sewidahoquilts Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 Hey all, sorry to ask for suggestions when I've been absent for so long. Economy so bad here I haven't had any customers for months. Now I do and look at the complex top she brought me. I'm excited for the challenge and Lord knows I need the work. I want to give her a super quilting job. My customer didn't make this quilt, she purchased it from the fella that owns and operates the local Quilt Shop. He asked her to enter it in next year's Quilt Show. So, in order to maintain/establish my reputation, I need to make it really special (and quilt show quality). I'm having some difficulty deciding how to handle these design elements. My customer doesn't want stitch in a ditch around each element, she wants something to accent and unify the sunbursts. I'd kinda like to use the same if not similar quilted design for each unique area, ie; center medallion, surrounding sunbursts, border elements, etc. but I can't figure out how to bridge the color gradations in order to group them without denying their individual dazzle. If the areas were larger, I can envision how to stitch them but these are quite small, not really enough area to stitch down and back. Her decor theme is Western. Leather furniture, Indian Blankets, Baskets and such. Her home is very large and beautiful, rustic. This quilt will hang on an Entry/Accent wall above eye level, about level with a landing balcony. I am pretty blown away by the intricate nature of this design. Also I feel it needs some unique design motif in the solid Turquoise areas, something reflecting if not echoing the sunburst motifs. I look forward to your creative genius. HELP!!! If I wasn't so tickled to have this opportunity I'd be on the edge of panic. (Changed it to a Slide Show . . . seems to work) <table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/109251040698660565505/KenGloriaSPaperPieced?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJqChpfxj-D7kAE&feat=embedwebsite"><img'>https://picasaweb.google.com/109251040698660565505/KenGloriaSPaperPieced?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJqChpfxj-D7kAE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LvqDs5bzhtw/Ticx27o1IPE/AAAAAAAABI8/SW1BxSmOZk4/s160-c/KenGloriaSPaperPieced.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/109251040698660565505/KenGloriaSPaperPieced?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJqChpfxj-D7kAE&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Ken & Gloria's Paper Pieced</a></td></tr></table> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shar Schmutz Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 Can you repost the picture in a larger format? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewidahoquilts Posted July 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 Ewww, I'll try but I reduced them so they would fit . . . too small. Did you try clicking on the Photo, it takes you to my album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewidahoquilts Posted July 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 I did repost but it doesn't appear any larger until the image is clicked, then the album shows up with larger pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quilterbee1 Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 No pressure huh?? lol! I would have no idea since I'm an intermediate newbie. Just wanted to say I'm sure it will be beautiful whatever you decide. They wouldn't have asked YOU to do it if they didn't trust you. Can't wait to see what you do, Amie ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Shar that is a really nice quilt. The designs remind me of feathers. Personally I think you need to SID all those pieces and let them pop. Then use a dense background fill to push back the background so the design pops more. I think in the large background area I'd find a motif that would fit the customers home. I'd probably trapunto the motif to make it pop. I think if you concentrate on doing a dense fill in the background areas the star will really pop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shar Schmutz Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 I have no idea how the screen on this thread split when I replied.... Heidi, I would kill to be able to say this is my quilt, however the original post was from Dixie Lee LOL I will be on the way to Moxie's in the morning so won't be back on, probably until Monday. I hope Dixie Lee will able to get it quilted and gain more clients as a result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Thanks Shar. I guess it is because the screen is split oddly that I had the problem. I think it is the picture spacing that is causing the problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eileen G Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 This quilt is lovely & seems to have some of the same elements of a New York Beauty block. I have the book New York Beauty Simplified. The author Linda J. Hahn shows lots of quilting designs - perhaps if you had access to this, it would help give you some ideas? I like Heidi's suggestion, too. Please post when you finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyLake Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 First, find out what the customer's budget is. Give her ranges. Those pieced star arms are very tiny and would take a lot of time and work to SID. I have seen dense fill done next to star arms that make the arms pop without SID. I'd focus on the background and border with your elaborate quilting -- that is where it will show. I'd do as much simple echoing, 1/8" to 1/4", inside patches as I could and then leave it be. The piecing already speaks for itself. I agree with Heidi -- find a fantastic background motif for the corners. Put some design time into the borders. I know that doesn't give you specific designs, but perhaps it will give you a place to start. Eileen gave a good suggestion on looking at New York Beauty quilting jobs for ideas. Either do a search on this forum or on webshots.com. Sounds to me like your quilting is well-respected if they gave you a quilt like this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Dixie Lee, What a beautiful quilt! There have been some posts lately that have similar piecing....look at this one that Linda did.... http://www.apqs.com/quiltboard/viewthread.php?tid=25954 also you could try to do a search on quilts on this thread as there are some very good ideas that have been shared here! I can't wait to see how you do it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewidahoquilts Posted July 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Hi, again, I can't figure out WHAT I did to make this post so ODD! I've re-posted and edited until I'm out of ideas. I so appreciate your input and ideas. So far they're along the same vein of what I've envisioned. Nice to have my ideas confirmed. I'm still not sure how to handle the very small pieces which make-up the "feathers". I will try SID the larger units and if that isn't enough definition . . . I'll go for the individual elements. I thought a trapunto style motif would really look great in those large empty turquoise areas, but I haven't done trapunto and feel concern that this isn't the place to learn. I do have an embroidery machine that I could stitch the outline on, therefore getting ever closer the the perfection ideal. I've already quoted her a price. As usual, it isn't going to be enough, but any money and work is better than none. Our rural Central Idaho area has over 12% unemployment and there are simply no jobs to be found. So I will take what I can get. She paid a small fortune, to my mind, for the top. But of course, she doesn't want to pay that much to have it quilted. Apparently I'm not the only quilter that sells their work for far less than it's worth or the time it takes to quit the item. It's a hard call. If I charge her what I should for the time I spend, she will probably be so hypercritical that perfect would fall short and I'm not perfect. I try hard and don't mind spending the time to make it right, but perfection is not possible so I try not to get tied up in too many knots about that issue. I don't have to start it today so I will keep looking for suggestions. I'm hoping Doodlebug chimes in, if not I may try to contact her personally. She seems to quilt a number of these intense design quilts. Anybody . . . please add your 2 cents worth. Any suggestion may trigger something in my mind about what I can do with this Feathered Frenzy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Dixie Lee you can use your embroidery machine to stitch the motif using water soluable thread then quilt and you just have to wet the area to disolve the water soluable thread or you can pick it out. Just use a large stitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewidahoquilts Posted July 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Bringing this back to the top. I hope I fixed the picture problem. If nothing . . . I'm persistent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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