If you are here for my 2014 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop post, please click here.
If you are here to see my latest project, please carry on!
This quilt turned out surprisingly well, considering its slow start. It hung over some furniture in my sewing room for days as I pondered how to quilt it.
Deciding to be difficult, the quilt made no suggestions. None.
I suddenly thought 'funky' and 'fern' feathers would look good in the odd-shaped blocks, so loaded the quilt and dove right in. I crossed my fingers and hoped ideas for the rest would come as I worked... Yeah. Crossed fingers don't work as birth control, either. Just sayin'!
My Mom owns this quilt, and gave her express permission to use it for practice.
I hope she meant it! It took some trial and error to determine which quilting design to use in the floral blocks, but I am NOT picking anything out!!!
Armed with ideas from Angela Walters' book on modern quilting, I tried following the floral pattern on the front and filling around it with a chrysanthemum filler. Yuck! It looked like scribbling all over the flowers I'd tried to highlight, and the quilting density was not even.
Next I tried swirls and garlic cloves. Double yuck! I love those fillers, but not here!
Eventually I decided the chrysanthemum filler would be great on its own. But you already knew it would! That design came up when I asked for suggestions, but I'd already begun scribbling away. Next time I'll just wait a while so you have time to get back to me before I begin! :-)
I tried it as a single bloom that filled a whole block. Not bad, but I thought the quilting was "loose" compared to the density of the feathers I was stitching elsewhere.
What about a multi-blooming chrysanthemum filler? (The more I type it, the easier it gets...chrysanthemum, chrysanthemum, chrysanthemum!).
Yes! Finally satisfied, I was able to move right along.
Happily, when seen as part of the whole quilt, the "scribble" block doesn't stand out too much.
The checkerboard presented an interesting challenge as well. Even though each block was square, the print was not straight with the grain. Also, the fabric was not fussy cut to center the print, so using the checkerboard itself as a stitching guide wasn't advisable.
This back-and-forth design wasn't bad, but I wasn't wild about it, either. I thought it accentuated the off kilter nature of the print.
At that point I realized that swirls would be the best choice. They would make a nice foil to the checkerboard without drawing attention to anything negative.
Here is the "Before" shot of the top.
And here is the quilt, fresh off the frame.
Next time I'll know exactly how to handle wonky checkerboard prints and graphic florals with ease!
I'll also take the lint roller to black fabric before taking pictures. Maybe.
Thanks for being a good sport, Mom!
Linking up with:
Fabric Frenzy Friday, at Fort Worth Fabric Studio
Whoop Whoop Friday, at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Show off Saturday, at Sew Can She
...and since this is my ONE finish for June, I'll link up with A Lovely Year of Finishes when that party opens!
Until next time, Try, Learn, Grow!
Carole
Comments are welcome and will be answered by email where possible. Thanks for looking around today!
If you are here to see my latest project, please carry on!
This quilt turned out surprisingly well, considering its slow start. It hung over some furniture in my sewing room for days as I pondered how to quilt it.
Deciding to be difficult, the quilt made no suggestions. None.
I suddenly thought 'funky' and 'fern' feathers would look good in the odd-shaped blocks, so loaded the quilt and dove right in. I crossed my fingers and hoped ideas for the rest would come as I worked... Yeah. Crossed fingers don't work as birth control, either. Just sayin'!
My Mom owns this quilt, and gave her express permission to use it for practice.
I hope she meant it! It took some trial and error to determine which quilting design to use in the floral blocks, but I am NOT picking anything out!!!
Armed with ideas from Angela Walters' book on modern quilting, I tried following the floral pattern on the front and filling around it with a chrysanthemum filler. Yuck! It looked like scribbling all over the flowers I'd tried to highlight, and the quilting density was not even.
Next I tried swirls and garlic cloves. Double yuck! I love those fillers, but not here!
 |
| Back of "Scribble" block |
Eventually I decided the chrysanthemum filler would be great on its own. But you already knew it would! That design came up when I asked for suggestions, but I'd already begun scribbling away. Next time I'll just wait a while so you have time to get back to me before I begin! :-)
I tried it as a single bloom that filled a whole block. Not bad, but I thought the quilting was "loose" compared to the density of the feathers I was stitching elsewhere.
 |
| I'm showing the back so you can see the quilting. Excuse the fuzz - black fabric picks up every bit of lint. |
What about a multi-blooming chrysanthemum filler? (The more I type it, the easier it gets...chrysanthemum, chrysanthemum, chrysanthemum!).
Yes! Finally satisfied, I was able to move right along.
Happily, when seen as part of the whole quilt, the "scribble" block doesn't stand out too much.
The checkerboard presented an interesting challenge as well. Even though each block was square, the print was not straight with the grain. Also, the fabric was not fussy cut to center the print, so using the checkerboard itself as a stitching guide wasn't advisable.
This back-and-forth design wasn't bad, but I wasn't wild about it, either. I thought it accentuated the off kilter nature of the print.
At that point I realized that swirls would be the best choice. They would make a nice foil to the checkerboard without drawing attention to anything negative.
Here is the "Before" shot of the top.
And here is the quilt, fresh off the frame.
Next time I'll know exactly how to handle wonky checkerboard prints and graphic florals with ease!
I'll also take the lint roller to black fabric before taking pictures. Maybe.
Thanks for being a good sport, Mom!
Linking up with:
Fabric Frenzy Friday, at Fort Worth Fabric Studio
Whoop Whoop Friday, at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Show off Saturday, at Sew Can She
...and since this is my ONE finish for June, I'll link up with A Lovely Year of Finishes when that party opens!
Until next time, Try, Learn, Grow!
Carole
Comments are welcome and will be answered by email where possible. Thanks for looking around today!
I loved haring about your quilting choices. I agree, don't unpick anything. I am sure your mom will love it.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on getting this finished! I love how the swirls on the checkerboard turned out, and I think that having a few other patterns just adds some fun to the project. ;)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Quilting. Your mom will love it.
ReplyDeleteYour quilting is just fabulous!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on getting it done. I agree that floral block would have been a hard one to pick a quilting design for. Good choice of swirls for the checkerboard. And the feathers just make it shine:-)
ReplyDeleteGreat choices in your quilting, Carole! Sometimes we just need to play to figure out what works best, good for your mom for giving you permission :) I think it looks fab!
ReplyDeleteStunning, as always. I like the swirls better, on the checkerboard, but I can see a lot of uses for the back and forth design, you started with. I enjoyed following along as you made your design choices and then changed them for something better. Your a natural teacher. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI hate it when a quilt doesn't speak to you about how to be quilted, but you handled it well. And I admit that I laughed out loud with your "fingers crossed - birth control" comment. Oh, so true!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your process! Your fern feathers are awesome.
ReplyDeleteYour mom's quilt is fun Carole, great that she agreed to let you play with it. I enjoyed following your thought process as you made design decisions, that is really helpful for those of us that may struggle with "how am I going to quilt this?" issues.
ReplyDeleteIt may have been a challenge, but it ended up great. I actually like the back and forth design on the checkerboard!
ReplyDeleteHi, I just found you through Plum and June's new blogger blog hop. I think you've done a great job with your quilt experimenting and it really suits the top.
ReplyDelete