Suggestions needed-Frayed Hearts

[sewidahoquilts]

You gals always have so many helpful suggestions, I need your creative soultions for this one . . . It's a customer quilt, Queen Size. The piano key border will be scalloped, she has marked it. She said do your "thing", I have done a number of her quilts, she's so much fun to quilt for, likes unusual and creative designs in the quilting. The Hearts aren't traditional applique, they are raw edge and intended to fray when laundered. I don't have any ideas for how to quilt the body of this baby (that won't affect the "Fray" factor). She likes my panto stippled hearts but that would tie-down areas on the hearts. I could use the heart panto on the border. I'm not experienced enough with free-hand to attempt the heart stipple, my brain gets lost after a couple of hearts . . . I have included pictures, hope you can help me with some suggestions. I haven't learned McTavishing or Free-hand feathers, I'd love to, but no classes in my area and I can't afford to travel. I'd like to do something besides boring ole meandering stipples . . .

[Sylvia]

I haven't officially learned McTavishing either but - just do a more-or-less curvy line up and back, then do 3 or 4 approximately echoing it. Then go in a different direction and do the same thing again. Repeat as needed. Be brave. This will work well around the hearts.

Let us know what you do on this one.

Sylvia from Canada

[Quilting Heidi]

Dixie,

Yes you're right that you don't want to panto that just because you don't want to take away from the frayed look. I would do a simple heart loop or something into the heart just to add a little quilting without tacking down the edges. I would come in from the top of the heart and loop down into the heart, echo and then back out when you came in. McTavishing is really easy, like Sylvia said just echo your curvy line 3 or 4 times and then out in another direction. The only problem is it is very time consuming. I'm not sure how much quilting you are looking to add. There are any number of things you could do in the white areas. I would go with something loopy. In the piano key borders a pretty heart freehand design would be nice or even feathered hearts (quick and loose ones). You could do flowers too.

[RitaR]

Before I had anything but the Viking, I made a quilt with edges to fray.. where I went over the part that was to fray, I went back with very sharp pointed scissors and clipped as close to the stitching as I could, on both sides.. that only lost me a couple threads. if you stitch at a sharp diagonal, I don't know what to suggest but stop and clip the fraying part so you can stitch across the seam that is holding it down.. right on that seam line.. That would be too boring for me, and take far too long..

Good luck on what you decide.. Maybe you could meander with loops and then outline the hearts?? I love the loopy meander.

RitaR

[Busy Quilting]

Darlene Epp has a loopy heart meander ( pg 4) in her Meanderings Pocket guide. Good guides to teach yourself with when classes are not close by. Easier than stipple!

Easy to do, you could go in and out through the 'v' of each heart and this would only catch the fray in one place. Then continue the same meander around the outside of the hearts as well.

If she is going to scallop the piano keys why not scallop the quilting too. Three scallops gets you back to the start for the next one. Could be done freehand using the width of the piano key to guide you or use a circle template.

Lyn

[sewidahoquilts]

Thanks so much for the suggestions, I'm working on the"final plan". I sure hope I can sucessfully "wing" it on the fill (white) areas, I will try the McTavish fill and if i can't pull it off it may become something else, who knows . . . nothing ventured, nothing gained!

[Neher-in-law5]

How tight do you need to do on this? Could you do loopy meander of your choice in the white around the hearts, then slip in the hearts at the top v and either echo inside or flower of your choice, then back out where you went in? That should keep your fraying available.

[lyonden]

Before quilting, you might try to freehand something on a pad of paper. I like those things for kids that you can just lift the plastic on top and start over. You'de be surprised how easy it is to come up with interesting designs for background. It doesn't have to match all over, just make sure you put some of the same stuff all over. Just relax and have fun, those turn out the best. Not hard at all. I was terrified to "try" something new on a customer quilt. How about some "heart" feathers thrown in?