Suggestions for quilting this?
01-04-2014, 12:52 PM
#11
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Location: Piedmont Virginia in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mtns.
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I personally do not care for stitching in the ditch because I want my effort at quilting to show and become part of the quilt's design. If I were home machine quilting this I'd probably do something off kilter like the block designs.
Shown here in orange for ease of viewing, it will likely need a bit more quilting than I've done here.
Jan in VA
Shown here in orange for ease of viewing, it will likely need a bit more quilting than I've done here.
Jan in VA
01-04-2014, 05:17 PM
#14
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Thank you all! Yes, this is from Laurie Shifrin's Batik Gems - it's called Broken Garden Path. I'll try to find the picture of the other one I did. I don't want to just SITD, as I really want the quilting to become part of the pattern, nor will I just X through the blocks. I like the idea of a circular design in some of the blocks, as well as stippling around the circles and maybe outlining the bigger flowers. I'm still so intmidated by the actual quilting process! Now I have to practice stippling first. 
Also, this really isn't a hard quilt to make. The hardest part is appliqueing the circles, and once you have hand applique down (if you do it that way) it's really quilt simple. These are needle turned and each one only took me half an hour or so, I think. That was nearly three years ago, though...
Hoping for more ideas for the four patch blocks (something wavy? I don't even know where to start looking!) and other pathways beyond straight lines.
Also, this really isn't a hard quilt to make. The hardest part is appliqueing the circles, and once you have hand applique down (if you do it that way) it's really quilt simple. These are needle turned and each one only took me half an hour or so, I think. That was nearly three years ago, though...
Hoping for more ideas for the four patch blocks (something wavy? I don't even know where to start looking!) and other pathways beyond straight lines.
01-04-2014, 05:19 PM
#15
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I LOVE the idea of the plastic wrap/sheet protectors. Brilliant. I'm not sure what circle-y design you were trying to describe, though... any chance you can find a picture? I will explore Leah Day's site too!
Your quilt is stunning. Please share the name of the pattern with us.
As for quilting... I agree with some outlining of the big blocks with the flowers, but I would stipple around the circles just catching them around the edges of the circles. This would make the background lay down and the circles seem like they were floating. For the plain small squares, I would start just in from each corner and make a circle inward. Let's see if I can make this keyboard show you.
) ( Pretend that's on the top & bottom too. Or, maybe a simple flower or leaf pattern. For the 4 patches, I would do a squiggly circle starting in the center of a small swirly in each block. Swirlies, or curls, as Charisma calls them, in the larger square blocks would look good too.
Your pattern is so dramatic that I wouldn't do any type of going from corner to corner in a straight line. You know, like an X That would take away from the wonderful design of the quilt.
If you have a clear see through piece of plastic or a Saran wrap type, put that on top of your quilt and making SURE that you don't write on the quilt, draw out what you think you would like to do on the quilt and see if you like it. This small step is how a lot of really good long armers started designing stitching to go in blocks that would enhance the blocks and not take away from the beauty of them. I would suggest a Washable marker and write on the clear paper, TOP. That way you won't accidently turn the clear paper upside down and get marker on the quilt. I have read that some quilters, tape the clear plastic wrap to their quilts, and stitch through it, tearing it off afterwards. Please test this on some extra fabric before you do this on the real quilt.
The Clear page protectors that we sometimes use to put our patterns in would work for designing your quilting too. Draw your block on the paper, then play. Leah Day has so many wonderful free quilting patterns on her site http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.c...on-filler.html Keep in mind, too much quilting could make your project a bit stiff. Sometimes, less is better.
Have fun!
Barb
As for quilting... I agree with some outlining of the big blocks with the flowers, but I would stipple around the circles just catching them around the edges of the circles. This would make the background lay down and the circles seem like they were floating. For the plain small squares, I would start just in from each corner and make a circle inward. Let's see if I can make this keyboard show you.
) ( Pretend that's on the top & bottom too. Or, maybe a simple flower or leaf pattern. For the 4 patches, I would do a squiggly circle starting in the center of a small swirly in each block. Swirlies, or curls, as Charisma calls them, in the larger square blocks would look good too.
Your pattern is so dramatic that I wouldn't do any type of going from corner to corner in a straight line. You know, like an X That would take away from the wonderful design of the quilt.
If you have a clear see through piece of plastic or a Saran wrap type, put that on top of your quilt and making SURE that you don't write on the quilt, draw out what you think you would like to do on the quilt and see if you like it. This small step is how a lot of really good long armers started designing stitching to go in blocks that would enhance the blocks and not take away from the beauty of them. I would suggest a Washable marker and write on the clear paper, TOP. That way you won't accidently turn the clear paper upside down and get marker on the quilt. I have read that some quilters, tape the clear plastic wrap to their quilts, and stitch through it, tearing it off afterwards. Please test this on some extra fabric before you do this on the real quilt.
The Clear page protectors that we sometimes use to put our patterns in would work for designing your quilting too. Draw your block on the paper, then play. Leah Day has so many wonderful free quilting patterns on her site http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.c...on-filler.html Keep in mind, too much quilting could make your project a bit stiff. Sometimes, less is better.
Have fun!
Barb
01-04-2014, 09:11 PM
#17
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Oh! That makes sense. Okay. I'm going to cover a section of it in plastic wrap to play with before deciding - and practice on a scrap sandwich first... and maybe quilt a couple other not-so-important UFOs for practice too. Thank you ladies!
01-05-2014, 05:12 AM
#19
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Location: Tippy-top of a ridge in WV
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This is one of the most striking quilts I have ever seen and I am sure you will do it justice with whatever you choose to do in quilting it. I would say less is much better than more with this beauty.
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