How would you quilt this?

March 23rd, 2011

In spite of my good intentions, I only finished half of the UFOs I had planned to complete in February. I won’t be hard on myself – perhaps I was too ambitious. My aim for March, however, is to at least complete the two projects I wasn’t able to work on last month.

One of them is almost finished… just a little quilting left on the border, and then the binding and finishing. So I am now faced with the next UFO, and I am a little bit at a loss as to how to quilt it. I really do like it, so I don’t want to mess it up. Remember this?

I’m wondering if I should play it safe, and just stitch-in-the-ditch. Like this:

Or take a little risk with an overall design. I’ve played around with some ideas, and just am not sure. Would you choose one of these? If so, which one? (Click on the image for a larger version)

This entry was posted in Machine Quilting. |Comments closed

10 Comments

  1. Diane
    Posted March 23, 2011 at 10:26 am | Permalink

    Of your choices I think #2. If you had not given any choices I would have suggested overall swirls. Anything rounded will soften the angular design. #1 doesn’t have enough curves; #3 and 4 are a bit busy with the already complicated piecing. The quilt top is beautiful!

  2. Lin Maine
    Posted March 23, 2011 at 10:58 am | Permalink

    My first inclination was ‘in the ditch’, get it done easily. But I think I’d go with 1 or 2. I agree with Diane, the rounded design will complement the angular design (which is gorgeous, btw).
    Be sure to let us see the finished product!
    -Lin in Phx

  3. Sandyncal
    Posted March 23, 2011 at 12:21 pm | Permalink

    I liked #1 but then I like simple designs.

  4. Bev Andersen
    Posted March 23, 2011 at 7:10 pm | Permalink

    I like #1. I find the rest of them are too distracting to the wonderful design that is there. I’m like Sandyncal………………I like things simple

  5. Ann Marie
    Posted March 23, 2011 at 9:24 pm | Permalink

    I like #4 as long as the thread blended in with the colors of the quilt.

  6. SewCalGal
    Posted March 23, 2011 at 11:30 pm | Permalink

    Beautiful. What about thread play to really emphasize the starburst design, combined with some hyperquilting in the outer areas? But in the ditch, or any of the designs you selected would work fine.

    SewCalGal
    http://www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

  7. wendy
    Posted March 24, 2011 at 7:10 am | Permalink

    I think it would look lovely stitched in the ditch – let the piecing speak for itself.

  8. Angie
    Posted March 24, 2011 at 9:09 am | Permalink

    Thanks for all your great suggestions. Since I don’t want to botch this one (hate to take out quilting stitches), I think I’ll first stitch in the ditch and see how it looks. Then, if it needs more, I think I’ll toss a coin between choices #1 and #2! 🙂

  9. Debbie St. Germain
    Posted March 24, 2011 at 10:14 pm | Permalink

    What a beautiful piece. I love the last one with the flowers.

    Debbie

  10. Wayne Kollinger
    Posted April 6, 2011 at 3:35 pm | Permalink

    Angie

    Stitch in the ditch.

    The design is very intricate. It doesn’t need quilting to finish it. You need to keep things simple and avoid any quilting that’s going to compete with the sewn design.

    Much as I hate to suggest stitch in the ditch, I think it would be simplest and best.

    Second best would be a simplified version of #4.