First of all, I do all of my own machine quilting.
Sometimes, for a scrap quilt, I will purposely use an allover meander design, so that the quilting will not have it's own pattern and will let the pattern of the piecing be the only thing your "eye" sees.
On quilts where I want your eye to "go" somewhere, I will leave certain small areas unquilted and only stitch in the ditch around them, and vary the meander patterns that I use in certain patches. I group the patches in my mind's eye into visual "blocks" (which usually have nothing to do with how the actual blocks were pieced) and quilt them separately. One might have a true random meander, the other spirals, etc.
I never enter anything into a show, so it's all just up to me. You have to love that about quilting. I love the way that a discussion like this will make me *think* about what I am doing, though, and maybe try something different.
Don't get me wrong. I am not one of the quilt police. If people want to make things like I have described, then good on them. I hope they get pleasure out of what they do. If people want to make and enter things like I described in quilt shows, then good on them. But, and this is the real defining factor. When they show me those quilts in a setting that implies that they are looking for opinions. IE; judging of quilts in the shows, then I will render my opinion as it pertains to my own choices of excellence. If they hang those quilts in their houses, and I happen to be asked by them what I think. I will, gently explain my personal preferences, and why they might differ from theirs, but I will celebrate, their efforts, and hopefully, show them a way that might improve their next quilt, technique. That is the nature of criticism. It is sometimes difficult for the recipient to accept that criticism, but if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the quilt judging at the quilt show. I am sometimes judged by hand quilters as not being a "real quilter" because I machine quilt. In return, I state that I am not a "real Quilter". I am a, "real machine quilter". I don't think there is a hierarchy in quilting, only bad technique, machine and hand. Even that applies only to things that are of a showpiece nature. If you are making a dog bed quilt, I don't think it matters to the dog, if it gets four paws or one paw in the dog bed judging contest. What matters is that it is warm and comfy. If it is entered in a quilt show, then you better be prepared for suggestions or criticisms.
There's a recent book about machine quilting that describes three styles for each of the sample quilts: dragger, show-stopper, heirloom. Or something like that. (I don't have the book and I don't recall the title.) The point is that the complexity of the quilting can differ for the intended use of the quilt. A baby, little-kid, or even a college student's quilt may be a dragger. That Baltimore Album or Dear Jane that took three years to piece will be an heirloom.
That said, I've seen too many quilts in magazines (I haven't been to that many shows) that have a large all-over meander. I understand that such a style may be due to budget. But for a pretty top with some design complexity, just "gitterdun" (get her done) is a shame.
I have likened professional quilting to bronze casting, sort of: art with an assist. That Rodin or Remington sculpture was not hewn out of a block of bronze. The sculptor created it in clay, a mold was made, and the bronze was cast by a foundry. When I have a quilt professionally quilted I add the longarmer's name or company to the label.
That's close, but I know there's a better word for exactly what I was trying to say - it eludes me still... drat.
After reading a few more opinions this morning, it occurs to me that another reason for the quilting in question may be that the quilter may be masterful with piecing and stitching, but at a loss for exactly what to do quilting-wise (I've faced that issue myself) and how long should someone be expected to leave the project on the UFO shelf until they figure out the "perfect" way to quilt it?
John,
If you're not the quilt police, you're doing an oustanding job of impersonating one. ;-)
Just because a quilt is on display does not mean we should be standing there critiquing it. Well, maybe in Ohio a quilt show means the quilters are looking for opinions from the people who attend. In my guild, here in Virginia, the quilts are hung for the enjoyment of the viewers! There is a "Viewer's Choice" ballot, so the viewers do get a chance to 'judge' discreetly. That doesn't mean they should be publicly criticizing the quilts while at the show, although they probably discuss the work with a few friends, when away from the show. We do not hire judges to rate the quilts. Even if we did, that does not mean it is open season on voicing opinions in the venue, which your note seems to imply.
On Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:58:11 -0500, John wrote (in article ):
Just out of curiousity, why wouldn't you put it in the show. The only show I enter quilts in is our guild's show. It's not a show with professional judges rather viewer's choice. Which of course means David and my non quilting friends vote for me in any category unless there is an absolute stunner.
I've had one quilt quilted by someone else and had no problem putting it in our local show (with credit to the quilter, of course) It's an opportunity to show my work. I know it's not Paducah-quality, but I still like to occassionally have things on display.
Very good points, Doc. I think the word you are looking for there is 'technique.' Yes, there are quilt makers who have wonderful imagination for color and such, but who have less than stellar workmanship. They may have problems with quilting stitch too. But they like their quilts because they exhibit lots of personality and style! (And so do I!!) OTOH, some people have excellent technique, with sharp points, precise seams and so on, but don't have much pizzazz when it comes to color, or style. They stick to just one or two blocks in a quilt, and just a few fabrics and depend on the workmanship to carry the quilt. They too like their quilts, because they are predidictable. Each side of the question would be surprised to learn that other quilt makers do not like their work. It doesn't matter any how. To each her own .... to each his own. PAT in Virginia
Again, I agree with you. When I go to a show, it doesn't take me long to scan the "perfectly" matched squares ones, (the ones with one block repeated over and over) even if there are sashings, etc. To me those are the most boring quilts in the world, no matter what the actual quilting design is. I enjoy the ones with some pizzazz Gen
Different shows have different rules about who does the piecing and who does the quilting. It's up to the show. Some prefer those to be in a group quilt category. Some are accepting them in the other categories as long are there are no more than two people. Things are evolving. And we are getting to see many more beautiful quilts at shows.
It's called Machine Quilting Solutions by Christine Marachini, if you do your own free motion quilting, I would definitely say it's one to have on your shelf, I love that she has so many different designs that don't require marking or maybe just a tiny bit of marking to get the spacing right along a border.
Nobody is standing around and criticizing the quilts, at least that I have heard. The quilts in question are divided up into categories, Traditional, Art, hand quilted, machine quilted, ect. The different categories, are voted on. Therein lies the judgement, that is being rendered. I am shure some of them are in it to show what they are doing and not for any prize ribbon or award. But I hope that you an agree that there are "good quilts" of whatever stripe, and those that are not so good because of poor choices of color, assembly or other widely accepted criteria of excellence. I understand that somebody just starting out will not produce a quilt that they might produce a number of years down the road. They in their enthusiasm, might have placed the quilt into the display area, to show what they are up to. My criticism of their efforts, in no way should be construed as something that should tell them to stop doing what they are doing. But more like what you might read within the confines of a book on the subject of quilting excellence. I have noted in many publication,s of quilting technique, articles referring to common mistakes that you should watch for when getting started out in quilting. I learned all that I know about quilting from books, as I am completely self taught. All of those books, have made reference to the need to respect the integrity of the quilt pattern design when stitching the tops, and I think that is a reasonable attitude to take when doing free motion topstitching. The quilting patterns can be simple or complex, as the person desires, or is capable of producing, but the end result is often considered to be better, than one in which the careless disregard for seams of the patchwork when applying the overall random placement of stitching using free motion techniques. If, for whatever other reason, the person knowingly uses that technique, to some imagined, "Artistic" Ideal, then that is fine. It is not something I would consider spending much time either doing or even looking at during my pass down the isles of the quilt show. If on the other hand, some might judge the simple but careful placement of stitching on a simple traditional pattern as boring, then that is fine also, but at least they can not judge it as sloppy craftsmanship. That is the difference that I was trying to point out. If that is overly critical, then so be it. If you enjoy what you are doing, as I said in the original post, then good on you. But don't think that I will champion your efforts, if they don't at least try to follow some basic elements good design. That being a somewhat subjective, but not unknown ideal.
Stitching-in-the-ditch is difficult to do by hand, I think. It's just tough to push the needle in & out, for me anyway, and still maintain some degree of consistently small stitches. OTOH, at the same time, creatively it's the easy way out. No marking, no creative process to come up with a design that will complement the pattern. Depending on the pattern, sometimes I think it looks okay. Other patterns, it's just kind of blah. Some patterns just scream for feathers and wreaths and cables and loops and ..... I don't see anything wrong with entering a quilt you paid to have machine quilted at all. But then I only enter quilt shows for fun and I get a kick out of the compliments I get from the people who saw my first horrible attempts just 4 short years ago. That's the buzz I get from quilt shows.
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