If you're looking for something easy to do (no free motion), you could just cross-hatch the center of the quilt at 1/2"-3/4" intervals using the pinwheels and diamonds to determine the angles. Then maybe echo quilting in the border around the entire quilt, like large concentric rectangles, perhaps at a narrower distance apart (1/4"-1/2") than the cross-hatching. At my present skill level, that's what I would do, anyway. And it would look nice, too.

Thanks so much for the ideas.

Re thread breaking: I have a Husqvarna Viking 870 Quilt machine and it does all the tension regulating automatically. Actually, it does just about everything automatically except the dishes and the laundry. :lol:

I fear it is my ineptness and lack if experience that is the culprit. The lady at the fabric store told me I need to learn to sew at a constant speed. Back to the practice sessions for me! :evil:

This suggestion would require a lot of twisting and turning of the quilt if you want to use a walking foot. But I was thinking of a square spiral in the striped squares. Start at one corner and quilt around all 4 sides. Stop about 1/2-1" short on the 4th side, turn and repeat around all 4 sides (stopping 1-2-1" short and repeat again). All of the white pieces are triangles. So you could repeat this quilting in the white triangles and this would result in triangular spirals. Of course, this would be a lot easier with a darning foot because you wouldn't have to twist and turn the quilt. The quilting lines wouldn't have to be exactly straight or symmetrical. It might even be more interesting if they were a little wonky.

I was going to suggest a 1/4" echo inside the blue pinwheels and a square in the centre of the red squares but I like the spiral idea from key4unc better! The border could be stipples or just parallel diagonal lines radiating out from the centre to each corner. I love it BTW - it's such striking colours and a strong design element complemented by your fabric choices. My preference is always to accentuate a strong design like this rather than do an all over quilting pattern which might detract from it. Turning it through the machine won't be easy, I know and my quilting suggestion is coloured by the fact I would hand quilt! But however you do it, it will be stunning and your GS will love it!

I LOVE this idea of square spiral, even if it is a kind of oxymoron, huh?

Let you know what happens.

Love from Norway

Very nice. I'm sure whatever you decide to do will look great!!
Practice, Practice, your free motion will come!!

I am beginning to learn that practice just may become my middle name now that I have begun to quilt.

I am so encouraged because I can actually see myself that as I learn new techniques and tricks each quilt I make seems to be a bit more well made.

In the fall I hope to begin my first bed-size quilt. I may have to throw myself on my neighbor's mercy and ask if I can lay it out on her family room floor. Our little place has limited floor space - to say nothing of my furry helpers. :lol:

Love the quilt, reminds me of Peppermint candy.

Can't help with the quilting, don't machine quilt here.


Ninnie

I will give you a couple tips that helped me ok? When free motion quilting, you have to use a heavier needle because the eye is larger and they give you a larger channel for the thread to move through. An embroidery or titanium one is a good choice. Then make sure to use a good thread. I had to get rid of my coats and clark, it wanted to fuzz up my tension disks and cause trouble. I bought metzler and the thread sets at connecting threads. (can't remember the brand name) but they work great.

Then it is a matter of dropping the feed dogs and using a slow and even motion to move the fabric around.

I hope this helps you some. There are tons of good books out on the subject, maybe you will want to buy one for reference. I did and it really helped me.

I like the way you used the stirpes to indicate movement, nice top. I do not do the quilting part, a local quilt shop does my hard work, then I bind it and all done, phewwww!!