How would you quilt this area?

[sewidahoquilts]

Hi all, I'm sort of stumped, scratching my head and trying to figure out how to quilt this area of my customer's sampler quilt. She mentioned she would like to echo the flowers and leaves of the applique and that is what I have been planning and how I intend to treat the majority of the open area. What are your suggestions of what to do with the lettering? If it was smooth, I'd feel alright about just leaving it open . . . empty . . . not quilted in that area, but I am unsure of how it will look with the lettering as "puckered" as it seems to be. The lettering is machine embroidered, not hand embroidered. The batting is QD Wool so has a nice "loft" but because it's so soft, the letters sort of "cut" into it. My fear is if I don't quilt the lettering it will look like I forgot it. Have any of you experienced this problem? Suggestions?

[sewidahoquilts]

Gads, now I'm answering my own posts, but after I read it I realized I hadn't written it quite right. My customer doesn't want the applique echoed in the traditional sense, stitched around each element 1/4" and again and again, she wants the elements of the design, flowers, leaves, branches repeated freehand over the background area. I can fill it as much as I want or as little. Hope that clarifies it better.

[Omega QW]

I would ask the quilter how she felt if you were to use a metallic thread to go over all the machine embroidery writing. Or you could closely echo the writing.

Think about metallic thread.

[ffq-lar]

Could you echo just the lettering?--which with a nice batting should push the

puckered lettering forward--and may stretch out some of the puckers.

You could also back just the lettered areas with a second piece of poly batting to help that along.

Then do your fill with feathers and flowers behind the letters.

I would use a thin neutral thread to match the muslin--Sew Fine or BL would be good choices.

That is a very pretty quilt--I like her lattice in the sashing.

Looks like a fancy machine embroidery stitch--great application.

[sewidahoquilts]

Here's the picture I wanted to include with this post. Thanks to Linda, I've got it where it should have been to begin with. This shows the larger area and more of the design.

[sewidahoquilts]

That's what I had thought of, but I wasn't sure if that was a viable option. Since I'm stuck here in the backwoods, I don't get to see a lot of different quilts, so I wasn't sure that was acceptable. My quilter won't care what I do, as long as it looks professional and nice. I thought I could stitch right along the centerline of the stitches which make the lettering. I'm SID-ing this quilt with Monopoly on the top and BL on the bottom so I will probably use that combo for the lettering as well. I plan to use matching BL to quilt the backgrounds of all the blocks. This fabric is very fine and delicate, I don't want the quilting to look too thready.

[njquiltergirl]

Hi Dixie.

The customer wants free hand flowers and leaves in the white background, the embroidery is like a stem stitch, and you do not want it thready, is that right? OK, how about FM flowers and leaves all over the white area with smaller leaves in and around the embroidery...so it is like a gentle background. The dark stitching would pop if you use a matching white thread. I have sewn over red work with BL or SF and the quilting is almost hidden by the thicker embroidery thread. Hope that makes sense. I have no pix as examples, sorry.

This is a great quilt. Did she make that trim that is like a lattice?

Good luck! Post finished pix...

Lisa Burghart

APQS Liberty

Circle Lord

[Quilting Heidi]

I like LInda's idea of echoing the letters and then filling it in. Another option would be to cross hatch the whole area and the embroidery would still show wel..

[LibbyG]

I have no idea what you should do, but the quilt is beautiful!

[Bekah]

My first thought was cross-hatch also Heidi, but honestly I would be stumped too if it were mine to quilt. It is a beauty.

[LinneaMarie]

I don't think it looks like a candidate for metallic threads. It is a beauty for sure. I like the idea of echoing also, and I think that wold help nail down the little pookers!! Heidi always has such good ideas; I like her crosshatching idea too!

Don't forget to show us what you did!!:P

[Guest Linda S]

I generally crosshatch blocks with embroidery on them. I don't think I'd outline her embroidery -- the whole point of embroidering is to have people see your work -- not the quilter's. If she doesn't like crosshatching, I'd do a swirly background to mimic a bit of breeze stirring in the leaves and flowers.

Linda

[sewidahoquilts]

Wow! What great ideas!!! Thanks everyone, I'm still mulling over the various suggestions, some of which I had thought of but thanks to your suggestions now have a couple of new twists to put on them. Personally, I like the cross-hatch treatment. I've seen and marveled at how great it looks on many of the embroidered quilts you all have shared. I am very attracted to that design and will probably cross-hatch another of the blocks on this quilt. She specifically mentioned that she'd like the leaves and flowers to kind of float across the background of this particular block. That's why I was unsure of what to do around the stitching. As I continue SID-ing the quilt to stabilize it, I will play with your suggestions on a mylar overlay to see which one jumps up and down and says "Me, Me, Me!!!"

[Primitive1]

My first thought was to crosshatch as well...

[sewidahoquilts]

Oh, Lisa-to answer your question . . . She did make the "Lattice" herself. The "pattern" she sort of used for this quilt, had scrappy patchwork in that area and she doesn't like "scrappy" so made the "Lattice" instead. She used fabric and stitched the design with her embroidery machine. It's woven, over and under, just like real lattice. Everything on this quilt is stitched by machine, all the applique and embroidery. She did a super job with the applique, wait until you see the entire quilt, it's pretty amazing. It's for her own bed. Her quilts are always so great, she uses such lively, bright and happy colors and designs. I love quilting for her!

[kimmiequilts]

Yikes it looks like she didn't use a stabilizer layer behind the embroidery! I'd quilt out the leaves, flowers and some swirls and curlicues, use white thread to match so it just accents the design without taking away from the embroidery.

[PattyJo]

I like Kim's idea. And your customer said that she would like the leaves and flowers in the background. I would maybe size them down to about 3/4th the size of the originals. Cross hatching is a good choice (but looks a bit more formal) if she hadn't specifically mentioned doing the leaves and flowers. I have one customer who right up front told me to never put a feather on any of her quilts cause she is a leaf and flower gal as well.