[/IMG]
Here is that whole block.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e/DSC00724.jpg[/IMG]

This is the whole quilt top, so you can have an idea how much hand appliqueing I'm going to have to do.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...DSC00726-1.jpg[/IMG]
This is my favorite block on the quilt... and you can see her huge stitches really take away from what a great job she did on the quilt.

A machine blanket stitch would look nicely on that IMHO...the birds have a folksy look to them as well as the some of the flowers. I have seen other appliques done that way, too...I wonder if it was a popular method at one time?

It may very well have been a popular method, but that wasn't what she intended, she just didn't know any better. And now that it's no longer hers... I kinda feel like I want to fix it because I really don't like the way it looks.

I don't mean blanket stitch, I mean just a straight stitch around the edge. Like 1/8" or closer to the edge.

Allison: I really hate to disagree with you because you have to live with the quilt. Take a step back and look again. The stitches look fine to me the way she did them. The patterns are folk art and so are the stitches. Or am I looking at it wrong? I'm sorry-I'm a big fan of folk art quilts, carvings, paintings, etc. and this looks very nice. This is just my VERY humble opinion. Good luck with whatever you decide-it's a lovely quilt.

I suppose that you could look at it that way, thinking that it's folk arty.... hmmm

I think I'd take it apart to do the applique over. You wouldn't have to take all the sashing off, just take it down to smaller sections that would be easier to handle.

edited to add, if you're bound and determined to redo the applique that is!

I agree with everybody else, it doesn't really need redone. You'd be surprised at how great this quilt would look with the right quilting.

I agree with janRN - if you look at the stitches and how evenly space they are and how they are equal in size - it seems that is how she deliberately did it. I think it goes with the " folk arty" look of the quilt and the age. But you have to be happy with it ! Good Luck with it!

I agree with JanRN. It's a different style than you're used to, but the stitches are even and neat, done with matching thread, and the fabric is well turned. I think it's a piece to be treasured, not changed. But it's your decision.

I know that is hoe people use to applique that is why the thread matches. I would leave it along and just do echo quilting or something similar. Very pretty!!!!

I asked MIL and she said that wasn't on purpose. So she didn't mean it that way, but it can definitely be left. I think I will just leave it and do the echo quilting :P

I would leave it just the way it was stitched. Unless you plan on using it very hard in the future it should be just fine. How were you planning on quilting around or on top of the appliques? It is a very attractive quilt.

I think that is a good idea. Will you do it by hand? The quilt is amazing and the stitches look great.

Maria

I love it the way it is. She may not have meant to do it that way but it looks great. I'm glad you are going to leave it and echo quilt around it. Show us a pic when you get it done.

I vote with Jan. To me, the petal you redid looks better but the original has a folk art look that some people really love.

If you really hate it, maybe you could do some machine stitching. Look at Amma's post "What I learned today...." Her decorative stitching on a pieced block looks really nice. Maybe you could do that with the applique.

Personally, I see nothing wrong with her stitches. From what I can see they are even and neat. But if it is something you WANT to do - I'd say re-do them. If it's something you will come to resent - don't even start... you'll regret it in the long run. Let us see more of what you decide to do - I really like the quilt!

Actually, I think the large stitches add to the charm and character of the quilt.

I saw an entire book about the kind of straight stitching of applique shapes you are talking about. This was a very popular method of doing applique when sewing machines were still relatively new and is a fully acceptable method. However, it seems to me you would have a problem trying to twist and turn that entire quilt top under the machine (since it's not individual blocks anymore) to stitch around the edge of each applique.

Personally, I'd add back the big stitches on the one petal you re-did byhand and just move on to actually quilting the top.

I also like it just as it is.

Oh this quilt is beautiful, I am tending to side with the majority here & advise that maybe it should be left just the way it is. It will add to the charm of the overall picture as it does have a "Folk Type" theme.

Tisha

I thought her stitches were just fine. A large blanket stitch of sorts. I would've just quilted it as is.

sorry, but the stitches don't look huge to me. they look well done. machine stitching blanket stitch would look similar so it's a good job. not everyone can make tiny,tiny hidden stitches or wants to. so for me, it's a good quilting job.

I looked at the pics before I read your post, and I thought that the stitches were done so precisely. It looks like it was planned that way and I actually like it. Someone used the term "folksey" and it fits the pattern.
It's unique - I would not change it.

I have to agree with everyone else. I think it looks fine as is. In fact the only picture you can see the stitches (which are evenly sized and evenly spaced) is the extreme closeup. All your other pictures you can not see them. I suspect when this top is quilted it will be stunning.

I too must admit when I saw the photograph I thought it was supposed to look like that. It has a naive quality about it, mainly because the appliques themselves are actually quite large. If it were of a more intricate nature, it would be another story. I think you might be pleasantly surprised once it is quilted.

I love the quilt! It is beautiful. Your MIL obviously took a great deal of time and a lot of effort to make it, especially since it was her first. She must have enjoyed the work and felt proud of it while doing it. The stitches add to its uniqueness.

Like every one else, I would not change them. I would simply quilt it. The final product would be something anyone would be proud of owning.

Whatever you do, it will be a beautiful quilt in the end.


Connie

A little while ago I was looking through a book I got from the library: "Little Quilts All Through the House" by Alice Berg, Mary Ellen Von Holt, and Sylvia Johnson, printed in 1993. I want to make some doll quilts for my granddaughters and this book has a lot of country style, cute, easy quilts, both pieced and appliqued. When I turned to the Applique section, lo and behold, the first stitch described and pictured is very similar to the stitch your MIL used. It's just called the applique stitch and the only difference is that the stitches are shown closer together than on your MIL's quilt top. The section goes on to include needle turning and buttonhole and blanket stitches. I saw your post earlier, so thought I'd share this.

I'm pretty sure I've seen this same stitch used on other appliqued quilts, although I don't remember where. I'm sure they were probably either country or folk style quilts.

I'd love to see pics of the quilt when you finish it.

Ok, I'm agreeing with what JanRN says.
I like it the way it is!
Don't see anything wrong with the way it's been done. I think it adds character to the quilt and makes it "folksy" as the term was used.
It's a very beautiful quilt and I think the stitches that are on it just adds to the charm of the quilt.
Just my 3 cents worth....

Okay....I am waiting for the conclusion or decision of this quilt:)Here's my 2 cents....treasure it the way it is! What if everyone ran in and grabbed up the Gee's Bend quilts and fixed them because we have had the education and they didn't on the exact 'how to'...we would have lost a great treasure!! You hold in your hands history and heart....I find it appealing all in it's own self and a hold on history of someone so determined to make something she was prob never taught. I do vote for leaving it the way it is....sorry:)You prob weren't expecting to hear that. But, her stitches were her own and they are very neat in form too...Skeat

To be honest, I like it the way it is. I think it would be fun to put on a frame in my yard next summer and do it by hand. It wouldn't take that long. Or get some friends to help hand quilt it at a quilting tea or something. You could even have some younger quilters give it a go. I like the folkart of the stitches that show. Gwyn

When I put a quilt in the yard and sit in the shade to work on it, everyone in the neighborhood comes over for at least a stitch or two and some lemonade. When the doctor's offices close for the day at 5:00, a whole crowd of people in scrubs will form in my yard. It is fun.

How fun is that Gwyn?!! I could put a frame up in my back yard and end up shooing off chickens for the day!LOL In your situation, you never know where you stitches really lead!:)Skeat

I think it looks charming as is, big stitches and all. If you really hate the way the stitches look, then maybe you should redo them all. However, the stitches are very even and neat, and echo a blanket stitch.

Good luck! It's a lovely quilt.

Cindy

I think I would leave it alone. It is a part of your MIL's history and quilting life. Don't you just love to find someone else's "first try" at something (of course, not your own stuff...we all think that our own first stuff is awful!)..but..I just love that this is her first attempt..and in my opinion, its a pretty darn good one! I'd just echo quilt and you will end up with a beautiful quilt that tells the history of your MIL. But...thats just MHO :lol:

What a pretty quilt

I guess I'll jump in here and say I like it the way it is also. Although the stitches are large, they appear to be uniform, making it look almost like "decorative" stitching. I like the look, but the important thing is how you feel about it.

I am glad this got settled before i posted, I really think it it fine as well and if it was an issue ofholding togetehr quilting it will help with that!!! I am also glad, that in asking your mil that it didnt cause any arguments about whose the better quilter or this is how she made it so you better leave it, etc. lol....im sure many of you know what i mean, sounds like you prob have a good mil, not all of us are so lucky!!!

i think it's a nice history of who appliqued it. some by your mil and some by you. put a nice label on the back saying when the stitches were each made and by whom. whoever gets it next should treasure it.

edit: explain that this was your mil's first attempt at applique and how beautiful the design is. that should please everyone.

1) The quilt IS lovely as is and the stitches ARE nice and even

Questions/Concerns?

How well would this hold up to even gentle washing the way it is?

How much seam allowance is there?

Sometimes fraying is an issue when the stitches are so far apart.

Can you (or even want to) resew the pieces and still let the original stitching show? so your MIL stitches end up being the "decorative" part and your sewing is the "hold it together" part?

It looks like it has been nicely pressed and the designs are delightful.

The quilt is just lovely the way it is...wish I could hand stitch so nicely. I'd keep it as a memory from a loved one and not change it...

This is not the kind of quilt that will be machine washed, or washed often. It is not a utility quilt, therefore I would leave it just as it is and love the quilt for the hand work of the original stitcher. I think it's beautiful as is. Your quilting will be the frosting on an already lovely cake!!

speaking of washing, how will the reds hold up? any idea?