Motifs or cross-hatching?

I can't really help with the decisions, but it does look beautiful. I think no.1 sounds most efficient for time as you wouldn't be unloading and reloading it onto the big frame.

Lizzy

I'd probably go for option #3. I wouldn't want to try the motifs on the big frame - I'm not flexible enough to HQ in all those directions! Option #1 would be second choice.

It's g> OK. Welsh wholecloth. Centre motifs complete, and first (very

Thanks, girls, I suppose it's another one of those 'read all about it, then do what you like' things.

I just wondered if there were good reasons to tackle projects in a particular way. I always thought it was motifs first, then filling, but the other way sounds much more convincing. Maybe a bit of both to break up the monotony.

Straight lines are much easier on the Mighty Wurhlitzer, but circles are better in ahoop, imo.

Nel (Gadget Queen)

Howdy!

#3. Starting from the center, working out, doing the borders last. Reason: to control the smoothness, avoid lumps, cut down on the possibility of a big ol' flap left over on the back, or a C-cup on the top. Smooth & gently stretch, from the center to the edges. I do this for "regular" quilting & for whole-cloth quilts (w/ motifs). But that's me. I only handquilt all the time. ;-P

Good luck!

Ragmop/Sandy

copied:

OK. Welsh wholecloth. Centre motifs complete, and first (very fiddly) border done. Straight line edging to these two done. Now, I'm quilting the next, wide, border (12")

It has big motifs in each corner; biggish motifs at intervals in between and crosshatching as filler. (I'm HQ)

I can:

1) leave it on big frame and do all the straight lines and the outlines of the motifs, leaving the fiddly bits to do on a hoop, later. 2) take it off and do the fiddly bits first, then do the straight lines later. 3) do it all on a hoop and do it hoop-by-hoop 4) do it all on the big frame with loads of needles- in which case top- down? bottom-up or side-to-side?

Help!?!? Too many decisions; my skull has exploded!

Nel (Gadget Queen)

Knowing nothing about hand quilting (sadly), I can only say how much I like what you have already done. It's going to be wonderful. . In message , Sartorresartus writes

I vote for #3 as well. I only use a hoop when HQ and the final product comes out very smooth and even. Good luck! Let us see it when it's finished!!!!

I'd not have started with a big frame at all -hoop for me! But since you have it in a frame and therefore probably like working that way, do all the bits you can comfortably do before you take it off the frame. Then you can do fiddlies in a hoop.

It's dr>OK. Welsh wholecloth. Centre motifs complete, and first (very

I always thread baste, then I can off and on to the big frame or hoop at will. Long stretches and straight lines are easiest on the frame, and the roundy-roundy bits are easier in a hoop. If I've got to go somewhere, or I'm dumped in hospital again, it gets unceremoniously screwed up and stuffed in a bag, then I can work on it on the Ward, or wherever.

My question was whether to do the fiddly bits, then the filler or the other way around. I'm working inside out, and round and round rather than end to end like you would if you did it on the big frame, but with all that basting it doesn't move much. Just need to check the underneath at regular intervals.

With the Welsh quilts that works well, a North Country one would be easier side to side. But I can't get good stitches going the wrong way, I prefer top-to-bottom and right-to-left. I can wriggle for a little way away from me, but it feels all skew-iff and is sooo slow. Hence the on-again/off-again method.

But it seems from all the replies that it matters little, but I do like the idea of the quilting-out of lumps in the details. That makes sense.

Oh, it's a sort of dried plaster rose on one side and a celtic knot pattern on the reverse, with the plaster colour running through it. Hang on, may have a fotie...

There. Nel (GQ)