Problem #2

[Buttonflower]

Hi Again

I'm doing a quilt with a cream backing and dark green, burgundy & cream top.  Of course the issue is the green & burgundy top threads showing on the bottom.  BUT they only show when I have to pause for a few seconds at a point or when I'm doing the double piano key border (?) where I have to back track along another stitching line for 3 or 4 stitches before stitching the second line back to the edge of the quilt.  This is not my quilt, but belongs to a client/friend who purchased everything years 20 years ago.  The cream blocks are hand embroidered so I'm wondering if she will have a problem getting rid of the blue dots too.  Not my problem I know, but she looks to me for guidance.  Solutions anyone?

Thanks for reading this.  I've taken the quilt off of my frame to turn, but I'm going to see what I can to on the trouble spots before I put it back on to finish the borders.

Buttonflower

[Quilting Heidi]

This is one of the hardest things to do and I'm not always 100% successful.  I would tighten your top thread just a little and see if you can resolve the issue.  I also find that keeping the quilt sandwich a little looser helps for the threads to get pulled into the middle.  If doing two colors like this it is often a really good idea to use two battings.  

[Buttonflower]

Two battings!  I would never have thought of doing that, except if I were doing trapunto.  Thanks for the suggestion Heidi.

Buttonflower

[Primitive1]

That is tough, I only go for two colors of thread when I have a thicker batting ie: wool or two like Heidi suggested.  Most of the time I don't have a problem but it just makes for less stress when you don't have to work with two colors trying to see what is on the other side...

[ffq-lar]

There is no rule that your bobbin thread must match your backer fabric. Some of the prettiest quilts ( from the back) have top and bobbin thread the same color, resulting in a second "wholecloth" of many colors on the back. This is an even better suggestion for quilts with thin batting like 100% cotton.

I have one on the frame now with Christmas colors and a solid beige on the back. The red and green thread look wonderful on the back.

[Corey]

I hardly ever use two colors, if & when I need to match the thread to the backing, I use monofilament on top. My clients understand the risk & they do like the beautiful designs on the backing.

[Quilting Heidi]

My next & probably last customer quilt is a Baltimore Album quilt.  It is magnificent and has even more applique in it than the last if you can imagine that.  I'm struggling with what to quilt in the background area.  My customer wants something that has some kind of relief work but not all the blocks have space for that so that makes it super hard.  She saw one at MQX last year that has scrolls quilted and then a very tight stipple around it to make it pop and that is what she loves.  I'm not sure I can do that on this quilt and not make it look odd because I won't have room to fit those scrolls into all the blocks and they aren't evenly distributed.  Still thinking about it so if any of you have ideas let me know.  That quilt also has a dark red backer!  The top has a yellowish background so it will be two thread colors because I don't think the back would at all be enhanced by the yellow/cream thread, especially with all the dense quilting.  I think I'll have to use two battings on it to make it work.  Did I mention it is about 95" square?  What a way to go out of this business.