Bonnie H Posted September 23, 2012 Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 One of my customers brought me a cute quilt she put together with old-fashioned embroidered blocks she found at a yard sale. They are adorable and whoever embroidered them did a really nice job. She wants me to do a small background stipple on each of these blocks with no stitching on the embroidery. I am wondering how close to the embroidery should I go? Should I outline anything? The white portion of the blocks measures 7-1/4 inches square. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted September 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 Here's another of the whole quilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oma Posted September 23, 2012 Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 I would try to get at least within 1/4". Are you thinking some McTavishing type background or swirly stuff? I'm curious today can you tell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted September 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 Curious is good, Oma! Glad you are She asked for a stipple but she may not know about the tight little swirls or McTavishing. When I loaded the quilt last night I felt like stippling wasn't really the way to go. I would rather do some other background fill. I should call and ask her. I think she will be easy to please with whatever I suggest. Any ideas what you might do to it? I'm thinking of doing ribbon candy in the sashings and a partial feather in the border (not sure what it is called but you do three little feathers in a long chain of sorta half circles, switching sides of the feather spine as you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted September 23, 2012 Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 Love your ideas for the sashings and border! As for a filler--how about tiny clouds? You can find a size that works--I'll see if I can find a photo of what I mean. You, as the professional quilter you are, will need to educate your customer (who seems like she will listen to you) that the embroidery will distort if you do a background fill only around the pictures. The inside that's left unstitched will sag and bag, especially after laundering. Is she amenable to a demo? Stitch around one picture with your fill design. Then, using white thin thread like So Fine, stitch right next to the embroidery stitches around the main elements. Like the bottom row/center duckling--stitch around the duck, his hat, and sweater. And swirlies in the water. Stitch around the lamb to the right--outline only. Show her the difference just a few invisible lines of stitching make. Unroll the top so it hangs down and she will be able to see that the lamb needs more stitches. And that the stitches on the duck only show depth and not thread. It's amazing--everyone who does embroidery doesn't want stitching on it and every embroidery looks better with the stitching done! Here's a photo of the cloud filler. The design on the left is for a sashing from 2008! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamarack Posted September 23, 2012 Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 Bonnie, a few years ago I quilted two quilt with embroidery and did a ribbon meander on one and 3's and E's on the second. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamarack Posted September 23, 2012 Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 Picture of 3's and E's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltingjoyful51 Posted September 23, 2012 Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 Kathy, your quilting is great on those blocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted September 23, 2012 Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 Bonnie, those embroidery squares look like throw-backs to the 40s or 50s. I'd try to stick to something that looked retro if I were you. Now, you ask, what would that be? I dono!!! Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darlene Epp Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 Crosshatching looks really good on these blocks. I've gone right over the embroidery before with great results. OR you can outline the embroidery and then crosshatch behind it. You will probably need to do some outline sitching within the embroidery so it doesn't sag. Remember that the more dense your background quilting is, the more the embroidery will sag if it isn't stitched down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmuntz Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 Wow the embroidery is amazing. Can't wait to see the finished quilt! The suggestions above are awesome too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 I would definitely use a clear thread and SID those blocks right up next to the embroidery. It won't detract from it at all and it will make them look much better. If you don't SID it will poof funny. I always SID all the main lines of the shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbi Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 Bonnie, I agree with what the girls above said... I agree that you may need to do "some" quilting inside the embroidery so it doesn't sag as Linda, Heidi and Darlene mentioned. It won't hurt the embroidery, and will enhance it tremendously! Can't wait to see it finished! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabric007 Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 Such beautifully done embroidery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted September 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 Thank you ladies for all the suggestions. I learn so much here!! will be calling her this week to talk about her quilt and will post pictures when I'm done. Darlene, I may be tending towards the crosshatch idea as that was what I saw in my mind, too! And that would eliminate SID (thankfully! LOL). Linda, I very much appreciate the drawings, thank you!! The cloud idea stipple is very cute. And Kathy, I love the double stipple picture you posted. Thank you for sharing it with me to help give me some ideas!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 Wonder if it would be possible to use a very long stitch just to show her what you mean, and then if it's not approved by her, frog it and set the stitch length to what you think would work. In any case, by using a long stitch, it would be easy to frog, and yet show her what you can do that would make it pretty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustee Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 Really darling quilt. It looks like it will be fun to work on. The girls have given you some really nice ideas. I am sure you will do a beautiful job, what ever you decide. I can't wait till you post pictures of the finished quilt. I love the retro quilts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheri Butler Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 so go ahead and enhance the insides of the stitched design! It really does help make the quilt top! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanramey Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 I used crosshatching on my embroidery blocks that my MIL embroidered at the age of 12 in 1940. I used bottomline thread and the thread can't really be seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted September 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 Originally posted by RitaR Wonder if it would be possible to use a very long stitch just to show her what you mean, and then if it's not approved by her, frog it and set the stitch length to what you think would work. In any case, by using a long stitch, it would be easy to frog, and yet show her what you can do that would make it pretty. Rita, I wish I could show her some options in person but she lives over an hour from me. When she comes down from the hills to town is when she brings me her quilts. I had thought about sending her some links online to direct her to some pictures of what her quilt may look like using a thin thread through embroidery. Thank you for the good idea though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted September 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 Originally posted by susanramey I used crosshatching on my embroidery blocks that my MIL embroidered at the age of 12 in 1940. I used bottomline thread and the thread can't really be seen. OMG, Sue!!!! This is bang on what I was thinking ... and I have the diamond board and cross hatch board from CL to do it with. Do you mind if I show her your quilt picture? Yours is ADORABLE!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted September 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 Sheri, those are so cute!!!!!! OMG!!! I love what you did with the little "enhancements!" Thank you for the pictures! I just have way too many options now, ladies. (but that's a good thing! LOL) You all don't know how much I appreciate this list and what it means to me to have a comfort place to come to to seek advice. {{{{{{{{{{{ big hugs to you all for helping me and giving so freely }}}}}}}}}} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheri Butler Posted September 25, 2012 Report Share Posted September 25, 2012 Aww, what awsome replies Bonnie! FYI, I used so fine matching the background fabric on the top AND in the bobbin! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted September 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2012 Originally posted by SheriB Aww, what awsome replies Bonnie! FYI, I used so fine matching the background fabric on the top AND in the bobbin! Sheri, what a coincidence, I was thinking of So Fine! Funny thing is, I only have one cone of So Fine and it just so happens it matches the background fabric. Thank you for sharing with me your thread choice!! I gave my customer a call yesterday and she was so excited for me to play with her quilt top and has given me free reign. Now to find some time to get it done. Today is "Strip Club Tuesday" and I'm off to sew with a bunch of gals at the LQS, which puts me behind in my "real life job" but oh well ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted September 25, 2012 Report Share Posted September 25, 2012 Bonnie, what fun you will have while quilting this, and with customers approval!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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