Overquilting

I agree. I also think that they are meant just for show quilts as I can't imagine sleeping under one . Last year --or was it 2? ---I took a class from a nat'l known teacher about what to quilt on your quilt. I do remember her saying that some quilts you "quilted to cardboard" ! I have one quilt that I made a few years ago...9 patch and another simple block that I machine quilted sparingly and it gives you the feel of a hand quilted one as it is soft and cuddly. I used Warm & Natural and it has held up very well through many washings even though I didn't do a lot of quilting on it.

Mary

I've noticed that as well at several recent quilt shows. Some of the quilts used the stitching as the focal point of the quilt rather than the pattern or fabrics being the focal point. The quilt serves as the "canvas" for the quilting. I guess I am too much of a traditionalist with my quilting. I use the quilting as a method to keep the sandwich together and to keep the batting from bunching. I have moved to stitching patterns that enhance or coordinate with the pattern or fabric but still keep it only dense enough to serve that purpose. I don't want the stitching to overpower the pattern or the fabric, but that's just me. I am envious of some of the quilting I have seen and strive to improve my stitching regardless of purpose.

AliceW in NJ

"I like me how I am" as said by my 3 year old grandson when asked why he doesn't want to turn 4.

IMO sometimes it needs a lot of quilting, sometimes not so much. It's important to keep about the same density of quilting over the whole piece, so if there's an intricate bit in the center of a block, then you need more background quilting to keep the surface even. And trapunto is in style, where you really need dense background stippling to make the padded areas pop.

Also, it seems like a lot of the recent books on quilting (e.g. Karen McTavish) show pretty dense work. So people follow this advice.

But IMO lots of quilt>Is it just me, or are a lot of quilters overquilting their quilts? >

Donna, That seems to be the case in NJ as well so I'm guessing it's not so local to you. I haven't been to that many shows but it does seem to be the trend not only there but also with store samples. I only hand quilt - no machine quilting at all. I finished one last year that was fairly 'heavily' quilted for hand quilting and I thought it would kill me before I was finished. But the quilt did scream for it to be done that way. Personally I like quilt patterns that allow for some 'show off' quilting and then primarily utilitarian quilting to hold the sandwich together - but that's just me. I agree that with the popularity and relative accessability of longarm's that the 'industry' as a whole seems to be marching in the direction of very densely quilts. Some are facinating and incredibily artistic just not my taste. Not why I decided to begin quilting. To me quilting was a great marriage of my love of machine sewing (which I had not done much of in years) and my love of hand work. It keeps my busy and gives me much more utilitarian pieces to either use for myself or give to others - which they've all been so far. Far, far better use of my idle hands than needlepoint, cross stitch, knitting, etc. for gifts. Although all the little ones do get their needlepointed and lined Christmas stockings for their first Christmas present from Aunt Kim.

Kim in NJ

On Jul 13, 9:22=EF=BF=BDpm, "Donna in Idaho" wro= te:

I agree. At the big shows where one sees works done by professionals this is definitely the case. I think they try to make it more like a art canvas in texture. I prefer less quilting most of the time.

That's too funny -- at our last show, I thought a lot of the quilts were underquilted. (6" between quilting just isn't enough, IM(NS)HO!)

Unfortunately, there are a lot of longarm books and classes out there on how to quilt, but very few on good quilting design. Most longarmers (actually, most quilters in general) don't have a design background, and don't always understand issues of color, contrast, and texture.

Howdy!

If only "they" would find that happy medium, somewhere in-between. Too many of the quilts I've seen are not quilted enough, just around the blocks or in the ditch or along the block sashing. Then there are those, and they're always machine-quilted, that won't bend or drape because they're stiff from too-much machine quilting. Perhaps it's a personal preference, altho' I suspect it's a lack of experience, or going crazy w/ the machine.

R/Sandy - remembering that RQ1 was rather "stiff" after machine quilting

I think as in all things, moderation is the key! I certainly dislike quilts that aren't quilted enough, but I'm sure not liking the ones that are quilted so heavily you can't see the fabric for the thread! I'm not talking about thread painting which is a whole different subject.

Donna in SW Idaho (who also remembers RQ1, as well as RQ2!)

Howdy!

Maybe... when the quilting is good enough it can stand on its own, and doesn't depend on the fabric or pattern to carry the quilt. The "tradition" I learned is that the quilting and the pattern compliment each other to create the whole. And "good enough" often isn't. Of course, I love to quilt. ;-)

R/Sandy

I agree, Donna. In fact I have thought this for years. Plus, with that much quilting, you loose all the comfy snuggleness of the quilt, because that much thread that close makes for a fairly "stiff" quilt. But they hang nicely! Not all long arm quilters over quilt, but many of the quilts I have entered in shows/competitions come back with the comment "needs more quilting".... because I tend to just quilt to enhance the piecing, and such.

Pati, > Is it just me, or are a lot of quilters overquilting their quilts? >

I'm rather traditional, and while I might do piecing on the machine now and then, I always do the quilting by hand. Other than whole- cloth quilting -- another subject entirely! -- I begin the quilting with in-the-ditch all over, and then take a good long look and decide whether to add motifs in logical places, to do echo quilting, or leave it alone. I do NOT like to see quilts where the fabric patterns and quilting patterns don't gibe! Some of them are so tangled up that way that you have to look at either the fabric OR the stitching.

Oh, I so agree with this, Mary. I think it is precisely this - though I haven't been able to put it into words as clearly - that has made me so reluctant to quilt visibly at all! I am coming through that now, as I have done a couple of pieces with fairly nice quilting. But I do like to see quilts where thought has obviously gone into what's appropriate, rather than 'I must put a bit of this in, and that, and ...

I have to say that I don't think hand quilters fall into these traps nearly as easily. . In message , Mary writes

I agree, can't remember ever seeing a hand-quilted quilt that was overquilted.

Donna in SW Idaho

I'm glad you posted this. I've seen a lot that are way too quilted for my taste. I thought it was just me, so glad to see I have company. Actually, I'd rather see too little than too much.. Gen

As long as the density is even over the quilt, I agree with you: 'less is more' >g< (as everyone seems to say these days!) . In message , Gen writes