When it's time to QUILT it...
 

how much do you quilt? I look at all the gorgeous quits and notice almost every inch of the quilt has some sort of a design on it done on a LA. Don't get me wrong...quilting is always amazing. Guess I'm an experienced PIECER but beginner QUILTER.

So questioin is: How much do you quilt YOUR quilts if you don't send them out or have a LA? Do you SID and/or meander the heck out of it? I know I know..the phrase is "Quilt as Desired."

I don't hand quilt anymore. Only use my domestic machine.

Can't wait for the responses.

are you hand quilting or machine quilting? I hand quilt and I think about the blocks, the person it's for - male/female...I like densely quilted quilts. I never stitch in the ditch because a) it's hard to stay in the ditch and b) if i'm doing this work, I want people to "see" it. I do a lot of echo quilting - 1/8" to 1/4" from the seam.

Generally a little more then is required for the batting. There is a number of inches on the bag the batting comes in. I have quilted more to put a design on but I always end up not liking how heavy or stiff the quilt is.

I don't like quilts (for use) quilted within an inch of it's life. I like a soft drape. I make it balanced but tend to make it open designs. Sometimes I SID but if I meander it's open. Sometimes both. It depends what the quilt tells me it wants

I also hand quilt, and do a lot of echo quilting...Lately I have been trying out using stencils, marking the quilt with chalk. The first thing I check is the distance recommended on the packaging. I love densely quilted too, but with the time involved, I don't do many that way unless it is for someone I know will appreciate it

I find hand quilting to leave the quilt more supple and it leaves a good drape versus machine quilted. I agree, hand quilting should never be hidden in the ditch. Also I find it harder to hand quilt in the ditch due to the extra layers of fabric at the seams.

I've come to decide that I like very minimal quilting. Maybe because most of the quilts my grandmother (my sewing role model) made were tied quits and not stitched at all. I generally stick to SITD at almost the maximum the batting will allow, and I try to buy batting that allows stitching 8-10 inches apart. I do more quilting if it's a quilt for a kid that I think will have to handle a lot of washing, but still almost always SITD. I have a SITD foot that makes it pretty easy for me to accomplish.

Part of that may also be that I'm terrible at FMQ so far! LOL But even looking & handling at other people's quilts - I admire the skill and the look of FMQ (some of it is amazingly beautiful) but I like the feel of a tied or minimally quilted quilt better.

I've just recently started fmq on my dm and have only tried a few techniques but we all have to start somewhere. I prefer the quilting to not be too tight. I think the quilts are too stiff with too much quilting. Just mho.

The first thing I want to see in a quilt is the piecing. To me, if the quilting overpowers the quilt, it's too much. Quilting should compliment the quilt, not overpower it. JMHO.

when i was a newbie, i found that echo quilting was quite effective

I did patchwork for years but not quilting because I found it difficult (or so I thought). Then I discovered the meandering and wonderful crinkle effect it creates after the quilt is washed. Up until recently I did not even know that batting had recommended quilting width. I am still in love with meandering because there are no mistakes, at least not glaring ones, and it looks so cool.

I do a wide meandering, staying within the requirements of the batting, but not quilting so close that it takes forever. The last 60" x 60" quilt only took me about 5 hours to quilt.

different battings require different amounts of quilting- some need to be quilted every 2" (quite dense) others allow up to 10" apart- and everything inbetween-
it is a personal choice how much quilting you like-lots or little- it is important to choose a batting that meets the desired amount- if you want to tie your quilt or do very little quilting choose a batting that allows up to 10" between quilting lines- if you like a bit more choose one that needs every 4-6"- if you like dense quilting choose one that needs to be quilted every 2"...it is all a personal choice and really dependant on the individual project- i've made some heavily quilted quilts- i've also made some with very little/just enough- each project is different & requires it's own design. i long-arm and have many customers who do not really want heavily - every inch quilted quilting- they prefer large- meandering designs that do not detract from the quilt itself.

Ditto. ~:thumbup:~

I absolutely love the looks of well done quilted quilts, but for me, I want much less. My meanders are at least two fingers wide and that's fine with me. My favorite so far is to meander in one block and a pattern like a star or flower in the alternate block. Most of my battings are 4" apart ones, so I'm good there.

I totally agree. Sometimes the quilting is so dense, you can hardly make out what the piecing is supposed to look like.
My quilts are quilted by me on my Bernina 153 QE. I do enough to keep the batting from shifting and hopefully to accent the quilt. Stippling is probably what I do the most, although I have done some fancier designs on fancier quilts.
Ultimately, it's what you like, not someone else's ideas about what is right.

I could not agree more. I am a minimalist quilter. I think too much makes the quilt too hard and detracts from the fabric and the design.

Having said that it is your quilt you do what suits you and you like.

I found when I FAQ I like stars and swirls. They were really easy for me. I don't like dense quilting either, so I try to space out the quilting.

I hand quilt so I do echo quilting around each block.