Thinking Outside the Block Quilt - Need Ideas
 

I just completed this "Thinking Outside the Block" large lap quilt for my DGS for Christmas. Now I'm having problems figuring out how to quilt it. I was thinking of using "Tendrils" pantograph on it using a variegated blue thread to soften the squareness of the quilt. Any suggestions? I would like to start it today.
Thanks for your help,
Dolly
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link to panto
http://www.wishpot.com/item.aspx?uid...9&wid=18429107

Dolly, what a beautiful quilt! I love it. Unfortunately, I am no good at advice on the quilting, so I will leave that to others. I just wanted to tell you I love your quilt.

Dina

I think the tendrils pattern would look nice. I always like to balance square and straight-line blocks with curvy, flowing quilting. I love your colors, they make the pattern pop.

the quilt is beautiful... it doesn't look to square to me

That is so pretty.

Which one? This one -http://www.sewthankful.com/Tendril-quilting-pantograph-pattern-Lorien-Quilting.html - I'd say go for it. But if it's one of the leafy ones (there are a lot of "tendril" patterns when you google it) I'm with those who wonder if your Grandson will like that.

I made a similar quilt recently, and quilted each box with a sunburst design. I wanted something that would emphasize the stair-step pattern of the blocks. Here's my quilt, and a closeup of my quilting design.

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I love both of these quilts! The quilting on your quilt is great, Krista!

When I quilted the one I made I used Leah Day's filler pattern & I think it was called Bamboo & then did a couple of sprigs of bamboo shapes interspersed. I didn't worry about where the quilting lines landed in the strips.

Those are beautiful quilts! I have no advice on the quilting but wanted to say what beautiful work you did! I'd love a pattern like that!

Your quilt is beautiful, I think any quilting pattern would look good. I do a large stipple on mine and always think it looks great. I love doing it and I love the look. I do quilt on my Juki TL98QE.

That's what I try to do also. Here is a pic of the "Tendrils" panto that I am thinking about using.
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love love love it!

Hugs

What a cool quilt and the panto you picked will create wonderful soft curves all over the quilt. Very nice.
peace

Just remember with variegated thread wherever it matches the fabric the quilting seems to disappear. I am becoming less of a fan of variegated thread for this reason, unless it is completely different than the fabric color.

No advice on the quilting but both those quilts look great.

I made a red/black/white one for my DD for Christmas last year. I used Leah Day's Spiral Knot design on it. I loved it and it turned out really great. Your quilt is beautiful and you did a great job on it. This is a great pattern.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...s-t174804.html.
This is the link to my quilt only you can't see the quilting. Sorry.

Cute boys quilt, I like the meandering quilting on this type of quilt. It is simple and doesn't take away from the quilt top.
Great for boys quilts, not frilly.

I went and looked at that design. I do like that alot. I've been practicing curls and what my SIL calls olives, which look like the Spiral Knot design, just not as many circles. I'm really working hard to do more FMQ. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful comments on the quilt and the quilting suggestions. I think that the Spiral Knot will be my choice. Here is a pic of it. I will post a pic of it when it's completed.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K0raud7Npa...piralknots.JPG

DollyO and Kristakz, you both rock!!

The reason the quilt doesn't look square is because you are looking at it from above. It's called perspective. When you look down the railroad tracks, they seem to get closer together the farther down the tracks you look., but you know they don't. That's why the bottom of the quilt seems smaller than the top. It's farther away from you.

I love your color choices. It's a great quilt. I also think I'd go with Kristakz's way of quilting it. It's a very unisex pattern.

I like it, but it is more quilted than I like for this quilt. And may be past my abilities are at this time. I've done several years of pantos, but am really just getting started into FMQ. That's what I'm focusing on at this time. Also, this fabric is a little stiffer than I like. I'm afraid if I quilt it too much it wouldn't be something to cuddle up with. The two darker blues and the hot pink are the same fabric line and even though they have been washed several times, they just don't cuddle like I want.

Yes it is very heavily quilted - too much for me even. It was my first real quilt on my long arm, and I got a bit carried away :) If I were to do it again, I would do half (or even fewer) as many "rays" and make them wider. After washing it's better, but not as cuddly as I wanted.

I like the panto you picked, and I think it will be lovely. But depending on the scale, it looks like it may be pretty dense too from the picture you posted.

The panto is 8". Here's a pic of the back of a table topper that I used it on.
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Your DGS will love it!

I made one in black, blue and white for my daughter. I kept the FMQ simple by using overlapping circles (I was worried about density). Here are 2 pics.

Beautiful quilt! Love the colors too!

Wonderful quilt. Definietely needs some circles or curves to soften the angles.

I love your top. The colors are good. I am just putting binding on my outside the box quilt. I will post to QB when it gets done and photographed.

I guess I'm in the minority - I would quilt with the lines of the quilt to enhance the shapes. It is beautiful.

So I'm new to this whole quilting thing. Can someone explain to me why one would need to "soften the angles"? What's wrong with lots of straight lines in the patchwork, then quilting with straight lines? Or is this just a matter of preference?

Beautiful quilt! Sorry I can't help with the quilting design.

That was suggested by my DN. She suggested SID to enhance the optical illusion. As I wanted to do it on the frame, and am not set up for ruler work, it was not an option that I was interested in. Have pushed a queen sized quilt SID thru a DSM. Not my idea of fun.

It is a matter of preference. There's nothing wrong w/your ideas. There is no right or wrong way to quilt. Just what you like. You quilt one and it's absolutely perfect. You quilt another and you see where you should have done something different. It's a learning process. To some of us, quilting w/flowing curves or circles adds movement to the quilt, especially to a more geometric quilt. I'm just learning this part of quilting. I look at all of the beautiful quilts that I see here to enjoy and learn.

I love your quilt & the quilting you have chosen.

Very nice :thumbup: Looks like 3-D

Really love the quilts

I love your quilt. The colors are great. Do you have a free pattern for this one?

No, I figured it out. It's a quarter log cabin block. I played w/the numbers re: 5 rows or 7 rows and the width of the strips until I got it to the size that I wanted. Sorry I can't help you.