need suggestions on how to quilt this

[Darlene Epp]

Thank you for all the nice comments on my butterfly quilt, but I agree with Sheila that it isn't the right treatment for this quilt.

What I would suggest is that you take a digital picture of it and print them on regular paper in black & white. Make several copies and some close ups, then have fun sketching in several ideas. That's what I did with the butterfly quilt, and I knew before I started that it was the right look for that quilt.

Personally, I'd spend a bit of time with the quilt maker and get her opinion, after you've done some different designs. She has put a LOT of work into this masterpiece and it would be a shame to over power that with the quilting.

Our job as quilters is to "support" the piecing, embroidery, applique. Our quilting should not become the main focus unless that's the purpose. I would keep the quilting fairly simple. You could separate the blocks with a pretty sashing and just carry the background texture right over the seam lines if they're not all the same size. Make them APPEAR the same size.

What I did on one sampler many years ago was unify the quilt blocks by doing every other block with a simple background stipple. Then I varied the textures in the other blocks, depending on the theme.

Re: stitching ON the applique. I disagree strongly that you shouldn't do any stitching on them. This is not "sacred" space. It's space that IS going to puff up if you don't quilt it down. Put in a very fine (Bottom Line or mono-filament) thread and outline around each figure and anywhere it needs extra stabilizing. The more you pack down the background, the more work you'll have to do in the applique itself.

To sum this all up:

1. Take some pictures; print in B&W.

2. Sketch out some ideas.

3. Call the customer and share those ideas.

4. Quilt as instructed.

If nothing else, ask the quilt maker what she *doesn't* like! This is almost more important than what she *does" like. I almost learned this lesson the hard way because what I thought would look good (and it would have), was exactly what she did NOT want, even tho' she had said "You're the expert. Do what you want. I don't let my customers get off that easy! I kept asking questions and making suggestions. Turns out the lady had multiple and varied abuses from her mother when she was a child and developed multiple personalities. Through treatment, those personalities were now integrated, but there were still things she couldn't tolerate. I couldn't do crosshatching because "X"s were "evil". I couldn't put stars in the sashing posts for the same reason. When I mentioned hearts, her face lit up. So her beautifully cross-stitched teddy bear blocks got a simple outline and interior stitching where needed, plus simple small meandering in the background, and hearts and loops in the sashings and borders. She was thrilled and I learned a big lesson that day that I have never forgotten.

[Jhend]

I truly love this quilt and if someone had approched me to quilt it I would have run the other way, but then that's the chicken in me.

Listen to Darlene, I think she says it all. I'm all for simple on this and letting the quilt do the shinning.

[lizziesgirl]

This quilt is awesome and when I retire (yeah right) I want to do something similar. But on to quilting. I love the idea of the same design filler element but yet you could accent these pieces and they would be really cool. Why couldn't you do the accents and have them to just segue into the allover fill? I would definitely use the clear plastic board and dry erase markers to decide.

Post when your done. What ever you do, this quilt will stand out on its own.

[iedquilts]

incredibly beautiful. i would be at a loss as to what to do.

anxious to see it done.!

ied

[dancingstitcher]

Hi Linda:

Just looking at this quilt does send a message that the quilting you do needs to match the level of care and execution used to create the masterpiece. I agree with Darlene that you need to find out what this artist wants and do some drawing to plan your stitching designs perhaps before you see her again so that you have something prepared to show her. I also agree that each story needs it's special stitching embellishment. To me there is only one sash and that is the colored one around the perimeter. I wouldn't box up each story. I'd let these images float in a sea of a unifying background that incorporated the special message stitches for each story like the steam rising from the turkey. Then the quilting would have little "I spy" images in it for the viewer to find. One of our local women marked in some bees, butterflies, bugs, etc. into her stitching and they were fun to discover.

Good luck and please let us see what masterpiece you do. There for sure is a ribbon or several in this quilt.

Vicki

[kennan100]

I agree with Sheila regarding an all over background and not something seperate in the sashings. I too believe that was done because the blocks are not uniform, so I wouldn't call attention to it. CH, Mcfeathering, or the 3's and e's that linda showed in her Easter Bunny quilt would work. I have to say that if this were my quilt as an appliquer, I would like a tiny bit of stitching in the applique. Just a tad, done in matching thread so that the thread wouldn't show but would add deminsion to to each picture. Some depth. Like a line at the top of a waistband of a skirt, or top and bottom of an apron. Or, on the girl in the yellow dress, outline the waistband. Only things that would be easy to get to, and not very much.

[lindasewsit]

Hi all! I talked to the customer today. We decided I would use some mono? (invisable thread) and follow some of the lines of the embroidery in the appliques. Not on the stitching, just right beside it. We are still discussing what to do in the blocks and sashes. I am going to do what you suggested, Darlene. I am going to print off some pictures and mess and we are going to meet again. Thanks for the help!! linda

[Bekah]

Oh that quilt is beautiful. what a treasure. I know whatever you decide it will be even more beautiful. I have no suggestions for you because the others have all given you wonderful ideas. especially our Darlene

[ramona-quilter]

Linda - this is quite a beauty. After practicing several fills, narrowing down your choices and verifying your plan with your customer, you will have helped her create a piece of art.

If it was mine, I would use a non-straight line sashing treatment so as not to draw attention to the varying sizes. Something simple like a slim dart.

I agree with Linda R that you can then frame it with straight lines and quilt some wind or tail-wagging or steam of the turkey type accents. I think that a little of that will accent the topic.

I also like the idea of unifying the quilt with the same background in every other block just to settle it.

Now about that applique. The way I learned it is if the applique is bigger than my fist, it needs to be nailed down. Monolon along the embroidered lines in the skirt would not be seen and would, in fact enhance the skirt line. I used to think tht applique was sacred ground and was always afraid to quitl on top of it.....until I saw a quilt that had no quilting on several large pieces of applique. Puffy, wrinkled and mis-shaped. Now I always discuss how much leeway I have to quilt on the applique. And if they don't want me to quilt on their applique, they can find another quilter. That's my name on that quilt job. I want it to look its best.

I know that you will give us some eye candy of this quilt when it is done.

This is what I was talking about with the sashing.