Sue Spargo quilt advice

[sandylachowski]

A customer asked me to finish a Sue Spargo Bird Dance wall hanging.  The quilt is absolutely stunning in its design and workmanship.  I said "YES!!!"  thinking what fun it would be to work on something so exquisite not thinking of what problems I would encounter. I did some internet research and saw Sue's quilted with very detailed background filler and some designs inside the applique so I figured I could do it.   I got started and trying to deal with the wool on wool on wool on wool on wool, etc. etc. was something I had never encountered before.   The thickness of simply where the four wool block corners meet caused problems not to mention the wool applique areas.  I did a little bit then sent my customer a picture of issues and she said to stop.  I agreed.  My question--have any of you quilted something like this and how did you do it?  My hopping foot can't get anyway near high enough to get close to the applique areas and I certainly can't go through the wool on wool on wool appliques to tack them down.  I come to find out that this quilt had been turned down by several quilters before me.  The only thing I can think is to have someone do it on a domestic machine.  I think the presser foot can move higher than my hopping foot.  After 15 years, it hurts to say I can't do something. 

Sandy Lachowski

Bend, OR

'99 GCP

[ffq-lar]

Don't feel bad--it looks like you were in good company! Better to give it back when it had so many issues.

[Zora]

You could keep your quilting away from the seam intersections be quilting a frame inside each block and doing fill inside the frame up to the applique. Looking at the one that is on her website quilted, it looks as if there is minimal quilting on the applique, and only in areas where there is one layer, such as on the birds bodies, but not on the detail of the wings. I think the key is minimal quilting, and not outlining every applique piece. Or..you can send it back and she can hand quilt with big stitch, or something!

[Primitive1]

I have quilted a fair share of wool quilts and found that the background quilting is what shines, very little quilting on the wool but these were all cotton backgrounds, not wool.....

[sandylachowski]

I've also quilted a lot of wool applique on cotton backgrounds which is why I didn't think too much of this one.  It's unbelievable how much extra thickness the wool background caused.  I agree with you , Vicki, the heavy background filler really makes the applique pop so that is what I wanted to do, not just frame each block with a 1/4" line.  Rats, rats, rats.  I really wanted to make this one special.

Sandy