Selecting a Quilting Design

Okay, you've pieced or appliquéd a delightful quilt top. You are pleased and
justifiably proud of it. You want to quilt it (or have it quilted) to
enhance the style and design of the top. How do you decide what to do? Can
you suggest a book that will help train and educate a quilter on this topic?
Do you just give up and do all your quilts the same way?

I really have trouble with this aspect of quilt making. So, I look forward
to reading your opinions, advice, and recommendations. Thanks bunches.

Pat in Virginia

On Mar 9, 12:08*pm, "Pat in Virginia" wrote:
Okay, you've pieced or appliquéd a delightful quilt top. You are pleased and
justifiably proud of it. You want to quilt it (or have it quilted) to
enhance the style and design of the top. How do you decide what to do? Can
you suggest a book that will help train and educate a quilter on this topic?
Do you just give up and do all your quilts the same way?

I really have trouble with this aspect of quilt making. So, I look forward
to reading your opinions, advice, and recommendations. Thanks bunches.

Pat in Virginia

Pat, my larger quilts are generally taken to the quilter these days.
We both discuss the quilting pattern and decide based on the pattern
or fabric type. She'll look at a flower in the fabric perhaps and
find a similar quilting pattern. The six family quilts I did for
Christmas had a fishing theme and we chose "cool waters" as the
pattern which looked like ripples in the water. I did a baby quilt
that was all little frogs and my quilter had a frog on a lily pad
pattern that worked great. I often look to see if a very linear quilt
pattern needs some swirly quilting to soften the lines. I also take
into consideration if the quilt is for a child or adult and if the
adult is male or female. Some quilting patterns don't work well for
men as they would for women. Sometimes I don't know what I want and
look through her catalog and all of a sudden I'll see one and let out
with a "That's it, that's the one" scream!

And then there are the times that a simple stitch in the ditch works
the best.

AliceW in NJ

In article ,
"Pat in Virginia" wrote:

Okay, you've pieced or appliquéd a delightful quilt top. You are pleased and
justifiably proud of it. You want to quilt it (or have it quilted) to
enhance the style and design of the top. How do you decide what to do? Can
you suggest a book that will help train and educate a quilter on this topic?
Do you just give up and do all your quilts the same way?

I really have trouble with this aspect of quilt making. So, I look forward
to reading your opinions, advice, and recommendations. Thanks bunches.

Pat in Virginia


Pat, I have no suggestions, as I run into the same problem with every
quilt I make. :S My latest "solution" is to do feathers wherever
possible; these can be skewed and stretched to fit almost any space. G
It's a good thing I love feathers, but I can foresee the day when I'll
be making something that feathers just won't "fit", style-wise.

--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sw.foster1 (at) gmail (dot) com (remove/change the obvious)
http://www.sandymike.net

I have the problem, too, Pat - I'm sure we're not alone! One thing that
has helped me is to try to think of the quilting design as you are
working on the piecing. That way you get lots of time, with the fabrics
and pattern in front of you.
The second thing that helps is that I have about 8 books of quilting
designs. I look through the whole lot each time - after my weeks of
thinking.
Third thing that helps is the size of the quilt: if it is huge (rare
for me, so it is my 'Huge'!!) I try not to plan anything that needs the
feed dogs up and, thus, lots of turning (even with a larger harp it is
still tricky to do ).
Then, lastly, I have a relatively small repertoire of quilting that I
can do without the feed dogs. So, that helps the decision quite a lot.

One thing I'm afraid I ignore is the 'injunction' that square/straight
pieced patterns should have curved quilting designs. I very often use
piecing patterns as quilting designs, and they are almost always
straight.

I've thrown more into your pot of indecision, but something might help
g. Hope so.
..
In message , Pat in Virginia
writes
Okay, you've pieced or appliquéd a delightful quilt top. You are pleased and
justifiably proud of it. You want to quilt it (or have it quilted) to
enhance the style and design of the top. How do you decide what to do? Can
you suggest a book that will help train and educate a quilter on this topic?
Do you just give up and do all your quilts the same way?

I really have trouble with this aspect of quilt making. So, I look forward
to reading your opinions, advice, and recommendations. Thanks bunches.

Pat in Virginia



--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

The only book I can think of right now is "Quilting Makes The Quilt". It
shows the same quilt with several different patterns quilted into it and
explains some theory on what to choose and why. I know many/most of us
could use help in this area. I am with you and Sandy in that I freeze up
once I finish the top and have to start thinking what to do with the
quilting. It makes for a lot of UFOs in my 'studio'.

I hope somebody comes up with a really good reply to your question and helps
a lot of us with this. Where are Kathy A. and our other professional
quilters??? Help!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

"Pat in Virginia" wrote in message
...
Okay, you've pieced or appliquéd a delightful quilt top. You are pleased
and justifiably proud of it. You want to quilt it (or have it quilted) to
enhance the style and design of the top. How do you decide what to do? Can
you suggest a book that will help train and educate a quilter on this
topic? Do you just give up and do all your quilts the same way?

I really have trouble with this aspect of quilt making. So, I look forward
to reading your opinions, advice, and recommendations. Thanks bunches.

Pat in Virginia

I'll second the "Quilting Makes the Quilt" recommendation. It won't tell you
what to do on YOUR quilt, but it will show a number of identical quilts with
very different quilting styles.

Leslie, what on earth makes you think the pros don't freeze up when we start
thinking about how to quilt it? LOL Customers always ask me for advice on
this, and I have to confess to them that 10% of the time the quilt shouts
and tells me what it wants, but 90% of the time I'm standing there with my
finger on the "on" button and have no clue what to do. I just tell myself
"Okay, you've got 30 seconds, and then I'd better hear that machine go on!"
Somehow I always manage to figure something out.

--
Kathy A. (Woodland, CA)
Queen of Fabric Tramps

remove the obvious to reply
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathyapplebaum/


"Leslie& The Furbabies in MO." wrote in message
...
The only book I can think of right now is "Quilting Makes The Quilt". It
shows the same quilt with several different patterns quilted into it and
explains some theory on what to choose and why. I know many/most of us
could use help in this area. I am with you and Sandy in that I freeze up
once I finish the top and have to start thinking what to do with the
quilting. It makes for a lot of UFOs in my 'studio'.

I hope somebody comes up with a really good reply to your question and
helps a lot of us with this. Where are Kathy A. and our other
professional quilters??? Help!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

"Pat in Virginia" wrote in message
...
Okay, you've pieced or appliquéd a delightful quilt top. You are pleased
and justifiably proud of it. You want to quilt it (or have it quilted) to
enhance the style and design of the top. How do you decide what to do?
Can you suggest a book that will help train and educate a quilter on this
topic? Do you just give up and do all your quilts the same way?

I really have trouble with this aspect of quilt making. So, I look
forward to reading your opinions, advice, and recommendations. Thanks
bunches.

Pat in Virginia

On Mon, 9 Mar 2009 12:08:24 -0400, "Pat in Virginia"
wrote:

Okay, you've pieced or appliquéd a delightful quilt top. You are pleased and
justifiably proud of it. You want to quilt it (or have it quilted) to
enhance the style and design of the top. How do you decide what to do? Can
you suggest a book that will help train and educate a quilter on this topic?
Do you just give up and do all your quilts the same way?

I really have trouble with this aspect of quilt making. So, I look forward
to reading your opinions, advice, and recommendations. Thanks bunches.

Pat in Virginia


Shapes in the prints, style of the blocks, and specific use of the
quilt can all give you hints. Picnic quilts can have place settings
or ants quilted into them, leafy vines work for lots of things
including floral applique quilts.
Debra

My art for sale at:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/DesignsByDeb

One of the best suggestions I ever got was to get a large piece of plastic
sheeting ( I got mine at Dick Blick's), and I use a wet erasable pen and
draw out a variety of designs on the plastic, which I have placed on top of
my quilt. Be sure and tape off the edge of the plastic so you don't
accidently mark off the edge of the plastic. If you don't like the design,
just erase and start over!
I too have a bunch of quilting design books that I have picked up over the
years. I also keep ideas in a folder that I have acquired over the years,
and designs from magazines, etc, that I use for ideas.
Nancy
"Debra" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 9 Mar 2009 12:08:24 -0400, "Pat in Virginia"
wrote:

Okay, you've pieced or appliquéd a delightful quilt top. You are pleased
and
justifiably proud of it. You want to quilt it (or have it quilted) to
enhance the style and design of the top. How do you decide what to do? Can
you suggest a book that will help train and educate a quilter on this
topic?
Do you just give up and do all your quilts the same way?

I really have trouble with this aspect of quilt making. So, I look forward
to reading your opinions, advice, and recommendations. Thanks bunches.

Pat in Virginia


Shapes in the prints, style of the blocks, and specific use of the
quilt can all give you hints. Picnic quilts can have place settings
or ants quilted into them, leafy vines work for lots of things
including floral applique quilts.
Debra

My art for sale at:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/DesignsByDeb

Wow, Nancy. That's so brilliant I can hardly stand it. Testing quilting
designs without actually touching the quilt is a wonderful idea. Clear
plastic auditions would be a great way to try out ideas without being
committed. OTOH, a lot of us probably need to be committed anyway. Polly


"Nancy" wrote One of the best suggestions I ever got was to get a large
piece of plastic
sheeting ( I got mine at Dick Blick's), and I use a wet erasable pen and
draw out a variety of designs on the plastic, which I have placed on top
of my quilt. Be sure and tape off the edge of the plastic so you don't
accidently mark off the edge of the plastic. If you don't like the design,
just erase and start over!

On Mon, 9 Mar 2009 21:24:00 -0700, "Nancy"
wrote:

One of the best suggestions I ever got was to get a large piece of plastic
sheeting ( I got mine at Dick Blick's), and I use a wet erasable pen and
draw out a variety of designs on the plastic, which I have placed on top of
my quilt. Be sure and tape off the edge of the plastic so you don't
accidently mark off the edge of the plastic. If you don't like the design,
just erase and start over!
I too have a bunch of quilting design books that I have picked up over the
years. I also keep ideas in a folder that I have acquired over the years,
and designs from magazines, etc, that I use for ideas.
Nancy

That is a fantastic idea! And plastic sheeting is not very expensive
either since clear plastic painting dropcloth could be used.
Debra

My art for sale at:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/DesignsByDeb