While I am basting a quilt, I am thinking about the quilting design. Sometimes I have a clear understanding of how I will quilt a project (like when making the Scrap Vortex) and sometimes I have no inspiration. When that happens, I just start by quilting a grid of some sort, making horizontal and vertical lines from the centre to the edges, or diagonal lines from the centre to the corners. As I'm doing that, more ideas for possible quilting designs usually come to mind.
That is what I'm doing with the bear quilt. I started by "stitching in the ditch" on both sides of the sashings using the walking foot.
Then I decided that the bear needed some free motion swirling designs. My concern about this is if one area of a quilt is densely quilted and the rest is not, the quilt will not lay flat.
I'm not sure how this will work out, but we shall soon see!
Linking up to Sew Fresh Quilts.
9 comments:
You have to start somewhere
Yes, figuring out the quilting is the hardest part. I still don't do FM, so, I'm limited if I machine quilt (straight lines or wavy lines).
Yeah! The big part is started so now you just have to keep going.
I am a firm believer in quilting the tops as they get finished so I don't have way too many waiting in line - how to quilt them always comes to me as I am making them or as I am getting them on the quilting frame - only problem right now is with the quilting room remodeling going the frame is taken apart and I either have to machine quilt all on my domestic or stack them up and wait - so far I am stacking them up because I want to hand quilt them all!
You are SO Right,. That's why I have so many in that TBQ pile! I just say, I'm a Topper. lol
Looks like you've got a good start. My problems starts with knowing how to set the blocks. That's where I often get stalled.
Kathy, I love your blog! I have enjoyed reading about the progress on your bear quilt. It is a lovely quilt and I look forward to seeing how you quilt it. You have inspired me to try quilting a large quilt on my domestic machine. I have quilted baby and lap quilts before, but nothing larger than that. Thanks for the inspiration.
I find the layering up part so hard to do, so often the backing gets creases in, cannot do it on the floor too old for that and the knees would not allow it!! Mind you once layered the quilting is not much easier though a walking foot is easier than FMQ that`s way too hard, thinking maybe a machine with a biggr arm might help but rather pricy! Also have lots of blocks not joined uop yet thinking maybe try quilt as you go that should be easier until it comes to putting them together
I love a curly-haired bear, don't you? : )
Totally understand your concern about uneven quilting. I'm sure you will work it out.
Like you, if I don't know what to quilt I usually just start stitch-in-the-ditch and let the quilt talk to me as I work.
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