This is the point I get to all the time, I pick a pattern, pick out the fabrics, and make the top and I guess that is where my confidence ends. I have a pile of completed tops - I have trouble figuring out how to quilt them. I'm very comfortable with quilting them - I can do stitch in the ditch and fmq (experienced, but nowhere near expert). Its the design part I'm having trouble with.

I'm making an effort to try new things and learn new techniques. The attached wallhanging uses a technique for curves where you sew a diagonally folded square sewn in over a regular square and you just roll back the folded edge which is on the bias and it curves and you sew it down. Really cool tecnique and it was alot of fun to make. Now its done and I have no clue what to do and I refuse to put it in my UFO pile because I'm too chicken to go for it -

Any suggestings or thoughts on how to quilt it ???

Sorry I have no suggestions, just wanted to tell you how pretty this is. The dragonflies are beautiful.

There are some wonderful books out with designs in them. One is called, "Hooked on Quilting". It gives you some really neat options to consider for this quilt. I can see feathers and echoe quilting easily on this quilt. It all depends on how much time and quilting you want on it.
What you can do is print out a picture of your quilt and use a overlay sheet of plastic to doodle in the designs. Then if you don't like that just take a new sheet and try again. I think once you begin doing this, it will become apparent to you which design you like best. You sometimes have to think of it as a whole cloth with designs on it ignoring the smaller seams.

Thank you very much !

Great suggestions - I will give it a try and see if something talks to me. Thanks.

No suggestions, but that is a great top! :D

I like Red's suggestion. I do want to tell you how pretty your wallhanging is though.

I don't know about quilting, as I have yet to it myself. But that is beautiful!!

OMG that is just beautiful!!!!!!!!!! You are very talented!
No suggestions from me, sorry, but I'm still working up the courage to machine quilt :D

First let me say that it's a very lovely quilt! Next, I can see a large meander done on the background, then using the meander as a spine I would quilt feathers on either side of the spine. Depending on the size of the dragonflies, I might stitch a little on top of them, maybe to draw attention to their wings. I would probably outline stitch the blue "ribbon" - keeping the stitching on the blue but not on the area that is turned back. Does this make any sense?

Yes - it definitely makes sense. Great suggestions - thank you.

THANK YOU everybody !

Hi there, Well, it seems we have the same problem, which may be more common than I thought. I am a new quilter and have done a few wall hangings and only one baby quilt. I chickened out on FMQ on the baby quilt and did ditch instead. Your beautiful top deserves experience and reading "Bobbielinks" advice, I'd say she knows what she's doing. Please repost this and explain what you ended up doing - it would help me a great deal. Thanks, Good luck, and I love your quilt.

Very Nice! The colors are wonderful!

I am interested in this curved piecing technique you are describing. Where can I find a book or lesson or video on this?

I love LOVE LOVE your quilt! What about hearts in the big open spaces? I was thinking hearts within hearts and then stipple elsewhere?

That's a great tip!

I would echo quilt around the dragon flies and fill in the rest with feathers. I'm still working on feathers and I see them everywhere. :-D

Its always easier to give someone else ideas on how to do something then actually figure out your own. Ask me how I know this!

When I first saw your top I thought of feathers especially in the borders and outline quilting for the dragonflies. I would get a pretty metallic thread and put like veins in the dragonflies wings.

Here are a couple of sites that I go to to get ideas:

This one has a cute dragonfly design
http://www.stensource.com/cat_result...index=quilting stencils&resultpage=

You need to scroll down to see these:
http://www.allcrafts.net/quilting.htm

It is a beautiful quilt. Why not just outline stitch it with your fmq technique? And not a perfect outline just follow the lines of your dragonflies and your curved blue lines and stay just outside of the curved lines. Fill the rest of the quilt in with loops almost like a flight pattern of one of the dragon flies. Would love to see it finished when you have decided on how to quilt it. ellie

outline stitching on a christmas stocking

So pretty :-D :-D Why not mirror the outside frame until you get to the dragon flys then mirror them too. just a thought.

It really is lovely! If you use a fine tipped dry erase marker on the plastic you can wipe it off if you don't like your doodled design.

I hope you will do a tutorial on those curves!

By "mirror" do you mean echo ? Could you post an example of what that might look like ?

Unfortunately I cannot offer any advice on the quilting as I am often in the same situation. However, I wanted to tell you that your work is absolutely beautiful. I'm sure whatever you decide, the quilt will be outstanding.

Yes, I was thinking about hearts also - because the top of the hearts would fit nicely with the boarder - maybe feathered hearts ?

Thank you. If everyone is interested I could certainly do a "tutorial" for the curves - I've never done one before, but I would happily give it a try.

The pattern came from www.southwinddesigns.com and I have another book not by southwinddesgns that I'll have to go find and post the name here.

Thank you everybody for all the compliments and suggestings - all of you ladies are so talented, I am always in awwwwww of what you create.

Since they are Dragonflies, how about some traveling loops.

It looks like a good one to hand quilt if you haven't done it before as it is small. And you could save it for when you are on the road, in a waiting room or just sitting at the couch. I would baste it with lots of pins and follow the designs about 1/8 inch in from the seams. Then maybe spirals in the plain areas. I am licking my chops. :) Its beautiful.

Can't help with the quilting but your top is beautiful.

WOW!!!! :thumbup: :mrgreen: :shock: That's Beautiful :mrgreen: :-D Sorry I am no help don't know how to quilt! ;-)

Wow - beautiful top!

I like the suggestion of doodling first. I saw an episode of Fons and Porter where Ricky Tims was a guest. He said if you can draw it with a pencil, you can quilt it. So, get comfortable with "pencil" quilting, then try on a practice sandwich until you are comfortable. I'm not an expert, but this is what I like doing.

I have also bought several practice quilting panels from the LQS to practice different designs. I was told by their expert quilter to use it several times, just change the color of the thread everytime I practice.

Please post a picture, all of us would love to see it!

Can't tell you how to quilt it i'm a newbie, but is sure is pretty

Great, thanks.

I went to that site and it's not a page now.
Hope you can find info.

Love you quilt very much.

Ooops, sorry - the name of the company is Southwind Designs, but their website is www.southwindquilts.com

I found the book that uses the same tecnique: "Peeled-back patchwork - curves without piecing" by Anette Ornelas published by AQS.

Hand quilt it, that would make it super., to start with, quilt about 1/4 inch in from edge of the dragonflies, and see how that looks, then go for it.

I would try just stippling. Or else you could go to your local quilt shop and ask someone who works there. It is a beautiful quilt.

Your quilt is beautiful and you have done a great job. I am a longarm quilter and the first thing that came to mind is sewing dragonflys as your quilting design. There is a simple pattern out that you can trace on your quilt, so you can hand quilt or machine quilt it. Don't be afraid to quilt your projects, there is no wrong way to quilt what you have pieced together. Rose