Trudii

I'm working on a quilt top for a guest room that I thought I'd send away to be quilted (never done that before but decided to give it a try). I didn't really have a plan for how I wanted it quilted and hoped the quilter would have some sort of recommendation. Now I'm uncomfortable to ship it out because of Covid and I don't really want it to languish in a box, so I guess its me and the quilt.


While the top is still in the works (and backing on order), the pillow shams (pic below) are the same pattern and scale. It is a modified Irish chain, because I wanted more white than color. The whole cloth quilt on the bed is my usual go to, so this is a great deal of color for me.





So any recommendations of what to do with the quilting here?


I do not free motion. I have used my embroidery machine to quilt baby / toddler quilts with an all over design. I've been impressed by that process but not sure how feasible it is on a quilt this size, and I recognize it would mean rehooping a lot. I've looked at some "per block" embroidery quilting designs, but I'm not sure if that is going to be enough quilting. I could just do lines I guess.


Everyone here is so creative, I'm hoping for some opinions.

juliasb

First of all this is a very colorful and pretty Irish chain! Sending it out to be quilt could be a lot of fun on this one. I have yet to send one out successfully so I can only imagine the beautiful job that can be done one it. I would check with your LQS first for a local quilter. I sent one quilt out one time and never got it back! So I was burned. I am considering taking one to a local quilter as soon as I get it finished being pieced. Like you I am excited about the possibility
Doing it yourself could also be a lot of fun. Cross lines would look perfect. Again this one will be beautiful.

Iceblossom

There is so much you can do fairly easily on a project this size, even with your feed dogs fully engaged. Arcs/chains that go around the four patches are no big deal, even if you can't do a tiny little swirly within each square so well.

Unfortunately, quilting design is always a challenge to me more than the technical application.

I'd look at ideas for Double Wedding Ring quilts, whether it is a grid or a spider web in the center, Basically you quilt/draw the wedding ring shaped grid over your 4-patches. You can hoop some details, either in the wide part of the arcs or the wide parts of the center once you outline the areas/or hoop the areas first and then do your work to do the overall connections and fixes.

P-BurgKay

I would crosshatch it. It would be beautiful.

Jordan

Very pretty and I feel you have a big white area that a quilter could put a beautiful design on. I always feel so uncomfortable sending out a quilt to be quilted. I am afraid it won't find its way back to me especially after I put so much work into a quilt. Good luck on your decision.

Tartan

I really like a feathered wreath in large light squares and I think would look great on your Irish Chain.

LAF2019

you could use your embroidery to put a simple design in the open white spaces, then do some straight lines radiating outward or cross hatching, until you meet up with the next negative space with an embroidery design. since you use scrappy fabric, you could use a variety of different embroidery designs to keep the eye interested.
I think it is a very pretty quilt!

quiltingshorttimer

I agree with Julia--check with your LQS to see if any long arm quilters recommended in your area--most of us are accepting quilts (either dropped off at our house; left at the LQS if you are in area that allows them to open, or via the mail) and those large open spaces are crying out for some really cool motifs which if you don't FMQ would be difficult to accomplish. While the LA quilter may hold the quilt for a week or so before handling it (due to pandemic) most quilters have about that long of queue anyway.

Trudii

Thank you all for the good ideas. I've got a bit more work to finish the top, so a bit more time to overthink this :-). I had never thought of the quilt not coming back from a long arm quilter, that is a whole new level of worry, on top of everything else. I was hoping to avoid straight lines, but that may just be the best option.

bkay

If I made the top, it would definitely go out for quilting, as I'm not very good at it and it's too large to handle easily on my domestic sewing machine.

I don't know what your budget is for this project, but I would be careful to ask lots of questions on what you are going to get for the price you are quoted and what you expect. Since it's your first one to send out, make sure you know what you are getting. I've only used local quilt shops for my quilting, but have talked to local quilters about custom quilting. Locally, computerized quilting ("pantograph", I believe is the word for it) goes for two cents per inch. You provide the completed backing and batting. Some charge extra for thread, some don't. That's just an allover design that you choose from a catalog -nothing freehand.

Custom (freehand designs) quilting starts at four cents per inch and goes up from there depending on the complexity of the design and the experience and reputation of the quilter. Those with really great reputations for award winning quilts charge by the hour. The designs that some of the posters are describing are definitely customized quilting.

I'm in Texas which has mostly lifted the quarantine. I'm also in a large city where the quilt shops have been open a couple of weeks (with social distancing and masks, of course). I would not mail out a top to be quilted, but I have lots of local choices. In Charleston, I would think you have lots of local choices,too. Actually seeing the person and place might allay your trepidation.

(Prices quoted are local pricing as of last summer.)
bkay